HISTORY

The earliest historic records date back to 600 AD. The most probable theory regarding its origins, which remain uncertain, is that the Romans living in the Amerino plain near the banks of the Tiber abandoned that malaria-infested area and moved up on this hill.

The site was inhabited in Roman times, as is shown by the artifacts found in the villa at Poggio Gramignano, outside of the village.

During the Middle Ages its strategic position at the border between the different dominions of the time was the cause for various wars between the towns of Todi, Amelia and Orvieto over possession of the territory. After being under the rule of Orvieto, it became one of the possessions of Rome (the Farnese family held the title of perpetual Governors of the town) and of the Church until the birth of the Italian State.

ART AND CULTURE

Lugnano deserves to be visited above all for its splendid Church of Santa Maria Assunta or Collegiate Church, a Romanesque gem from the 12th century, characterized by an original colonnade portico. Inside, there is a Triptych by Alunno and a Crucifixion in the style of Giotto.

In the historic center there is also the 16th-century Palazzo Farnese-Ridolfi or "Pennone": the building, which is split in two by the Gallery of the same name, has three stories and a rectangular plan. Places to visit nearby are the Convent of San Francesco, built in 1229 to commemorate a miracle performed by St. Francis in Lugnano, and the Convent of Sant'Antonio or of the Cappuccini.

Outside the village, on the top of a small hill, are the ruins of the Roman Villa at Poggio Gramignano, discovered in 1988.