Postignano, the reconstruction of a medieval hamlet and castle in Umbria, Italy

The small town of Castello di Postignano was founded between the ninth and tenth centuries on the slope of a hill along the road linking Spoleto, Foligno, Norcia and Assisi. The borgo was triangular in shape with a lookout tower at the highest point. Initially the town was built by the people who dwelt there, mainly peasants and artisans. The cities of Foligno and Spoleto long vied with each other to possess it. By the 14th and 15th centuries, Postignano had a flourishing economy based on agriculture, timber, cloth and metalwork. However, at the beginning of the 18th century, the population began to dwindle and progressively declined until the beginning of the 20th century when many of the remaining inhabitants migrated, mostly to the United States. In 1979 the American photographer and architect Norman Carver Junior published his book Italian Hilltowns in which he defined Castello di Postignano as “the archetypal Italian hill town” and chose to use a photograph of it for the cover of his book. The depopulation of the borgo and its steady decline were hastened by the earthquake in 1997. In 2004 the Ministry for Cultural Heritage declared Postignano a site of national interest. In 2007 a private company, MIRTO, which had acquired the village before the earthquake, began the challenging work of restoring the buildings and their artistic works, partially financed by the Region of Umbria.
The restoration has given back to the town its original form and strengthened its structures. The use of up-to-date technology has made it possible to make significant savings thanks to effective sound and heat insulation. On the other hand, traditional and - whenever possible - local materials have been used for windows, doors, fireplaces, paving and façades.

The restoration of the frescoes: The original church was dedicated to St. Primianus, whose cult was already widespread in the Valnerina area in the ninth century. In 1333 the church was re-dedicated to St. Lawrence. When MIRTO srl purchased the borgo, much of the back wall of the church was covered by a layer of plaster, leaving only a few images in view. Restoration work prior to the 1997 earthquake soon brought to light frescoes which covered the entire wall dating back to the second half of the sixteenth century. They were probably the work of De Magistris and his associates. The artist is also known as "il Caldarola". The 1997 earthquake caused the collapse of the wall which had only recently been restored. This, however, revealed, on the wall that remained standing behind it, a crucifixion dating back to the end of the fifteenth century. The restoration of the frescoes of the church was completed in 2010. The restoration work also uncovered yet another series of frescoes in a dwelling that had probably once been a convent chapel. These depicted a Madonna, a crucifixion and a guardian angel. The restored work is of remarkable quality. We now also know the precise date of the frescoes and the name of the man who commissioned them.

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