Situated in north-western Umbria near the border with Tuscany, the medieval village of Monte Santa Maria Tiberina enjoys a panoramic position looking down on to the fertile plain crossed by the Aggia stream. It also offers splendid views of the Umbrian and Tuscan Valtiberina Valley.
HISTORY
Of Etruscan origins, it was populated in Roman times as well. Starting in the 11th century it was fief of the Marquis Bourbon del Monte, descendents of Marquis del Colle who arrived in Italy in the wake of the Franks and then conquered a large part of the Upper Tiber River Valley, constructing fortresses and castles at strategic points.
Destruction of the town castle in 1198 was brought about by dissension with Pope Innocent III, and in rebuilding it the Marquis united his family history with that of Monte Santa Maria Tiberina. He obtained concessions and privileges from popes and emperors and managed to remain independent. The marquisate was ruled by family descendents until 1815 when Duke Ferdinand of Tuscany seized it, thereby interrupting the millennial dominion of the Bourbon del Monte. In 1859 it became part of the Kingdom of Italy.
ART, CULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT
The most interesting buildings are the castle, from the 16th century, and the parish church of Santa Maria, with the crypt-sepulcher of the Bourbon del Monte family.
The village, which maintains its medieval urban structure intact, is located in a suggestive panoramic position: from the Upper Tiber Valley to the Valdichiana, on the ancient Etruscan roads, in areas largely covered by centuries-old chestnut woods, the village dominates the Umbrian and Tuscan valleys, allowing you to gaze over the Apuan Alps and, if the day is clear, up to the Gran Sasso d'Italia massif in Abruzzo.
In the surroundings, the castle of Lippiano is worth to be visited, with its high square tower, from which you can enjoy a wide view that embraces the territories between Umbria and Tuscany.
