Montefranco

Montefranco, a village in Valnerina Ternana perched on a hill in a splendid panoramic position, recalls its origin in its name: tired of being subjected to the dominion of the local lord, a group of Arrone inhabitants settled on the Bufone hill in the 1228 and built a "free" settlement.

The village, which retains the mediaeval appearance of the oldest core dating back to the 9th century, has a unique historical and artistic heritage. The church of San Pietro with the painting of"the Immaculate Conception with the Saints" attributed to Stefano Pozzi, the particular "fountain of the Wolves" and the church of the Madonna del Carmine, located outside the town centre, with its 17th-century frescoes of the Umbrian school and a 16th-century "Ascension".

In 1444, on his way to L'Aquila, San Bernardino da Siena lived in Montefranco for some time.

The convent complex in Monzano is dedicated to St Bernardino, where, according to tradition, the Franciscan saint made spring water gush forth. There was already a small church here, probably dedicated to St Primian, where St Bernardine stayed. Over the years, the church was transformed for the construction of the new complex.