Montone, our city: An unknown jewel

Montone is with its 1,600 inhabitants on the list of Italy’s 100 most beautiful cities, and rightly so. Everywhere you go inside the old city walls built centuries ago to protect the city’s citizens, houses, roads and churches are lovingly restored with great respect for the past.

Montone belongs to Perugia province of Umbria, also called Italy’s green heart. The city is believed to originate from the 10th century, and has throughout the time been subject to both small and large tyrants – as so many of Italy’s cities have been.

We have known Montone since our first visit to Umbria almost eight years ago, and from the outset we fell in love with the cobbled streets and balconies draped with colorful flowers that flow in line with the coarse streets that seem to go more than down.
The little village is not particularly famous among tourists, but those who come here may also want to keep the city a bit secret so they do not share it with too many.

Montone is located on top of a hill of 482 meters above sea level (40 km from Perugia, 140 km from Florence and about 240 km from Rome), overlooking the confluence between the two rivers Tiber and Carpina.

Despite its small size, the village offers year round a wide range of events and some interesting sights and events:

The popular “Donazione della Santa Spina”: the “Holy Tower” – a symbol of Christ’s passion. During the hot sun in August, the three districts of Montone (Borgo, Monte and Verziere) begin to fight against each other. With scenes that are like medieval life in the Middle Ages, you compete in archery competitions.

La Festa del Bosco – here you will celebrate the harvest of the forest areas in the form of mushrooms, truffles and chestnuts, as well as berries and honey. Festa del Bosco, which takes place in late October, is an amazing gastronomic market.

Umbria film festival – a five-day film festival with the display of international film in the open air. The festival has a very special cohesion with Danish film, and several Danes, including Lone Scherfig and Ghitta Nørbye, have received over the years “The City’s Key”, a special honor.