Chiesa di San Fortunato
Chiesa di San Fortunato
4.5
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This beautiful Gothic church is situated in the charming medieval village of Todi, an important historical and artistic center.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
291 reviews
Excellent
122
Very good
140
Average
25
Poor
3
Terrible
1
GuidoLocattelli
Cuyahoga Falls, OH6,818 contributions
May 2016 • Solo
This was surprise discovery for me. I was traveling twice from Orvieto to Assisi by train and decided to stop at these small towns along the train line. It was a hill town as so many of them were in that region before devastation caused by earth quakes and plagues changed the landscape and population for good. The visit took place during an extended stay in central Italy many years ago long before the range of calendar dates suitable for indicating the time of my visit were made available for completing this review. I wanted to see these towns before arriving at Assisi. The train schedule worked in my favor. I was traveling with a eur-rail pass and an international student identity card to save money. Approaching the church on foot was for me a fascinating walk through the hill town. Staying outside to view the structure was beneficial. It was the inside that overwhelmed me in many ways. I climbed the tower and saw the landscape as it was unrivaled in many ways when compared with others in the same town. The famous painting "Madonna with Child" is at the center stage inside the church. Origins of the church as far as construction goes was medieval (13th century) for chronological periods and I believe that the Franciscans began the work. Worth knowing what these groups did then as compared with today. The entrance at the main door deserves your attention. Medieval poets or saints and mystics are buried there. The gothic like design at the front is a masterpiece of medieval art considered to be of unrivaled quality in sculpture. Vines and branches of plants with tendrils have a playful elegance to keep me looking at it many times. For this reason I needed at least two hours to see the interior of the church. I encourage you to see the choir built later maybe in the 16th century. This was a most interesting church for those of you who like to study church design and architecture. I brought with me some knowledge about church construction and architecture as well as the Italian language. That information if packaged in college level learning would be a beginning point for approaching this church. Anything noticeably less might not be sufficient background because this church was an intellectually challenging site for me. See the crypt to view the tomb of Jacapone in the basement. Humble church in many ways with its beginning in an earlier era. Elements of romanesque church design and art are here in abundance. Great perspectives from this Todi church and the hill town were worth photographs. Specialists in Italian medieval studies will have a field day here. Do not wander around munching on two ham sandwiches or drinking a milk shake. Be respectful for this is part of the Italian national cultural heritage that needs to be preserved. Do not bring your pet dog. This examination of the church was for me serious business and for that reason it might be more suitable for adults than for younger children. In my personal collection art books I have two large volumes about romanesque art with reference to this town and church. Guess what I read upon returning home. Pay attention to the low pitched vault and polygonal apses and naves and aisles of equal heights supposedly modeled after the German gothic "hall" shaped churches and the "barn" shaped churches of Tuscany. It took much time but I did try to make comparisons with three other churches in Italy. As it turned out there were more than just three or four. Not an easy task I assure you. I had to read about that stuff later in what was a most pleasant reading assignment. Like so much that is on display here and in most other places in Italy I knew what I had missed in school learning. If you are a medieval scholar or a serious student of early Gothic or late romanesque Italian church design there is much to see here in the Duomo and museums and several other churches that deserved my prolonged attention and for that reason I returned to see this hill town a second time.
Written April 29, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eli B
Sydney, Australia3,697 contributions
Oct 2013 • Couples
Get ready for a slight work-out,for it is reached by zigzag paths and broad tiers of stone steps set within neatly clipped and manicured hedges. The facade is unfinished: raw ,weathered bricks divide the upper from the lower part,whose arched central door is framed by clusters of spiral columns,with carvings of vines and human forms -whose richness and vigour are reminiscent of the magnificent portal at Orvieto.
The interior is high and unexpectedly luminous with gothic arches and vaulting supported by clusters of slender columns soaring up from their high bases. check out the dark wood choir stalls carved by master craftsmen,Antonio,Maffei de Gubbio and a wistful fresco by Masolino da Panicale,are the most notable works of art in this church,but s distinction is a monument to Jacopone da Todi,whose bones litter the crypt below.
A narrow street at the side of S.F passes the cloisters of what was once a convent and is now a school,we arrive at the Rocca on the colossal embankment where the Romans built their temple dedicated to Jupiter. A market forms on saturday as it did in medieval times when the territory produced an abundance of grain,wine,olive and fruit. A procession thick with shoppers edges down the Via Mazzini,which curves past the small theatre and shops tucked into medieval houses and funnels into the squares.
the town and its surroundings have retained their ancient agricultural character with tractors replacing the white oxen and tobacco has superseded wheat. once a year Todi overflows with visitors from all over Italy to see the national Antiques fair.
