Montignano
The origins of the Castle of Montignano date back to 962 when Otto I of Saxony was crowned in Milan as Emperor of Germany and King of  Italy by Pope John XII and he immediately tried to gain the loyalty [...]
Villa San Faustino
The castle of Villa San Faustino was part of the Terre Arnolfe in the tenth and eleventh centuries (mentioned in documents of the abbey of Farfa 1115 and 1118). The castle, connected to the important parish chu [...]
Colpetrazzo
Castle built between 1300 and 1400, it still preserves its medieval structure. Of particular interest is the medieval main door near the small church of San Bernardino. Above the church of San Bernardino is sit [...]
Mezzanelli
The castle of Mezzanelli has followed the fortunes of the various rulers who handled its political life. Once part of Terre Arnolfe, the castle was cited in documents from 1115 and 1118 (Earls Ridolfo, Saraceno [...]
Castel Rinaldi
Medieval village built in 1160 by a certain "Rinaldo Duke of Calabria", Castel Rinaldi was part of the fief of the Arnolfi. Constantly part of Guelph, Castel Rinaldi was often the center of infighting that mark [...]
Viepri
The fortified village of Viepri is wrapped in high hills, which ensured defense for centuries and still seem to hide it. Built after 1380 on the ruins of the demolished castle of Monte Schignano, its rule was t [...]
Martani Mountains
The Martani Mountains extend evenly from south to north for about 35 km between the provinces of Perugia and Terni. They border to the east on the Umbrian Valley and Valserra, to the west on th [...]
Castelvecchio
The village is today very different from what must have appeared in the Middle Ages. Today only some ruins of the fortified village remain, hidden by vegetation. Literature attest it as one of the most [...]

Castello delle Rocchette

Ancient castle that still stands well preserved on a high hill, mentioned for the first time in a document from 1295 as belonging to the heirs of Zurcio Gottofredi. In 1339 it was restored by the noble Antonio di Mariano of Castelvecchio. In other documents of 1400 it is mentioned as Rocca d'Angiolo of Mattiolo. Inside the castle, the church of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception has an interesting cycle of frescoes of the 16th century, including one depicting the Madonna del Soccorso, it is a highly original iconography of the Virgin represented while protecting the child from the devil with a stick. The village is now private property.

Castello di Gagliole

On top of Torraccio in the Middle Age stood the Gagliole castle; allegedly built by a certain Galliolo that would build in 1035 naming it after himself. More likely the castle's name comes from the word Lombard gahagi = fence, and perhaps it was built between the seventh and eighth centuries as a defensive outpost of the Lombard Duchy of Spoleto. In 1290 it was owned by Massa nobles Raniero and Galgano Bonaccorsi and 14 families lived there.

Impregnable Guelph stronghold, it was repeatedly attacked in vain by the Ghibellines of Todi until 1307, when it was purchased by the town of Todi, destroyed and razed to the ground. Today, only a few ruins of the castle of Gagliole remain, choked by vegetation. It had in its appurtenances the churches of San Bartolomeo and San Giacomo. The latter, documented since the thirteenth century, was at the foot of the hill where the castle stood, along the ancient route of the Via Flaminia. Perfectly preserved until the middle of this century, it's now reduced to a pile of rubble because on several occasions it was used as a stone quarry.

Mulino di Santa Maria

On the left of Highway exit Massa Martana are clearly visible the remains of an old mill, which formerly belonged to the abbey of Santa Maria in Pantano, set on a substructure of the Roman era, belonging to the Via Flaminia, perhaps the remains of a bridge, now destroyed, that crossed the stream Naia.

Rocca di Bonaccorso

It is believed that the Rocca di Bonaccorso was erected towards the end of the year 1000 by the founder of the noble Massetana family of Bonaccorsi-Fonzi. It stood on the hill in front of the homonymous spring, and was most likely a fort used to control the roads that converged to the important mountain pass of Water Channel. This is confirmed by a document from 1397 in which Pope Boniface IX granted to the noble of Massa Lello Bonaccorsi the power to levy tolls and duties of all those who passed through the area.

 

Itineraries

Monte Martano Trekking
The route is accessible on foot or by bike and is located along the ridge of the Monti Martani. Starting Point is the leisure area of Acqua Canale indicated as a interess in the route map. Continue to
An itinerary through silence around the Martana area
14  km - itinerary feasible by bicycle or motor vehicle. This itinerary proposes to the visitors a unique historical and artistic perspective on the Martana area. It begins from th [...]
Andar per Castelli….tra storia e leggenda (2)
9,2 Km – Itinerario fruibile in auto e in bici Il percorso inizia con la visita del centro storico di Massa Martana, (Itin [...]

Accomodation

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