Monteleone d'Orvieto is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Terni in the Italian region Umbria, located about 35 km southwest of Perugia and about 60 km northwest of Terni. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy").[3]

Monteleone d'Orvieto
Comune di Monteleone d'Orvieto
Coat of arms of Monteleone d'Orvieto
Location of Monteleone d'Orvieto
Map
Monteleone d'Orvieto is located in Italy
Monteleone d'Orvieto
Monteleone d'Orvieto
Location of Monteleone d'Orvieto in Italy
Monteleone d'Orvieto is located in Umbria
Monteleone d'Orvieto
Monteleone d'Orvieto
Monteleone d'Orvieto (Umbria)
Coordinates: 42°55′N 12°3′E / 42.917°N 12.050°E / 42.917; 12.050
CountryItaly
RegionUmbria
ProvinceTerni (TR)
FrazioniColle, San Lorenzo, Santa Maria, Spiazzolino
Government
 • MayorAngelo Larocca
Area
 • Total23.9 km2 (9.2 sq mi)
Elevation
500 m (1,600 ft)
Population
 (30 November 2017)[2]
 • Total1,436
 • Density60/km2 (160/sq mi)
DemonymMonteleonesi
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
05017
Dialing code0763
Patron saintSt. Theodore, St. Paul and St. Peter
Saint dayJune 29
WebsiteOfficial website

History

edit

According to 16th-century historian Cipriano Manente, Monteleone was founded by the comune of Orvieto in 1052, as a castle guarding its northern boundaries. In 1373 Emperor Charles IV assigned it to the viscounts of Turrena, and later it was contended by several local barons such as the Corbara family and a nephew of Pope Sixtus IV. In 1481 it was returned to Orvieto.

In 1643, during the War of Castro fought between the Barberini Pope Urban VIII and the house of Farnese, Monteleone was besieged and destroyed by the troops of Florence.

Main sights

edit
  • Remains of the medieval walls, including the northern gate.
  • Church of SS. Apostoli Pietro e Paolo. It houses a Madonna with Child between Sts. Paul and Peter, once attributed to Perugino but most likely from his collaborator Giacomo di Ser Guglielmo of Città della Pieve.
  • Church of SS. Crocifisso (17th century)
  • Medieval Torrione ("Big Tower"), offering a wide panorama of Umbria, Tuscany and Lazio.
  • Castel Brandetto (11th century, destroyed in 1350). Now it is a private-owned residence showing few remains of the medieval edifice.

References

edit
  1. ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. ^ Population data from ISTAT
  3. ^ "Umbria" (in Italian). Retrieved 1 August 2023.