Legend has it that Todi was originally laid out near the peak of its steep hill but on the plain below,until an eagle swooped down and siezed the plan with its talons,and carried it along the crown of the hill. this was taken as an omen from the gods, and the first Umbrian settlers built on this spot,overlooking the river and the rolling Tiber valley.
Today Todi is ringed by three sets of walls and gates,showing how the city grew from one era to another. The small Etruscan and Umbrian cone encircling the very top of the hill is surrounded by Roman remains,beyond which a medieval gate is evident of the power Todi attained by the 13th century,when the building of this extraordinary palaces and churches began. the romans built the amphitheatre,the forum,and the enormous Augustan arches of a temple or market place that survive today in fragmentary form.
to provide water,the emperor Trajan ordered the construction of a complicated network of cisterns -- a feat of hydrological engineering that was augmented in medieval times with invisible wells. There is no end of wonders in this town of wonders and wanderings,using a tour guide experienced enough to create this outpouring by me for this review. Bravo! bellisimo.
The interior is high and unexpectedly luminous with gothic arches and vaulting supported by clusters of slender columns soaring up from their high bases. check out the dark wood choir stalls carved by master craftsmen,Antonio,Maffei de Gubbio and a wistful fresco by Masolino da Panicale,are the most notable works of art in this church,but s distinction is a monument to Jacopone da Todi,whose bones litter the crypt below.
A narrow street at the side of S.F passes the cloisters of what was once a convent and is now a school,we arrive at the Rocca on the colossal embankment where the Romans built their temple dedicated to Jupiter. A market forms on saturday as it did in medieval times when the territory produced an abundance of grain,wine,olive and fruit. A procession thick with shoppers edges down the Via Mazzini,which curves past the small theatre and shops tucked into medieval houses and funnels into the squares.
the town and its surroundings have retained their ancient agricultural character with tractors replacing the white oxen and tobacco has superseded wheat. once a year Todi overflows with visitors from all over Italy to see the national Antiques fair.
Legend has it that Todi was originally laid out near the peak of its steep hill but on the plain below,until an eagle swooped down and siezed the plan with its talons,and carried it along the crown of the hill. this was taken as an omen from the gods, and the first Umbrian settlers built on this spot,overlooking the river and the rolling Tiber valley.
Today Todi is ringed by three sets of walls and gates,showing how the city grew from one era to another. The small Etruscan and Umbrian cone encircling the very top of the hill is surrounded by Roman remains,beyond which a medieval gate is evident of the power Todi attained by the 13th century,when the building of this extraordinary palaces and churches began. the romans built the amphitheatre,the forum,and the enormous Augustan arches of a temple or market place that survive today in fragmentary form.
to provide water,the emperor Trajan ordered the construction of a complicated network of cisterns -- a feat of hydrological engineering that was augmented in medieval times with invisible wells. There is no end of wonders in this town of wonders and wanderings,using a tour guide experienced enough to create this outpouring by me for this review. Bravo! bellisimo.
Written April 23, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pamela F
Powell River, Canada1,361 contributions
Sep 2018 • Solo
This large Roman Catholic church was built in the 13th century. It is set on a high point in the town of Todi and has an impressive set of very wide stairs with crouching lions at either end leading up to it. The interior is cavernous and as I was the only visitor when I was there in September, it felt quite huge. Things I enjoyed seeing in the church included the lovely frescoes, many in disrepair, from the 1400's, other impressive paintings, the carved wooden choir, the beautiful windows that let in the Umbrian light, the crypt with the tomb of the poet Jacopone da Todi on the lower level, and the bell tower. For 2E you can climb the tower, see the bell, and look out over the town of Todi to the Umbrian landscape beyond. It's an easy climb and worth the effort. My only complaint was that the wire mesh they've installed to keep the birds out of the bell tower impedes the view.
