Montone is a small ancient village of medieval origin, castled up in the green hills of the northern Umbria. The small town has kept its old medieval splendor and it’s considered amongst the most charming ancient villages in Italy to the point of being awarded the official title of one of the 100 most beautiful villages in Italy.
Arts lovers will certainly be interested in visiting the Complesso Museale di San Francesco, situated in the former San Francesco’s convent which contains many prestigious art pieces. The Museo Etnografico Il Tamburo Parlante is also part of the main museum and hosts interesting pieces from Eastern Africa.
Montone also offers many exciting events throughout the year. The last weekend of May you can experience the Rassegna dei Mastri Fabbri Forgiatori, where local master blacksmiths offer demonstrations and show their best wrought-iron work and you can visit the local market. The second week of July is the turn of the Umbria Film Festival: a popular event for the world of cinema often visited by important figures of the industry.
The week after ‘ferragosto’ (August 15th) until penultimate Sunday of August, the most important celebration of the village takes place and it’s dedicated to Santa Spina. During the celebration, visitors can enjoy many processions with traditional music and dances, gatherings in the old Castello del Braccio, and challenges between arches coming from different neighbors to win the main price: il palio.
During last week of October, the village hosts the Festa del Bosco, a traditional autumn fair where visitors can visit the local market and taste local specialties, including the famous local truffle.