Piazza Silvestri

Why it matters

Piazza Silvestri preserves the medieval civic and religious centre of Bevagna. San Michele Arcangelo, San Silvestro and the Palazzo dei Consoli form a group of Romanesque and Gothic buildings around the square. Their arrangement reflects the town's development during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries and its reuse of Roman building material.

What to notice

The Collegiata di San Michele Arcangelo has a travertine facade incorporating reused Roman elements. San Silvestro combines large travertine blocks with grey Subasio stone. The Palazzo dei Consoli is distinguished by Gothic two-light windows, a broad staircase and a vaulted loggia. A fountain inaugurated in 1896 replaced an earlier octagonal cistern. A Roman column in the square is associated with Filippo Silvestri, the entomologist born in Bevagna.

Context and history

The square occupies the area of the Roman forum of Mevania. In the Middle Ages Bevagna was contested by regional powers before passing to the Papal States in 1439. The churches, civic palace and water structures clustered around the square reflect the organisation of the medieval commune. The modern square name commemorates Filippo Silvestri (1876–1949).