3207 Bevagna - a perfect little town to visit.

You could easily pass-by Bevagna on your way to Assisi, Montefalco or Spoleto barely even realising its there, but its well worth visiting, both for its ambience and a lot of interesting things in a very small area.

Park your car by the river and walk over the bridge, stopping to look at the old women doing their laundry in the millpool below. Passing through the walls, an open piazza leads to the main square, with an interesting little barrel-vaulted church, left behind by the Romans.

Unusually for Umbria, Bevagna is built not on a hill, but on the plain; testament to its origins as a watering hole on the Via Flaminia in Roman times. As a result, you can see a Roman bath house, with mosaic floors and the remains of a Roman ampitheatre now, like that of Lucca, used as the foundations of houses. The vaults of the amphitheatre house a a water-driven papermill and, next door, a house converted into a living museum, with a helpful guide; both great for kids.

A single ticket, sold at the tourist office in the square gives you access to the bath house, the beautifully restored mniniature theatre (up the wide steps in te main square) and the museum (definately worth missing!)

There are a number of restaurants, including the good wine bar (San Onofrio) and the posh Orto Degli Angeli. Ottavius used be good, but our most recent experience was disappointing. On the outskirts, you can taste wine at the vineyards of Adanti (on the road to Montefalco) and Caprai Montefalco-Foligno road)

There's Bed & Breakfast accommodation nearby at [url=http://umbriaonline.com/bbantignano/]Antignano[/url], run by a delightful and welcoming Italian couple, Sirio and Floriana, who have two dogs and a lovely garden.

The [url=http://www.bellaumbria.net/Bevagna/mercato_delle_gaite_eng.htm]Mercato delle Gaite[/url] folklore festival, the last week in June, sees the town and its people decked out in medieval paraphanalia, with open-air dining, music and more goats than you can shake a (crooked) stick at!

[url=http://www.viamichelin.it/viamichelin/ita/dyn/controller/mapPerformPage?strAddress=&strCP=&strLocation=bevagna&strCountry=612&image2.x=0&image2.y=0]Map[/url]

[url=http://maps.google.com/?t=k&ll=42.933301,12.608657&spn=0.004147,0.007317]Satellite view[/url]