The municipality of Poggiodomo lies on the eastern slope of Mount Coscerno, near Monteleone di Spoleto. In addition to the main town, it includes the hamlets of Usigni, Roccatamburo, and Mucciafora, all overlooking the Tissino stream valley.

Its name comes from the combination of podium, a medieval toponymic term used to indicate a flat hill, and domo, likely referring to cultivated land.

Today, this small castle perched on the mountain ridge is the seat of the least populated municipality in Umbria, yet rich in charm and history. Among its gems is the hamlet of Usigni, birthplace of one of the most influential figures in the Umbrian religious sphere: Cardinal Fausto Poli.

A Municipality Torn Between Guelphs and Ghibellines, Destined to Shine under Pope Urban VIII

The historic centre of the main town preserves the original layout of the medieval castle, built in the 13th century around the Church of San Carlo Borromeo. In the 17th century, the borough of San Pietro was added to the town, characterized by elegant noble palaces.

The municipality’s history is closely linked to neighboring towns which, due to its strategic position, long fought for control of the area. From the 11th century onwards, the territory came under the dominion of the towns of Leonessa, Spoleto, and Cascia before becoming part of the Papal States.

In 1559, a violent earthquake disrupted the town’s urban layout, leading to significant architectural transformations. The most notable changes took place in Usigni, thanks especially to the intervention of Cardinal Fausto Poli, personal secretary to Pope Urban VIII. It was precisely during Pope Barberini’s pontificate that Poggiodomo experienced its period of greatest splendor.

Following the Napoleonic occupation in 1809, the town was separated from Cascia and gained administrative autonomy, which it retained even after the restoration of papal rule. Finally, in 1861, it became part of the Kingdom of Italy.

The Town of Poggiodomo: its Sacred Buildings

Poggiodomo is home to a valuable heritage of sacred buildings, evidence of its rich religious and artistic history:

• Church of San Carlo Borromeo: The parish church was built in 1635, replacing the Church of St. Anthony of Padua. The façade features an elegant Renaissance portal, while the interior houses nine wooden altars from the 17th and 18th centuries, the side ones donated by the town’s noble families. The main altar, dedicated to Saint Charles Borromeo, is adorned with a crucifix flanked by wooden statues of Saints Macarius and Roch. The emblem of the “Congregazione dei Possidenti” (Congregation of Landowners), which appears in the municipal coat of arms, can be found at the base of the right column of the main altar and on the choir loft.
• Church of San Pietro: Dating back to the 14th century, it is now abandoned, but inside are interesting frescoes painted between the 16th and 18th centuries. Among them is one of the oldest and most unusual portraits of Saint Rita of Cascia, depicted before her canonizìsation.
• Church of San Lorenzo: A rural church built in the 13th century as a Benedictine priory, probably linked to a monastic cell. Above the entrance door, an inscription testifies to its renovation in 1566. The interior, now devoid of furnishings, features a semicircular apse decorated with numerous 15th-century frescoes.

Usigni, the Village-Palace and Birthplace of Fausto Poli

Today almost completely uninhabited, Usigni is best known as the birthplace of Cardinal Fausto Poli, a prominent figure at the court of Pope Urban VIII.

Usigni’s historic centre preserves the impressive architecture commissioned by the cardinal, including Palazzo Poli, an elegant cardinal’s residence, and a refined marble well, also commissioned by Poli. Around the majestic rim surrounding the well’s opening, the Poli family coat of arms can be seen, featuring the three bees of the Barberini family granted by the Barberini family..

The Church of San Salvatore was also built between 1631 and 1644 at the cardinal’s behest. The design of its 16th-century façade, attributed to Bernini, includes the coat of arms of Urban VIII.

Mucciafora

Mucciafora lies along the mountain ridge connecting Poggiodomo to the Valnerina via Vallo di Nera, at an altitude of 1,070 meters. In the 15th century, Mucciafora became a key site in the conflicts between Guelphs and Ghibellines: the Ghibelline nobleman Bernardino Amici chose it as a stronghold against papal forces, and Pope Innocent VIII ordered the destruction of the castle twice, in 1489 and 1490.

In the town’s historic center stands the Church of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle, originally Romanesque, later restored after the 1703 earthquake. Its late-Baroque interiors feature refined furnishings, including an altar decorated with columns and a faux canopy. Across from it is the Church of Saint Juliana of Nicomedia, built around 1300 and used until the 1804 Saint Cloud Edict as a burial site for Mucciafora’s inhabitants, as evidenced by two trapdoors in the floor leading to an underground burial chamber.

The Church of Saint Angelo of Casale, near the cemetery, is the oldest in Mucciafora, built between the 12th and 13th centuries, likely over an earlier structure. Inside, it features a raised presbytery and a 17th-century altarpiece depicting the Desert Fathers, Saints Jerome and Anthony the Abbot, with the Archangel Michael defeating Lucifer at the centre.

Roccatamburo

The last hamlet of Poggiodomo is Roccatamburo, located along the ancient route connecting Sabina and Monteleone di Spoleto to Cerreto di Spoleto.

Today, the castle is well preserved and houses the Church of Saint Nicholas, a Romanesque structure with a majestic bell tower and a steep entrance staircase. Near the hamlet is the Church of Santa Maria Annunziata, and further away lies the Hermitage of Madonna della Stella, currently not accessible, falling within the municipality of Cerreto di Spoleto.

Natural Trivia About the Area

Poggiodomo is home to two natural wonders: an oak and a walnut tree, considered among the oldest in Italy.

The Oak of the Madonna of Poggiodomo, estimated to be over six hundred years old, is famous for having been struck by lightning, which split it in two. Today, the sacred effigy of the Virgin is housed inside it, and it remains an object of deep devotion for the local community.

Just outside the village stands a centuries-old walnut tree, a majestic specimen that rises above the surrounding vegetation. Some say this impressive tree is not only the oldest walnut tree in Italy but may even be the oldest in Europe.