La Scarzuola
La Scarzuola is a charming Umbrian resort located in Montegiove, in the municipality of Montegabbione (TR). Famous for the ancient convent linked to the figure of St. Francis of Assisi, it is best known for the evocative “theater-city,” a visionary work by Milanese architect Tomaso Buzzi, who transformed it into his personal dream of an "ideal city
Alessio and Sonia
3/17/20252 min read
Less than 50 minutes from the farmhouse, you can't fail to visit the Scarzuola a visionary, ever-evolving work where past, present and future come together in one fascinating architectural tale. It is located in Montegiove, in the municipality of Montegabbione, Umbria.
The name comes from a hut made of scarza (straw) that, according to tradition, St. Francis of Assisi built during one of his wanderings. In that place, where laurel and rose planted by the saint miraculously made a spring gush forth, a church with a small Franciscan convent arose in 1282, desired by the nobleman Nerio di Bulgaruccio of the Counts of Montegiove, a branch of the Marsciano family.
Curiosity
La Scarzuola is the visionary and surreal dream of Milanese architect Tomaso Buzzi. In 1956 he bought and restored the ancient Franciscan convent complex, and between 1958 and 1978 he gave life next to the convent to his personal Ideal City, conceived as a veritable theatrical machine.
The heart of this extraordinary project is the Acropolis, a mountain of buildings composed of symbols and architectural archetypes, empty inside and full of surprising perspectives. Buzzi's City includes seven theaters, and is inspired by Francesco Colonna's Hypnerotomachia Poliphili (1499), blending elements of Neomannerism: staircases in every direction, deliberately altered proportions, monstrous figures, and a tangle of buildings and monuments.
The Scarzuola is a symbolic and alchemical journey, a journey between sacred and profane, convent and city-theater. A place laden with metaphors, symbols and mysteries, where architecture, spirituality and imagination intertwine in a magical and timeless labyrinth.
how to get there
To reach La Scarzuola the official road is in the direction of Fabro Scalo, Montegabbione, Montegiove. Drive one kilometer of road, then follow the fork with directions to La Scarzuola and drive another two kilometers of dirt road.
The 10-meter coaches can get as far as the front door, while larger coaches will have to be left on the provincial road and will need to continue by shuttle.
It is only 33 km from our farmhouse: head in the direction of Fabro and follow the provincial road SP 52 and you will have arrived!