Mugnano – painted walls

After many years living in this area and hearing of the small village of Mugnano, yesterday we finally decided to go and have a look ourselves. It is only 30 minutes from where we live and 20 kms from Perugia, Umbria’s capital. Shame on me that I never stopped by at this cute little place!

History of Mugnano

The history of this small village of less then 1000 inhabitants goes back to Roman times when the roman family Munius lived in this territory. The name Mugnano derives from this : Fundus Munianus.

In the 10th century Benedictine monks founded an abbey here which in the 14th century was taken over by the Cavalieri di Malta who up to this date own land in this area and an impressive castle in Magione. It is from this period that the fortified walls of Mugnano exist, protecting the farmers that lived inside the walls and worked the surrounding land for the knights.

Cavalieri di Malta

The Cavalieri di Malta or Knights of Malta is a benedictine order and knighthood dating back to the 11th century and the time of the crusades. The military element has been abandoned but today this Benedictine order still exists in more then 100 countries and offers social assistance of all kinds.

Mugnano today

In 1983 it was decided to reconstruct the castle of Mugnano to avoid a definite recline and modern artists were given the possibility to paint the ancient walls. Nowadays people still live in these old houses where once the farmers lived, and the small alleyways are adorned with modern paintings. A very particular combination of antique architecture and modern art.

Coffee break

After your stroll through the quaint little village enjoy a good coffee and home made pastry at Bar Pasticceria Ventanni. It is in the Via Alessandra, 16, 06132 Mugnano.

Here are some impressions of the “muri dipinti” in Mugnano: