Umbria · Perugia
Citerna
A medieval borgo above the upper Tiber valley, holding the only sculpture by Donatello in Umbria.
- Best time
- Apr–Oct
- By car
- 1 h from Perugia
- Population
- 3,367
Known for
DONATELLO
Polychrome terracotta Madonna of around 1415 in San Francesco, attributed to Donatello in 2007 and the only one of his works in Umbria.
THE CISTERNS
Underground camminamenti and rainwater cisterns hollowed below the streets gave the town its name; sections are now walkable.
FIRST IN 1860
The first Umbrian town to join the Kingdom of Italy at unification in 1860, ahead of the rest of the region.
When to visit
Best · Apr–Oct
- J9°
- F12°
- M13°
- A16°
- M21°
- J27°
- J31°
- A31°
- S25°
- O20°
- N14°
- D10°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
The festa: Michele, 8 May
Why come
Citerna sits on a ridge at the confluence of the Cerfone and Sovara streams, fifty kilometers north of Perugia in the upper Tiber valley. The name comes from the rainwater cisterns hollowed under the town, still walkable through the underground camminamenti that run beneath the medieval streets. Umbrian and Etruscan settlement preceded the Roman finds at San Fista and Pistrino.
In 1221 Citerna swore loyalty to Città di Castello in exchange for protection, then passed to the Vitelli of Città di Castello as a vicariate in the early sixteenth century, and joined the Kingdom of Italy in 1860 as the first Umbrian town to do so. The Chiesa di San Francesco on Corso Garibaldi holds a polychrome terracotta Madonna by Donatello, dated around 1415, the only work by the sculptor in Umbria, alongside paintings by Pomarancio, Luca Signorelli and Raffaellino del Colle. The view from the ramparts reaches the mountains of La Verna and Gubbio on a clear day.
The Sunday letter
Citerna is on our list. Its letter is still to come.
We are writing about all 1,000 of these towns, one at a time, in a free letter every Sunday: the photo, the food, the festa. That is our mission. Sign up and you will be there when Citerna comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.
Read on
Citerna in our articles
The best hidden towns on a walking route in the province of Perugia8 towns, Citerna among them.
The best hill towns on a walking route within 90 minutes of Perugia9 towns, Citerna among them.
The prettiest small villages within 90 minutes of Perugia10 towns, Citerna among them.
Alternatives to Assisi: every hill town in Umbria, in one list39 towns, Citerna among them.
How to get there
From Rimini (RMI), about 2h 11m by car.
Ancona / Pescara (AOI) is about 2h 22m away.
By car from the centre of Perugia 1 hour, Florence 1h 31m or Siena 1h 39m.
Coming by train into Perugia? Citerna is about 1 hour away by road.
What to see
Madonna di Donatello
Polychrome terracotta Madonna and Child of around 1415 in the Chiesa di San Francesco, the only sculpture by Donatello in Umbria.
Chiesa di San Francesco
Convent church on Corso Garibaldi with works by Pomarancio, Luca Signorelli, Raffaellino del Colle and a Della Robbia school Madonna.
Camminamenti medievali
Underground walkways and rainwater cisterns hollowed below the streets, the source of the town's name and now open to visit.
Teatro Bontempelli
Small sixteenth-century theatre built by the Vitelli family on the eastern edge of the historic core, restored and active.
Torre Civica
Medieval bell tower above the centro storico with a panorama across the upper Tiber to La Verna and the Gubbio mountains.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Citerna fits in a slow Italy circuit.
Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.
Living here
- Population 3,367
- In-betweeni
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Nearest airport Rimini, 2 h 11 min drive
- Regional capital Perugia, 1 h 3 min drive
Common questions
- What is Citerna known for?
- Citerna is a medieval borgo at 480 meters above the upper Tiber valley, holding the only sculpture by Donatello in Umbria.
- Where is Citerna?
- Citerna is a comune in the province of Perugia, in Umbria.
- What is the nearest airport to Citerna?
- Rimini (RMI), about 2h 11m by car.
- How long is the drive from Perugia to Citerna?
- About 1 hour by car.
- When is the best time to visit Citerna?
- Best in Apr–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 31 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 13 rain days.
- Is there a sagra or a festival in Citerna?
- The town keeps its patron saint's day: Michele, 8 May.
- Which other towns are like Citerna?
- Anghiari, Giano dell'Umbria and Città della Pieve.
- How many people live in Citerna?
- 3,367 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 480 m
- Population: 3,367
- Surface area: 23.53 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
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