Bevagna

Sister cities

• L'Isle-d'Espagnac

History

Bevagna, known in antiquity as Mevania, was an important Umbrian city on the Via Flaminia, between Carsulae and Fulginium. The ancient settlement lay on the bank of the river in an open and fertile valley stretching from the vicinity of Spoleto to the Tiber, separating the main Apennine chain from the ranges that extend toward Todi and Amelia. Classical authors including Columella, Silius Italicus and Lucan refer to the fertility of this region. Before the Roman conquest, Mevania was a significant centre; in 308 BC Umbrian forces were stationed here when the consul Fabius advanced against them. In the Roman imperial period the city continued to flourish: Strabo mentions it among the strongest Umbrian cities, and Pliny records that it was enclosed by brick walls. The Antonine Itinerary and the Itinerary of Vicarello list Mevania as a mansio (station) on the Via Flaminia. Pliny also notes that the territory, the Mevanias ager, produced a particular prized wine called Irtia. Inscriptions indicate that the city belonged to the tribus Aemilia and that its municipal magistracies included quattuorviri. The city later rose again through the efforts attributed to the Blessed Giacomo of Bevagna, who rallied the dispersed inhabitants and encouraged the rebuilding of the walls on a more modest scale, sufficient to protect the families who had returned. In the mid-19th century the town had 4,024 inhabitants. Of these, 2,087 lived within the built-up area and 1,937 in the rural district. In 1860 Bevagna joined the Kingdom of Italy, within the Province of Umbria.

Geography

Bevagna lies in the western part of the on a plain at above sea level, with hills to the west. The territory is described as well cultivated, and agriculture benefits from the waters of the Timia, increased by those of the Attone stream. In the northern plain there is a small lake called the Cantone; because of its depth it is also known as the Abisso. In 2021, 1,606 people lived in rural dispersed dwellings not assigned to any named locality. At the time, most of the population lived in Bevagna proper (2,651).