Titolo: Mugnano, the village of the

Mugnano, the village of the "painted walls"

Mugnano, the history of a village ...

Near Perugia and not far from Magione, near Lake Trasimeno, is Mugnano, a small yet picturesque village surrounded by the Umbrian countryside.
The settlement stems from 2nd century BC settlements, which were followed by the construction, between the 9th and 10th centuries, of a thriving Benedictine abbey. The monks were engaged in the reclamation of the surrounding land, which soon became one of the most fertile areas of the region.

 
The castle was built in the 14th century to protect property and the local population, although its curtain walls and majestic bell tower were added in the 18th century, when the ancient castrum was the site of the settlement of the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament.

Inside the castle, it's well worth visiting the square of the "pump", home to a deep well from which women, since the beginning of the 20th century, drew water with a hand operated pump.  ... and its "painted walls"...
 

An itinerary runs through the village, in an almost surreal atmosphere, to  discover the "painted walls", a permanent exhibition of great interest, created by Italian and foreign artists and based on the idea of the painter Benito Biselli.

The originality of the paintings, topics, styles and techniques represent different artistic vernaculars, from the figurative to the informal and giving form and colours to the old walls.

Mugnano began to attract the critics in the 1970s, when the village hosted four high-level temporary exhibitions of important artists. Over the years, the idea evolved, transforming the event from temporary to permanent. In 1983 "In...contriamoci in Mugnano" was organized for the first time. This is a large village festival, held every year between late June and early July, which in addition to proposing traditional dishes and local wine, adds permanent modern art to the ancient architectural structure and its small alleys and squares. That year, the first eight local painters were called on to complete the "painted walls", which aroused great critical attention. The following year, the event was also opened to foreign artists and today has reached more than forty murals.
In the days leading up to the festival, the village is enlivened, with scaffolding  mounted in front of the walls and the artists begin their work surrounded by a crowd of curious onlookers and insiders.

"The walls of the village sing a sudden flowering of works, a rhythmic writing of pictorial seals where each artist has placed the juice of his creativity" (Mimmo Coletti, 1990).

Since 2008, the route is completely illuminated with energy-saving lights, so it can be enjoyed even at night.

 
All the frescoes, despite being recent, blend in perfectly with the ancient village giving the feeling of having always been there.
Explore the surroundings
Main attractions in the vicinity