CERQUETO ON LINE

 

 

 

 

 The History, the Places, the Characters,…

... the old castle, risen perhaps between woods of oaks (in umbro vernacular cerque ) in the first Middle Ages it must have had an history. The name Cerqueto, can have had origin from Circus then transformed in Cercus for the circular form of the stately castle, according to an opinion recorded from the perugino historian Annibale Mariotti.

The old tower, corroded by the time, had to constitute the look-out for the nighttime sentinels or for the messages to announce with the trumpet to the Castellanis, when the bell tower had not still risen, that overhung then it.

The historian Belforti thought that Cerquetum and Fractae filiorum Azzonises were two names of the same place since he wrote: "during back times and precisely in the century XIII (Cerqueto) was called Fractae filiorum Azzonis Perus". It is true however that from a "Privilege" of the emperor Ludovico in favor of the counts of Marsciano dated Rome 1328 are named castrum Cerqueti and Villa Fractae filiorum Azzonis Perus separately. The first documents putted into the archives in 1377, noticed by Mons. Ginos Francisci, speak of a pulchrum castrum Cerqueti and of the Villa Fratta (small fraction next to Cerqueto) whose inhabitants did a supplication to the Prior of Perugia to form a unique community; supplication that was accepted and that, the 16 of May of that year, united the two communities.

It is also historical the destruction of the castle of Cerqueto from the mercenary soldieries of Henry VIII of Luxemburg (1270-1313). Gone down in Italy for desire of the imprisoned pontiff in Avignone, that desired to have the war stopped between guelfi and ghibellini, he failed his mission. In the summer of 1313 the emperor went toward the confinements of the Kingdom in Naples but his consignment devastated fortitudes and castles.

In the 1411 Cerqueto was theater of the battle between the troops of the Count of Carrara and of Braccio; in the 1412 Cerqueto was exonerated from the payment of the taxes for the serious situation, either economic that structural, in which comes to be following passages of the armies of the King of Naples, Ladislao, and of those of Perugia. In 1413 the Perugia regained the castle of Cerqueto subtracting it to Braccio, which, however, will regain it in 1416.

In 1428, with the establishment of the Province's Captains, Cerqueto was assigned to the Door St. Pietro quarter. In 1503 they took lodging to Cerqueto the troops of the conspirators Baglioni to prevent the return of Giovan Paolo to Perugia.

In 1527 the army of the League, that for four months long remained in the Perugia district, it ransacked the castle of Cerqueto that in 1534 suffered the same fate with the pontiff troops commanded by Bosio Sforza to oppose the advance of Ridolfo Baglioni that, despite everything, he will succeed in conquering the dominion of Perugia. Finally in 1540, despite the cerquetanis had offered the keys of the castle to the advancing troops of the pontiff, the castle was attached again and plundered. The village crossed a period of poverty and abandonment for the suffered destructions, until Paul III for restoring the ancient fortification, didn't exempt it in 1546 to pay the excises, and the magistrates of Perugia allowed in 1546 to employ this money for the reconstruction of his walls.

From that distant times up to 60 years ago, in the funds of the houses, among the alleys of the village, the craftsmanship bloomed: blacksmiths, mechanics, carpenters, tailors, cobblers, weavers and "giujagliari".

The teachers of the varied works emerged, called out too and calling in apprentices from near and distant villages.

Remembering that in 1600 in Cerqueto was held the daily Lenten preaching, it can be understood what importance had the Christian community of this castle. In fact in a historical note of the provincial archivist of the umbrian capuchins of Assisi, Father Francis from Vicenza notices that the umbrian capuchin, St. Giuseppe da Leonessa (1556-1612) also called the "Saint Guastaballi", preaching in Lent in the castle of Cerqueto, he started an initial form of "hospitale" in which picked up and cured all of them wandering "itinerantis" toward Rome, where took place the jubilee (perhaps in 1600) and the same poor and invalidate inhabitants of the castle.

The wars and the time could destroy the work of the man, but not certain beauties of which the nature had enriched Cerqueto.

That hill from slopes mantled of silvery green of the secular olive trees, of dark green of the elms, of the oaks and the clearer one of the vineyards and of the gardens, it appeared to the peruginis like a splendid call, last and perhaps more beautiful than that hilly chain degrading till Marsciano, studded of villages. Today Cerqueto, as all the other village of the hill has become wealthy of gardens and villas that enjoy the enchantment of the underlying countries, crossed by the Nestore from west and the Tevere from north-east, with the ample valley that is stretched up to Todi.

Who penetrates in the village today won't see ancient towers but can discover the circular course of the ancient suburb that counted three circles of defensive wall, to notice residences in tile with ancient arches, especially in the opposite part to rising, where once was the ancient Church of the Crucifix, and to admire the rests of the ancient hospital and the medieval cistern. 

The art, always mate of the nature, has left also in Cerqueto its jewels. The parish church of Cerqueto, devoted to Saint Maria Assunta, existing already in 1163, as written in the imperial diplomas of Federico Barbarossa , in which it is told that he assumed under his protection the bishop of Perugia and the cathedral with the respective churches, and among these it quotes castrum Cerqueti expressly. One of the bells of this Church was done 1394 as revealed by an inscription on it. Inside the church it is possible to admire some frescos that constitute motive for pride, for their beauty, for the people of Cerqueto:

The "Saint Sebastiano" of the 1478 of Pietro Vannucci (1446-1542) said The Perugino and other frescos of Tiberio di Diotallevi (1470-1524) from Assisi, as the "Crucifixion"; perhaps a vote of the people of Cerqueto for the danger of the plague of 1478, nightmare always present, which raped hundreds of victims. 

The plague of 1478 already rages for five years and in the city it disappeared in the following year only. It was the seventh of the century and not even last: it followed, in fact. that of 1486 and that of 1494. The painting, placed in the second altar, on the right of the Church, is considered the first signed and dated work of Pietro of Cristoforo Vannucci, named The Perugino. The composition of St. Sebastiano, painted together with a San Rocco and a St. Pietro (?), of which only a part of the figures remains, included probably also a procession or groups of devotees, as does the Gnoli affirm (1923).

A big part of the work of Tiberio of Assisi decorated the small chapel of the Crucifix. This was already precarious in the years 20 and therefore always closed to the people. When the chapel's roof fell most part of his walls, almost all was destroyed, except some pieces, recovered very later, and then situated in the parish church. Today on the same place of the old lost curch, there is a small chapel, The chapel of the Saint Crucifix, decorated inside with great art in 1994 by the Capuchin Father Ugolino from Belluno.

In the village some other small chapel stay, whose the principal, that of Saint Lucia, still preserves the rests of a painting of The Perugino.  

Others two places of cult were the two other chapels: that of Saint Caterina and that of "Saint Agostino" (this of ownership of the Saracca's family). In the imagination of all it passes the image of the Augustinian convent certainly situated in the place where now the villa Saracca stays; it is here indeed that "The Beato Giacomo" (1284-1367) became monk and spent the last years of his life, also completing prodigies still remembered by the tradition, despite the stingy historical news: " Il Beato Giacomo" from Cerqueto, Augustinian, received the public cult after death, as confirmed Leone XIII in 1895, and the 21 April of 1956 the body of the blessed Giacomo, that stayed in the Church of Saint Agostino in Perugia since centuries, was brought to the native village. 

Among its historical figures, Cerqueto remembers too: Marcantonio di Francesco, teacher of lumber, who worked the benches and the backs of the main room of the monastery of St. Pietro in Perugia in 1508-1509. Giovan Tommaso Giglioli (1567-1923) Pope Paul V's friend, doctor in theology, philosophy and jurisprudence.

Giovanni Cerbioni, born in 1723, he was named in the 1764 manager of the Augusta library. During his direction it happened the confiscation of the conspicuous bookstore of the college of the suppressed Company of Jesus (1744). He died in Perugia the 6th of June 1786. 

Monsignore Giulio Cicioni (1844-1923), he was founder of the museum of natural history natural, impassioned collector of plants, bugs, mineral and fossils. Although autodidactic he had the comprehension and the encouragement to continue in his work from the cardinal Pecci, then from pope Leone XIII, who after application of the Mons. Cicioni, founded near the seminar of Perugia a school of natural sciences.

Cerqueto is also the native village of Father Mariangelo Budelli, known in Italy and all over the world as "Frate Indovino (Monk Soothsayer)". He published and still keep writing many appreciated books, and he is famous over all, for is world wide issued calendar.

 Cerqueto up to a few years ago was also known for the manufacture of the "giujaje", sold in the markets and in the fairs in Assisi, Bastia, Tavernelle, Marsciano, etc. they were some big bowl made by the interlacement of reeds to which the brambles was united for the hemming, used to sieve the seeds and the wheat.

Today Cerqueto is center of a vivacious cultural activity that goes from the Parish, to the "Pro-Loco", to the Musical Gang, founded in 1887, to the Chorale, to the Spring Group, to the Sport Associations.

 Bibliography and … : "Marsciano, le sue frazioni, la sua gente ieri, oggi e domani" by Pietro Caruso - Ed. Grilligraf: "Marsciano, Territorio e nuclei urbani: un'indagine" by Francesco Cavallucci - Ed. Electa; "Padre Mariangelo da Cerqueto" published for his 50°; …the indefatigable and accurate work of research and study of Mons.Gino Francisci, and the precious help from the Master Argeo Cipolletti. To all of you, thanks. sincerely.

 

 

 

… The old tower

… The bell tower

… Among the alleys of the village

… The beauties of the nature

… The medieval cistern 

… The parish church of Cerqueto, devoted to St. Maria Assunta

… The Saint Sebastiano of The Perugino

… The Crucifixion of Tiberio from Assisi

… The chapel of the Saint Crucifix

… The chapel of Saint Lucia

… The curch of Saint Agostino

… The Beato Giacomo

… Frate Indovino (Monk Soothsayer)

 

 

 

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