Holiday apartment in Monte Santa Maria Tiberina: History and trails

Monte Santa Maria Tiberina is situated on a scenic hill overlooking a fertile plain through which the Aggia stream flows. The town combines historical traces, sacred buildings, signposted trails and regional traditions.

Holiday apartment in Monte Santa Maria Tiberina between culture and trails

A prominent reference point in the town's history is the Palazzo Bourbon del Monte, which is also known as the Castello and Palazzo Marchionale. It was built between 1564 and 1614 on the structures of an earlier castle. Due to important restoration and enhancement works, the Palazzo is temporarily closed to the public. The exhibition “Un feudo imperiale nel Centro Italia” has been set up in three rooms on the ground floor. The archaeological section of the Palazzo Museo Bourbon del Monte also displays finds from the area dating from the Neolithic period to the 8th century AD.

The church of Santa Maria and the Bourbon Chapel are also part of the local architectural and family history. The church was built at the beginning of the 11th century and has Romanesque origins. Inside it is an octagonal 16th-century sandstone baptismal font bearing the coat of arms of the Bourbon marquises of Monte Santa Maria. The Bourbon Chapel was built in 1613 by Marquis Gianbattista Bourbon del Monte. During the Feast of the Ascension, the village's silver keys are traditionally presented to the Virgin.

The Castello di Lippiano was a former residence of the Bourbon del Monte family. The family's marquisate was an imperial fief from 1250 to 1815. The Castello di Lippiano is privately owned and is normally not open to visitors. From Piazza Umberto I, however, you can see the old circular bastion. The district of Lippiano also contributes its own culinary tradition to the town's history.

Historic routes by car, bicycle and on foot

The “Feudi, Castelli e Ville. Sentieri Storici” project includes Monte Santa Maria Tiberina and offers historic routes that can be explored by car, bicycle or on foot. General information boards in the towns provide information about the project, while hiking trail signs are installed along the routes.

Sentiero 153 SL connects Monte Santa Maria Tiberina with Monterchi in Tuscany. At the same time, it forms part of the multi-day Sentiero dei Laghi trail, which connects Lake Trasimeno with Lake Montedoglio. Near Sentiero 153 SL, a small turn-off leads to Arcalena, a small settlement with an old church. Route 14 leads to Monte Santa Maria Tiberina, the highest point on this route, on a hill overlooking the Umbrian and Tuscan valleys.

Regional products and practical information

The gathering of wild forest products such as sweet chestnuts, mushrooms, truffles and wild herbs has been economically and culturally important in Monte Santa Maria Tiberina for centuries. The chestnut of Lippiano is one of the products gathered and celebrated at a forest festival in autumn.

A scheduled bus service connects Monte Santa Maria Tiberina with Città di Castello and operates year-round from Monday to Saturday. From the north, you can reach the town via the E45, the Città di Castello exit and then the “Montesca” provincial road towards Umbertide as far as the turn-off for Monte Santa Maria Tiberina.

More destinations for planning your trip: Doglio, Trevi, Massa Martana, Branca, Pian di San Martino, Spoleto, Piazzano.

To the overview of the wider travel region: Perugia.