Preci
Preci | |
|---|---|
| Comune di Preci | |
 View of Preci | |
 Coat of arms | |
  Preci Location of Preci in Italy  Preci Preci (Umbria) | |
| Coordinates: 42°53′N 13°2′E / 42.883°N 13.033°E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Umbria |
| Province | Perugia (PG) |
| Frazioni | Abeto, Acquaro, Belforte, Castelvecchio, Collazzoni, Collescille, Corone, Fiano d'Abeto, Montaglioni, Montebufo, Piedivalle, Poggio di Croce, Roccanolfi, Saccovescio, San Vito, Todiano, Valle |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Massimo Messi since 27-5-2019 |
| Area | |
• Total | 81.7 km2 (31.5 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 596 m (1,955 ft) |
| Population (1 January 2025)[2] | |
• Total | 686 |
| • Density | 8.40/km2 (21.7/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Preciani |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Patron saint | Madonna della Pietà |
| Saint day | June 7 |
Preci is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about 60 km southeast of Perugia. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy").[3]
History
Preci originated as an ancient Sabine settlement. In the early Middle Ages it was subject first to the Duchy of Spoleto and later to the Church under Pope Innocent III.[4]
In 1232–1233 the settlement is recorded as a castrum, and during that period it paid the fodrum, a feudal levy, to Duke Conrad as well as to the papal rector. By the mid-13th century Preci had submitted to the Commune of Norcia, a subjection that was formally recognized in 1276 by the papal legate Capocci.[4]
Preci was almost entirely destroyed by an earthquake in 1328.
In 1385 it appears in the registers of Norcia under the name castrum Precis.[4]
In 1527 Preci was almost entirely destroyed during military actions led by Cardinal Armellini, papal legate of the Marches; it was subsequently rebuilt, an undertaking traditionally attributed to Cristoforo Carocci.[5]
In 1569 Norcia became the seat of the Prefecture of the Mountain, and the surrounding territory, including Preci, was reorganized into districts known as guaite and sindicati. An apostolic report of 1587 lists Preci among the castles and villages subject to Norcia. During the early modern period, the community oversaw the administration of the sanctuary of Madonna della Peschiera.[4]
In 1703 the castle of Abeto was destroyed by an earthquake.[5]
Between 1798 and 1799, during the Roman Republic, Preci was included in the Department of Spoleto within the Canton of Visso and was temporarily separated from Norcia. After 1799 it returned to papal control within the Apostolic Delegation of Spoleto.[4]
Under Napoleonic rule from 1809 to 1814, Preci was governed as a mairie in the Department of Trasimeno, Canton of Norcia. With the Restoration in 1814 it returned to the Papal States. In 1817 it was established as an autonomous municipality.[4]
In 1859 the municipality had a population of 2,847 inhabitants. Of these, 2,435 resided in the main settlement and 412 in the countryside.[5]
In recent decades Preci suffered extensive damage from earthquakes. In 1997 it was hit by the Umbria and Marche earthquakes.[6] The old center of Preci was later ravaged by the October 2016 Central Italy Earthquakes.[7]
As at July 2018, the old center of Preci is entirely closed off to visitors pending reconstruction work.
Geography
Preci is situated in mountainous terrain within the Castoriana valley and is enclosed by walls. The historic borgo is crossed by the Campiano river. The surrounding territory is largely mountainous.[5]
The climate was described as rather cold, with frequent snow and prevailing north winds. Nearby natural features include the Carbonara stream to the west of the town and the main river at a distance of about 1⁄6 mile (0.27 km). The springs at the foot of the hill of Santa Maria della Peschiera were noted for their waters.[5]
Preci lies approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) from Castelvecchio. Todiano is about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) away.[5]
Preci borders the following municipalities: Castelsantangelo sul Nera, Cerreto di Spoleto, Norcia, Visso.
Frazioni
Preci proper extended roughly one-third of a mile and contains several substantial buildings. Other localities included Abeto, whose name derived from a fir tree that once stood in the square of the old castle; Acquara; Pié di Valle; Valle; Belforte; Castelvecchio; Corone; Collazzone; Montaglioni; Montebufo; Poggio di Croce; Roccanolfi; Saccoresce; and Todiano. Villa Campanari and Villarella were also associated with the municipality.[5]
Notable people
Among the notable families of Preci were the Cesqui, regarded in the 19th century as the wealthiest in Todiano, as well as the Riccolini, Salimbeni, and Sbrinchetti. Members of the Carocci family were noted jurists, and one daughter of the family became Countess Augusta Pila.[5] In 1781 Giuseppe Maria Carocci, a member of the Carocci family of Preci, was admitted to the patriciate of Spoleto, where he founded a commandery of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, and authored the treatise De iure selecta.[8]
The town also produced Cardinal Giuseppe Accoramboni, the bishops Bonaiuti, Bitozzi, and Bacchettoni. An Accoramboni served as councillor to Augustus III of Poland, while a Bonaiuti was a Knight of St Mark in Venice.[5] Salimbeni, a native of Preci, served as vicar general to Robert, King of Sicily.[8]
School of medicine and surgery
Preci developed a notable medical tradition. Two physicians of the Scacchi family achieved international renown, one serving at the court of Paris and the other at that of Queen Elizabeth I of England. Several members of local families, including the Arcangeli, Mattioli, Cattani, Marini, Benevoli, and Lapi, were regarded as eminent in the healing arts.[5] The Cattani family produced a physician who served the Sultan.[8]
Sigismondo Carocci served at the court of Ferdinand III and, according to tradition, restored the sight of the emperor's mother; in 1648 he was created a noble of the Holy Roman Empire.[8]
Religion and culture
Preci contains the notable Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Santissima della Pietà, which has an organ and a significant painting. The churches of San Martino, the town's patron saint, and Santa Maria also possess organs, including one attributed to Callido of Venice. A solemn feast of the Blessed Sacrament was celebrated on the third Sunday of June, and a fair was held on the first Monday of October.[5]
Main sights
- Remains of the 13th-century castle in the frazione of Acquaro
- Pre-historic grotto tombs, in the frazione of Fiano d'Abeto
- Church of Annunziata in Poggio di Croce. It houses a 14th-century fresco of the Annunciation by Giovanni del Biondo
- The Surgery Museum is located next to the town hall[9]
References
- ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ "Resident population by age, sex and marital status on 1st January 2025". Istat. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ "Umbria" (in Italian). Retrieved 1 August 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f "Comune di Preci". Sistema Informativo Unificato per le Soprintendenze Archivistiche (in Italian). Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Palmieri, Adone (1859). Topografia statistica dello Stato Pontificio. Vol. 5. Tipografia Forense. p. 57-58.
- ^ Rome, Wanted in (2020-01-17). "Preci: Italy's mediaeval village of surgeons". Wanted in Rome. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ Haworth, Jessica (2016-11-25). "Aftermath of Italy earthquake shows workers try to restore 700-year-old church". mirror. Retrieved 2018-07-21.
- ^ a b c d Strafforello, Gustavo (1895). La patria; geografia dell'Italia. Provincia di Perugia. Unione Tipografico-Editrice. p. 287-288.
- ^ Rome, Wanted in (2020-01-17). "Preci: Italy's mediaeval village of surgeons". Wanted in Rome. Retrieved 2025-06-28.