Montignano

Details

Category: Paesi

The origins of the Castle of Montignano date back to 962 when Otto I of Saxony was crowned in Milan as Emperor of Germany and King of  Italy by Pope John XII and he immediately tried to gain the loyalty of feudal lords in central and southern Italy. A part of Umbria was assigned to Count Arnolfo, a German courtier and a relative of the Emperors, as his feudal domain as well as a region, called Arnolfa, which included Montignano. In the early years of the 16th century, the Atti family, feudal lords of the Casigliano Castle, extended their lands right up to the boundaries of Montignano which, until the 15th  century had belonged to the Matalucci family, a family of Guelph lineage, allies and relatives of the Atti family. The Castle was seriously damaged  by the passing of the French troops, and Todi’s municipality administration board deliberated on the 27th August 1577  that the population of Montignano was exempted from paying taxes due to the “damage suffered”. The San Giovanni Church contains a valuable painting of Our Lady of the Rosary by Bartolomeo Barbiani. Just outside the castle are the ruins (the outer walls and the apse semicircular in squared stone) of the ancient church of Santa Degna, documented since the thirteenth century. Of great interest is the large stone sarcophagus located behind the apse.

Curiosity: In 1577 Montignano and the surrounding land were devastated by the passage of some French mercenary troops. After the tragic facts the General Council of Todi decided to exempt the citizens from the payment of duties and taxes for four years!

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