Various Inscriptions And Recent Archeological Discoveries Testifying To The Presence There Of a Court Of Law

On the hill of S. Agostino amongst the green mountains, we find another religious city, like Assisi linked to a saint : Saint Rita who was born and died here. The origins of Cascia date back to several centuries  before the founding of Rome, to a time where the area was inhabited by Italic tribes whos main occupation was sheepbreeding. Moving from pasture to pasture, these tribes eventually came into contact with one another and contributed to the founding of the nascent Roman civilization. Various inscriptions and recent archeological discoveries testifying to the presence there of a court of law show Cascia and the surrounding territory to have been a place of some importance in Roman times. The caos and and upheavals of the dark ages, allayed to some extent by the presence of a number of monastic orders, gave way to a period of great splendour at the time of the communes, from the beginning of the 12th century. Like most of Umbria, Cascia was caught up in the feuds between the warring Guelf and Ghibelline factions.The structure of Cascia itself and of many of the surronding towns and villages, clearly designed for self-defence, was dictated by these turbolent times. In later centuries, the town's strategic posistion, just on the border of the kingdom of Naples, made it a stronghold of the Papal State; it remained an unquiet Papal garrison until 1860. The most important date  in the history of Cascia is the year 1381,which saw the birth of Margherita Lotti in the small subburb of Roccaporena. Margherita was to become known to the whole world as Sint Rita of Cascia. The year 1381 marks the divide between the warring centuries which were to follow, overshadowed by the almost palpable presence of the saint, right down to the present day. Cascia also was invaded by the Goths, Longbards and Saracens, was involved in the alliance between the Pope and the emperor, was completly razed to the ground in the 8th century and then rebuilt. In the 1400's Papa Paolo built a fortress a the top of the hill, which was dismantled a century later by Leone X. The art treasures of Cascia are one of its chief attraction.The most rewarding itinerary for the tourist is one f that blends together scenery, culture, art and history, all of which have to give this green corner of Umbria its special charm. The ideal point of departure is Palazzo Carli which houses the library and the archives, and is therefore a good source of information. Others important stops of this itinerary are the church of S. Antonio ( which gives an idea of the quality and quantity of frescoes to be found in the area), the church of S. Francesco and the collegiate church of S. Maria.