Written December 17, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SibyllaTiburtina
Ampthill and Todi15 contributions
Apr 2017 • Couples
The exterior of this church is less than promising. it was begun in the thirteenth century by the Franciscans but a devastating outbreak of plague meant that there was neither money nor artizans to complete it. Do not miss however, the playful elegance of the carving round the main door, with a vine and tendrils in which sit prophets and saints. this is a mediaeval work of unrivalled quality. Look for the sculptor's joke at the bottom of the vine where a man is quietly squatting to answer a call of nature, whilst a crocodile or other fantastic beast with jaws, creeps upon him to bite his bottom. This joke in no way detracts from the refined Annunciation, the Angel and Our Lady on either side of the main door, carved with a balletic perfection of touch and rhythm which is in itself moving.
Written April 26, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tmagperth
Leederville34 contributions
Sep 2016 • Solo
The church is humble but has a rich history. The tomb of Jacapone is downstairs but the view from the tower is unrivalled in Todi. You can see for miles and get a great perspective of Todi.
Written September 22, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vigilant6
Berlin, Germany988 contributions
May 2016 • Couples
This is an absolutely gorgeous Church inside. The outside is very deceptive. The architecture and the clean lines and beautiful music playing inside is heavenly. This is such a peaceful setting! Come and rest.
Written May 26, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
preglad
New York3,531 contributions
May 2016 • Couples
Saint Fortunato beckons from above in all its largesse- teasing with its unfinished, less than imposing two faced unfinished exterior: "Make the piccolo pilgrimage up and in to see what's ahead". How did the Franciscans come to express their values in a Gothic setting, virtually unheard of anywhere? It turns out the church was originally Benedictine, which explains the confusion.
Its size is imposing, built from the late 13th through the 14th century, with an impressive display of imposing frescoes. Under the altar and beneath is the potent somewhat Napoleonic marble tomb of a wealthy merchant who changed his ways dramatically upon the death of his wife, so much so as to be rejected by the Franciscans as rigidly austere in his religiosity. He was later castigated as a heretic, but won that battle to become a principal heroic figured father figure to Todi.
The reinvented Jacapone also left us with a major work-th Laudi which, along with Dante's La Comedia is considered a primary source in the stabilization and transition to an Italian language.
Finally, there is the incandescent stain glass which looks as if it were completed yesterday and finish buffed this morning. The Church of Saint Fortunate reminds us not to judge a book by its unimpressive cover, especially a holy one.
Its size is imposing, built from the late 13th through the 14th century, with an impressive display of imposing frescoes. Under the altar and beneath is the potent somewhat Napoleonic marble tomb of a wealthy merchant who changed his ways dramatically upon the death of his wife, so much so as to be rejected by the Franciscans as rigidly austere in his religiosity. He was later castigated as a heretic, but won that battle to become a principal heroic figured father figure to Todi.
The reinvented Jacapone also left us with a major work-th Laudi which, along with Dante's La Comedia is considered a primary source in the stabilization and transition to an Italian language.
Finally, there is the incandescent stain glass which looks as if it were completed yesterday and finish buffed this morning. The Church of Saint Fortunate reminds us not to judge a book by its unimpressive cover, especially a holy one.
Written May 6, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KLE2013
Centreville, VA3,680 contributions
Aug 2014 • Family
Located a short walk away from the Piazza del Popolo, San Fortunato sits at the top of a winding flight of stairs. A blending of Gothic and Renaissance style, the incomplete facade has men and animals popping out of leaves carved around the portals. Sadly the church was not open so we were unable to view the frescoes by Masolino or the tomb of the poet J. Da Todi. The view from the front of the church looking over Todi and the Umbrian countryside is lovely.
Written September 17, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BG1180
Nellysford, Virginia, USA47 contributions
Sep 2011
Loved the walled city -- charming and easy to climb about
Written October 18, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ERIC W
Knoxville, TN4,215 contributions
Oct 2018 • Couples
Amazing architecture with a simplistic beauty. Amazing how each of these churches have their own style. Free admission so if you’re in Todi for the day it’s worth checking out
Written October 23, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Annarella46
Pesaro, Italy1 contribution
C,è un hotel nelle vicinanze della Chiesa di San Fortunato?
AndyGarcia82
Bari, Italy111 contributions
Flora Hotel
GourmandRhome
Rome, Italy190 contributions
Questa chiesa è a Todi, circa 130 km a nord di Roma, anch'essa sulle rive del fiume Tevere, che passa infatti anche per Roma.
mimichaBuenosAires
Buenos Aires
esta iglesia esta en Roma , cerca del Vaticano, cerca de la zona historica? o esta por otros sitios? porque uno no se baña dos veces en el mismo rio!!
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Frequently Asked Questions about Chiesa di San Fortunato
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