San Bevignate Church in Perugia

The creation of the building

The Church of San Bevignate was built on the site of an ancient “fullonica” (laundry) of Roman Age, whose ruins, under the flooring, are also visitable. In the surrounding area, since 1243, the Templars owned a little church dedicated to San Gerolamo. The Abbey of San Giustino de Arno, San Gerolamo and the complex of San Bevignate constituted actually a single “precettoria” (preceptory).

The Church was founded in 1256 on a proposal of the influential Templar friar Bonvicino, born in Assisi and cubicolarius (close collaborator) of four Popes. It was built in accordance with the Bishop and the Municipality of Perugia, and was dedicated to San Bevignate.

Complexe templiers de San Bevignate par la Municipalité de Pérouse

San Bevignate was an hermit particularly worshipped by the people of  Perugia, who had  lived some decades before and that the Templars, the Bishop and the Municipality itself, tried, on various occasion, to have canonized. This whish explains as well the imposing dimensions of the edifice, thought with the civic cult of San Bevignate in view, whose corpse lays under the altar. Cult that, with the ensuing almsgiving, would have benefitted also the Order and its projects beyond the sea.

The austere architecture, in sandstone, of a single cross vaulted nave, recalls gothic forms of Cistercian inspiration and reminds edifices built in the same years in the Perugia area, but it is at the same time consistent (a part from the dimensions, usually more modest) with the architectures of the Temple Order.

The residential part was at the beginning limited to a tower structure close to the church (later bell tower), later enlarged in a convent wing.

Exceptional decorative elements

The Fresco decoration is characterized by a first phase (about 1265-70) in which local painters, in a popular and communicative style, made: a curtain with false ashlars and symbolic elements, common to various Templar sites (crosses, nine stars alluding to the nine founders of the Order, floral pattern); on the tribune, Christological scenes, the Last Judgment, the Last Supper and some Saints and civic cults, among Bevignate and friar Raniero Fasani, Hermit from Perugia, probably connected to the same Bevignate, and the starter of the penitential movement of the “Flagellanti” (Flagellants) in 1260; in the inner part of the façade, in three superimposed bands, stories of the Templar enterprises, either on a battlefield or during boat crossings toward the Holy Land

Eglise San Bevignate, Comune di Perugia

Fresques de l’abside carrée, Comune di Perugia

A second decorative phase, in which the figures of the 12 Apostles, with roman byzantine characteristics, were painted along the walls by different painters, can be traced back to 1280 or a little later. Probably the series of the Apostles was painted when in the “precettoria” was resident the French Guillaume Charnier, documented as present in Perugia in 1283, a very important member of the Order and already “ostiario” of Pope Niccolò III (1277 – 1280). In this period, probably, part of the an altar array was a refined triptych on board with a Madonna with Child and stories of the Life of Christ (also known as Perugia or Marzolini Triptych, today visible at the Galleria Nazionale of Umbria).

Edifice and decorative apparatus together constitute one of the most complete and best preserved witnesses of the History of the Knights of the Temple. (by Mirko Santanicchia)

par Mirko Santanicchia

General Informations

Entrance with fee; wheelchair accessible
bookshop, toilets, parking lot
when open, free of charge, available: audio guides (in Italian and English), information materials, guide in Braille; the operators present can answer questions and give brief deepening free of charge on the history of the museum.

Opening Hours

January, February, March, November and December
Saturdays and Sundays 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
From April to October Saturdays and Sundays 10:00 am – 1:00 pm / 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Closed : 25th December and 1st January

Entrance:

• ticket € 5,00;
• reduced ticket €2,50 (under 18 – senior over 65 years – University Students with enrolment ID, school groups, groups of minimum 15 people, Touring Club Associates, Army members, people working for the Ministry of Cultural Activities (MIBACT), People working for Perugia Municipality on showing card or badge; Carta Giovani Holders, other conventions valid)
• Free :
  • Directors and Official Responsible of Public and Private Museums on showing card or badge
  • Managers of the Ministry of Cultural Activities (MIBACT)
  • Teachers accompanying school Groups
  • Tourist Guides when working
  • Disabled people and their accompanying person
  • Journalists with member card of the Journalist association and letter of appointment signed by the director

In the occasion of temporary exhibitions or events the ticket may suffer variations

Combined ticket for access to the three museum spaces Cappella di San Severo, Civic Museum of Palazzo della Penna and Templar Complex of San Bevignate:

• ticket € 9,00;
• reduced A € 6,00 senior over 65 years, Touring Club Associates, Army members, people working for the Ministry of Cultural Activities (MIBACT) on showing card or badge, People working for Perugia Municipality on showing card or badge); Students of the Academy of Fine Arts of Perugia and to the three years courses of Perugia University in Conservazione dei beni Culturali (culture and heritage conservation) and to the specialist course (two year) in Art History; Carta Giovani Holders, other conventions valid
• reduced B € 4,00 (from 7 to 14 years old, schools groups)
• free (from 0 to 6 years)
  • Directors and Official Responsible of Public and Private Museums
  • Managers of the Ministry of Cultural Activities (MIBACT)
  • Teachers accompanying school Groups
  • Tourist Guides when working
  • Disabled people and their accompanying person
  • Journalists with member card of the Journalist association and letter of appointment signed by the director

In the occasion of temporary exhibitions or events the ticket may suffer variations

Visit the Templar Complex of San Bevignate and Perugia

• Guided tours of the Templar Complex of San Bevignate
• Thematic guided tours at the Templar Complex of San Bevignate
• Tour: Discovering Perugia. Waters and spirit 

Workshop and educational projects 2021

• Workshop “Templar Frescoes. Create your fresco”
• Workshop “Hunting the Templar Treasure”
• Workshop “Riding a Hobby Horse“
• Educational Project “Steamer Project. Escape rooms adapted for school education on STEAM”

Contact information and reservation

Complexe templiers de San Bevignate

Via Enrico Dal Pozzo
06126 Perugia PG, Italie

Munus s.r.l.

tel. +39 075 9477727
E-mail: palazzodellapenna@munus.com