Montone

Stroll brick-paved streets and admire balconies draped with colourful flowers; discover nature, medieval art and tradition. Welcome to Montone, where nearly 880 years of history surround you and inspire you.

Montone is not very popular, but you'll be surprised of this anonymity because it's really hard not to fall in love with it. The village is situated on top of a hill at 482 meters above the sea level (40km from Perugia), overlooking the confluence of the two rivers -the Tiber and Carpina. It is an authentic well-preserved medieval jewel!

Montone was named "uno dei 100 borghi più belli d'Italia" - one of the 100 most beautiful villages in Italy; walking along the narrow lanes and enchanting alleys, some of which are steps rather than "streets", you'll find the old town center to be completely charming.

The village is surrounded by imposing walls, holding the stately bell towers and the magnificent Rocca di Braccio, whose remains have been nicely restored (after the destruction in 1478 at the hand of Pope Sixtus IV) and hint at its past importance. The history of Montone followed, step by step, the ups and downs of the noble family of Fortebracci, until the XV, when the town reached its maximum splendour thanks to Braccio da Montone. Braccio da Montone was a great commander of a group of mercenaries, famous as a cunning strategist and unscrupulous politician; in August 1414, he transformed Montone into a county and made it his fiefdom. Braccio da Montone was the protagonist of one of the most audacious attempts to create, within central Italy, an independent state, apart from the Papal States.

Luxuriant landscapes and fresh air are part of the allure of the hamlet. It is a place to discover rather than pre-plan. You'll enjoy the discovery of unpredictable sites, enjoy the stunning panoramic views and the vibrant, but quiet, everyday life of the local craftsmen's studios and modest little houses secured within the ancient city walls.

Despite its small size the village has a line-up of annual events and some interesting sights to see:

• the popular "Donazione della Santa Spina": that "holy thorn" - a symbol of the Passion of Christ. Under the hot sun of August, the three districts in Montone (Borgo, Monte and Verziere) start battling it out, reproducing scenes of medieval life and competing in archery competitions, in order to win the palio and the Lady of the Castle, Margherita Malatesta di Rimini, wife of Count Charles, that governed the city of Montone in the absence of her husband.
• La Festa del Bosco - celebrating the harvest of the woodlands, in the form of mushrooms, truffles, and chestnuts, as well as berries and honey. It is a gastronomic market and event.
• the Ethnographic Museum "Tamburi battenti"
• Rassegna dei Mastri Fabbri Forgiatori
• Rassegna delle Bande Musicali
• Umbria film festival
• the Astronomical Observatory of Coloti as well as the many artistic sites of the neighbouring town of Castello, Gubbio and Umbertide.