A journey through the Valnerina following the course of the Nera River is also a journey into the medieval history of Umbria, where the landscape still tells the story of peasant struggles for emancipation and the transformation of settlements between the 13th and 14th centuries.

Before venturing into the valley, a stop in Spoleto is essential. For centuries, it was the political centre from which much of the Valnerina was governed and, during the 13th century, it strengthened its control by acquiring castles, toll rights and feudal privileges, while at the same time granting exemptions and freedoms to peasants who chose to escape feudal rule.

The years of conflict between Frederick II and Pope Gregory IX over control of the Duchy of Spoleto were particularly decisive. It was a strategically important territory lying between Rome and the Kingdom of Sicily. The emperor entrusted the administration of the Duchy to his loyal supporters from the Urslingen family, first Conrad and later his son Rainald, while many Umbrian castles sided with either the Empire or the Papacy. The communities of the Valnerina were likewise forced to choose between the Guelph and Ghibelline factions, in a fragile balance shaped by alliances, rebellions and economic interests.

From Spoleto, roads ran through territories controlled by the lords of Arrone and Casteldilago using tolls and fortifications, while in these same mountains many peasants fleeing feudal rule sought refuge and the chance to build a new life.

Practical information: The itinerary runs through the Terni section of the Valnerina. Distances between the various stops are relatively short, making the route particularly suitable for travelling by car or motorbike. Between one stop and the next, the journey also offers plenty of opportunities to explore the valley’s landscape, from the Marmore Falls to the Abbey of San Pietro in Valle, along the natural corridors that, in the Middle Ages, linked castles, monasteries and small fortified settlements.

The Fortress of Scheggino was built in the 12th century as a strategic stronghold of the Spoleto territory, guarding one of the main crossings of the Nera River and the road leading into the mountains. Its walls witnessed the passage of some of the great figures of medieval history: Frederick Barbarossa in 1155, on his way to destroy Spoleto; King Manfred in 1258, accompanied by his army of Saracens and Tartars; and Charles of Anjou in 1265, marching against the Swabians.

A borderland marked by constant conflict, Scheggino was often caught up in the struggles between Spoleto and the neighbouring castles. In 1390, Giovanni da Monteleone raided its fulling mills and seized the valuable woollen cloth belonging to merchants from Spoleto: a direct blow to the city’s economy, which relied on the power of the Nera River for wool processing.

The episode that made the castle famous, however, took place after the Middle Ages, on 23 July 1522. While the men were busy harvesting the crops, Picozzo Brancaleoni and Petrone da Vallo, leading a group of rebels opposed to Spoleto’s rule, attempted to storm the castle. Waiting for them on the walls, however, were the women of Scheggino who, armed only with stones, tools and extraordinary courage, managed to repel the attack and save the village.

Few places tell the story of medieval Valnerina as vividly as Ferentillo, whose origins date back to the Lombard period. Legend attributes its foundation to King Liutprand in the first half of the 8th century, while historical evidence links it instead to Faroald II, Duke of Spoleto, who around 720 founded the nearby Abbey of San Pietro in Valle, destined to become one of the main religious and political centres of the Nera Valley. An exceptional trace of this period has survived: the signature of Ursus Magester, a master craftsman active in the 8th century, carved into the marble elements of the ancient presbytery enclosure commissioned by Duke Ilderic, now reused in the abbey’s altar.

Over the following centuries, a complex system of settlements and fortifications developed around the abbey’s possessions. At its heart were the two settlements of Matterella and Precetto, which grew on opposite banks of the river and were dominated by their respective fortresses, strengthened between the 12th and 13th centuries to control this strategic crossroads in the valley.

For centuries, Ferentillo was contested by ecclesiastical authorities, feudal lords and neighbouring cities. In 1190 it came under the control of Spoleto; Precetto renewed its submission in 1212 and later became part of the domains of the Trinci family. The turning point came in 1484, when Pope Innocent VIII Cybo granted Ferentillo to his son Franceschetto Cybo. His marriage to Maddalena de’ Medici, daughter of Lorenzo the Magnificent, brought this small lordship of the Valnerina into a political network linking Rome, Florence and the major Italian courts. Under the Cybo family, Ferentillo’s medieval chapter came to an end and a new era began: that of a lordship which, through later ties with the Malaspina family, would transform the territory into one of the most distinctive minor states of central Italy.

Perched at an altitude of over 800 metres, Polino was founded in the 12th century as a small fortified settlement belonging to the Polini family, who gave the village its name and built the fortress that still dominates it today. Control later passed to the Arroni family, while its position between the Valnerina and the territories around Rieti made it a strategic border stronghold for centuries. In 1248, Pope Innocent IV granted it to Spoleto, and in 1333 the castle was occupied by the troops of Robert of Anjou, King of Naples, who at the time was commander-in-chief of the forces of the Papal States.

