It was probably founded in the 8 ^th century and its history is interwoven with that of the nearby abbey of San Pietro in Valle, to which Ferentillo was connected for a long time. It became a Municipality in 1860 with the Italian unification.

At the entrance to the borough of Matterella, there is the 13 ^th century church of Santa Maria, later modified, with its 15 ^th century painting of the Madonna with Child between two Angels above the door. Inside, there are some very interesting works of art. The Castle, an imposing building with towers and a tall keep, is located on the hill overlooking the borough.
Crossing the main road and river Nera,  you will come to the second borough, Precetto. Do not miss the church of Santo Stefano in the higher part of the town, which was built on two different levels. The lower one dates back to the 13th -14 ^th century and is now the crypt, whereas the upper one dates back to the 16 ^th century. The crypt is now a Museum and houses some mummified corpses that made the town famous.    They have been arranged in specific cases and traces of clothing are still visible on some.
The spur overlooking Precetto also has a Castle, although it is in ruins. The history of the two defensive settlements is strongly intertwined, as both were founded to protect the nearby abbey of San Pietro in Valle.