The tour of the village starts from Porta Romana, an imposing door on the main street. On its right there is
Palazzo dei Principi di Santacroce, today an important accommodation facility and on the square of
the same name the 12th-century Cathedral of San Gemine stands, a church dating back to the late Gothic period; it was rebuilt in the 19th century by the engineer Livoni, with the advice of the sculptor Antonio Canova who had a residence here. The sober facade has a fifteenth-century portal. The neoclassical interior with neo-baroque accents preserves four canvases: Martyrdom of San Sebastiano, Madonna with child and Holy Bishop, San Matteo Evangelista and Ecstasy of Santa Rita. Under the main altar is kept the urn with the
relics attributed to Saint Gemine. Continuing the route you can reach Saint Francis Square, the main square, where you can find the Municipality Palace, Canova Palace above and the majestic 13th century Church of Saint Francis, with the cloister of the former Franciscan convent attached; this church dedicated to Saint Francis, who stayed there in 1213 performing a miracle, is in Gothic style with a single nave with arches. Precious frescoes are preserved here: the Adoration of the Magi, Saint Lucia, Saint John the Baptist, Saint Rocco, the Crucifixion, Saint Jerome, Saint Leonard, the incredulity of Saint Thomas. Of great value is
the wooden Crucifix, the ogival portal with bundles of columns and the ancient wooden door of the 15th
century. Entering through Porta Burgi, you reach the oldest part of the city, called Rocca, by entering
through Via Caventino, with an enchanting series of alleys with arches. Along the way you can see the
imposing Palazzo Vecchio or Pretorio of the XII-XIII century, symbol and ancient seat of the free
municipality of San Gemini, the palace is in Gothic style. The facade with a large round arch and
the stone staircase preserve the coats of arms of Eugene IV and the Orsini family. Inside there are
two frescoed rooms; the pictorial cycle of rural works is remarkable. To the left is the
eighteenth-century Zanassi Palace and to the right the fourteenth-century Esperia Tower, crowned
by a bell gable with a Roman quadrant clock from the 1700s. To its right is the Church of Saint Charles,
formerly Saint Mary de Incertis from the 14th-15th century, with a single nave, which was originally
a public loggia with an aedicule of the Virgin, then the arches were plugged in and it was decorated
with frescoes in the 14th and 16th centuries. It has a fourteenth-century ciborium with the painting
of the Madonna enthroned with Child between Saints and Angels and the Madonna enthroned between Saints
Stephen and Sebastian. It seems that St. Charles Borromeo celebrated mass here. Reaching
Garibaldi Square, accessing from an alley on the right, you can see the 11th century Church of Saint John
the Baptist, part of the Augustinian convent, has a Romanesque-style facade dating back to 1199. The
elegant portal with a Cosmatesque frame has two stipids resting on crouching lions. The lunette above
shows two virile faces representing papal and imperial power. The interior has a central plan with
large octagonal pillars. It is rich in paintings: the Madonna of the Rosary, the Madonna of the Belt
and St. Rita. The 16th century baptismal font is valuable. Passing along the ancient walls, from which
you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Ternana Valley and the Martani Mountains, you arrive at the
former convent of Saint Mary of Magdalene, now home to the historical archive and a multimedial hall.
Going up you arrive near a Domus Romana of which mosaics of great value remain, continuing you arrive
at the Museum of Guido Calori with a rich collection of paintings and sculptures by
the artist and the Church of Saint Catherine in whose basement there are Roman cisterns. Just outside
the city walls stands the Abbey of San Nicolò. Its squared and asymmetrical facade is connected to an
older bell tower. Its original portal was sold in 1936 to the Metropolitan Museum in New York; the
current one is a very faithful copy. The interior with three naves is divided by columns with
decorated capitals. At the bottom of the square apse it is preserved a fresco of the Madonna from 1295.
Various medieval fragments are preserved in the right aisle.