The most curious episode, however, dates back to 1416, when the fortress was purchased by Niccolò, Bartolomeo and Corrado Trinci, sons of Ugolino III, lord of Foligno. To defend this tiny yet strategic mountain outpost, a surprisingly small garrison was considered sufficient: one castellan and just three soldiers. After the deaths of Niccolò VIII and Bartolomeo IV Trinci, the fortress passed to Corrado XV and later returned to the Polini family.

The medieval fortress, once part of a defensive system consisting of a double ring of walls, survives today, overlooking the valley and surrounded by woodland. Walking through the small village, it is easy to imagine how, in the Middle Ages, even just a handful of men could control roads, borders and movements along this stretch of the Apennines.

Arrone stands on a rocky hill on the left bank of the Nera River, not far from the Marmore Falls. The village still preserves the original layout of a hilltop castle, traditionally said to have been founded in 880 by the Roman nobleman Arrone or Attone. More likely, however, its name is connected to the Arroni, a family descended from the Rapizzoni Arnolfi, a collateral branch of the dynasty that ruled the Terre Arnolfe.

The walls and towers of the ancient fortress, which once protected the road between Rieti and Spoleto, still survive. The settlement is divided into two districts: La Terra, the oldest nucleus that developed around the castle, with the Gothic Church of San Giovanni Battista, home to 15th-century frescoes of the Umbrian school; and Santa Maria, which grew outside the walls around the church of the same name, distinguished by its elegant 15th-century portal.

The village was also at the centre of important historical events. On 15 July 1229, the lords of Arrone submitted to the podestà of Spoleto, undertaking to have two members of the ruling family, together with their respective households, reside permanently in the city. This marked the beginning of the gradual loss of the family’s autonomy and feudal privileges. In 1291, the commune of Spoleto purchased the mons castri, the houses and noble residences, as well as the right to collect tolls, thereby securing control over trade along the Valnerina. Only in 1347 did Arrone become a municipality in its own right, freeing itself from the centuries-old lordship of its founding family.

A few kilometres further on, on the right bank of the Nera River, lies Montefranco. Its very name tells the story of its origins: in 1228, a group of inhabitants from Arrone, determined to escape the rule of the Duke of Spoleto, Rainald of Urslingen, a trusted supporter of Emperor Frederick II, settled on Colle Bufone and founded a “free” settlement there. To secure their loyalty, Spoleto granted them exemptions twice as generous as usual. It is one of the clearest examples of a newly founded castle, populated by peasants who had chosen freedom, and would go on to become one of the main castra of the Valnerina, with 132 hearths recorded in 1344.

The village still preserves its medieval appearance: sections of the outer walls of the castle of Bufone survive, along with two gates, Porta Franca, facing Arrone, and Porta Spoletina, facing Spoleto. Walking through its streets, you come across the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, of medieval origin and enlarged in the 15th century, and the Church of the Madonna del Carmine, decorated with 17th-century frescoes of the Umbrian school. Nearby, a plaque commemorates the stay of the town’s patron saint, Bernardino of Siena, in 1444. Climbing from Montefranco towards Monte Moro, you can reach an archaeological site with the remains of a Roman sanctuary and breathtaking views over the entire valley.

Not far from Arrone, perched on a rocky spur, lies Casteldilago, now a hamlet of Arrone and listed among Italy’s Most Beautiful Villages. Its name seems to evoke the ancient lake that once occupied the valley, drained around 1580 as part of hydraulic works connected with the Marmore Falls. More likely, however, the place name derives from the Germanic word lagar, meaning “encampment” or “fortified place”, thus recalling the early medieval origins of the settlement. These are traditionally traced back to the 6th century, when the Syrian monk Saint Lawrence the Illuminator is said to have chosen the site as a hermitage; in the 11th century, a fortified castle was then built, of which only ruins survive today.

Casteldilago too was caught up in feudal power struggles. In 1305, Spoleto took possession of the noble buildings and toll rights; in 1306, the rebellious inhabitants were forced to relocate to the castle of Colleporto, on the opposite bank of the Nera. The new settlement failed, and in 1322 the inhabitants were allowed to return to the original hill, on condition that they did not occupy its highest part, where the lords’ palace had once stood.

Today the village has preserved its medieval layout almost intact, with stone alleys, arches, covered passageways and the Church of San Valentino, distinguished by its 16th-century portal. Also worth visiting is the Church of San Nicola, outside the walls, with 16th-century frescoes by artists from the school of Giovanni di Pietro, known as “Lo Spagna”. Not far away, the hermitage of the Madonna dello Scoglio, built in the 16th century beneath a sheer rocky cliff, offers a splendid view over the Valnerina.