Attigliano

Attigliano, a terrace over the Tiber valley

An ancient ruined castle above the river that flows toward the Eternal City

Attigliano is a small Umbrian village in the province of Terni, very close to the border with Lazio. Its current name seems to come from the Latin word attilius, linked to the presence of a forest of linden trees that once provided refreshment to the villagers. The village stands as a true natural terrace overlooking the Tiber Valley. On the central square, Piazza della Rocca, is the bell tower with its unusual clock showing 12 hours and a single hand, and, in the centre, the Dolphin Fountain, made in 1885 by Ramperto da Amelia.

Why it is special

The village's origins are Etruscan, but the buildings that now distinguish the village's oldest core date back to the mediaeval period. Elements of great charm are certainly the remains of the castle: portions of the walls, some towers and the entrance portal. Looking at them, one is caught up in fantasising about how it must have been once upon a time: a true fortress with a moat and a drawbridge. Soon, however, your eyes return to the present, and you are guided to the most scenic cliff, overlooking the valley crossed by the Tiber.

A bit of history

The history of Attigliano is very eventful: first it was in the hands of the Counts of Alviano, then it was involved in the wars of Todi, the town that retained possession of the castle until the sixteenth century. The domination then passed to the Alviano family and later to Pope Paul the Third. From there the village passed to numerous eminent families of the time, until the Unification of Italy, when Attigliano finally became independent.

Good to know

Although the old town no longer retains evidence of the oldest times, the village's surroundings show visible historical relics: tombs and crypts dug into the tuffaceous rock that testify to the passage of the Etruscan civilization.

Credit to: LigaDue