Castel Giorgio

Stories, spells and nature of the upland plain

The small town of Castel Giorgio was founded in 1477 by the bishop of Orvieto Giorgio della Rovere in his attempt to repopulate an uninhabited zone of the Alfina uplands. The story of the territory is however much older. The Etruscans lived here and the most interesting of their many necropoli in the area are those of “Lauscello”, “Poggio Torrone” and “Fattoraccio”. In the Middle Ages the castles of Montalfina (a Mondaldeschi castle dating to the 11th century) and that of the “Pecorone” (an Alberici castle) were built. There is considerable endogenous activity in much of the area, surfacing as fumaroles. Prevalently agricultural, Castel Giorgio maintains its healthy fascinating environment, with intriguing insights into history and nature and a gastronomic tradition of note. [ PHOTOGALLERY ]

Castles and Palaces

The castle of Montalfina is a fine example of medieval architecture completely in keeping with its surroundings. It was built around the year thousand, probably on a precedent defensive structure and belonged to the Monaldeschi della Cervara. Destroyed more than once, the present castle is the result of the Sforza renovation of the 1590s. The previously mentioned Castle of Pecorone and the enchanting Palazzo of Montiolo are also worth seeing.

"L'Arzata del Maggio"

“L’arzata del Maggio” or Maypole coincides with the feast of the patron Saint Pancrazio, and is basically a pagan rite that has survived from the celebrations connected with. There are two phases to the event. In the first the pole (the “Maggio” or May) is hoisted up (“l’arzata”) with ropes and firmly planted in the ground. The “rocciola”, a sort of bag containing gifts, is set at the top of the “Maggio”. The next day the “ranchini” or climbers try to climb up the pole to reach the coveted bag of gifts.

Traditions

Feast of Saint Pancrazio
Feast of Saint George and the Focarone
Feast of Romanuova
Estate Castelgiorgese (Summer Festival)

To see

Etruscan necropoli
Former airfield
The remains of the old Roman roads
(Cassia and Traiana Nuova)
Casa Pisana (Owner’s House)

Gastronomy

The local gastronomy is simple and genuine and is derived from the old peasant traditions based on the local products. In addition to the organically grown products, of particular note are the honey, the pork products, legumes (the “lentils of Casone” are excellent), potatoes, cheeses and products of the wild fruits and berries.
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Iniziativa cofinanziata dal programma Comunitario LEADER +