# Montecchio > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Montecchio > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Montecchio.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montecchio > Source revision: 1346687404 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) For other uses, see [Montecchio (disambiguation)](/source/Montecchio_(disambiguation)). Comune in Umbria, Italy Montecchio Comune Comune di Montecchio View of Montecchio Coat of arms Montecchio Location of Montecchio in Italy Show map of Italy Montecchio Montecchio (Umbria) Show map of Umbria Coordinates: 42°39′45″N 12°17′13″E / 42.662391°N 12.287062°E / 42.662391; 12.287062 Country Italy Region Umbria Province Terni (TR) Government • Mayor David Lisei Area [1] • Total 48.9 km2 (18.9 sq mi) Elevation 391 m (1,283 ft) Population (1 January 2025)[2] • Total 1,475 • Density 30.2/km2 (78.1/sq mi) Time zone UTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST) Postal code 05020 Dialing code 0744 Patron saint St. Bernardino of Siena Saint day May 20 Website Official website **Montecchio** is a *[comune](/source/Comune)* (municipality) in the [Province of Terni](/source/Province_of_Terni) in the [Italian](/source/Italy) region [Umbria](/source/Umbria), located about 50 km south of [Perugia](/source/Perugia) and about 30 km northwest of [Terni](/source/Terni). It is one of [I Borghi più belli d'Italia](/source/I_Borghi_pi%C3%B9_belli_d'Italia) ("The most beautiful villages of Italy").[3] ## Etymology The name Montecchio is traditionally linked to *Mons Herculis*. Alternative historical forms include *Castro Monticoli*, while the name has also been connected to the Latin *munticulus*, meaning "small hill".[4] ## History The area of Montecchio was already inhabited in prehistoric times, as evidenced by a pre-Roman necropolis in the San Lorenzo valley.[5] The settlement is first mentioned in written sources in 1154. Around 1165 the original castle nucleus was built by the [Chiaravalle](/source/Chiaravalle_(family)) family.[5] The castle was originally built as a place of exile during factional conflicts in [Todi](/source/Todi), when the [Guelphs](/source/Guelphs) expelled the Ghibellines from the city. The settlement remained historically part of the territory of Todi.[4] By 1190 a second defensive wall had been constructed, reflecting a growth in population, and in the mid-13th century the fortifications were further expanded.[5] During the medieval period Montecchio was ruled successively by the Chiaravalle, [Alviano](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alviano_(family)&action=edit&redlink=1) [[it](https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%27Alviano)], [Baschi](/source/Baschi_(family)) [[it](https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baschi_(famiglia))] and [Colonna](/source/Colonna_family) families. In the 16th century it came under the control of the Atti family of Todi, and in 1607 authority passed to the [Corsini](/source/Corsini_family) family.[5] In the second half of the 16th century local statutes were established.[4] Following the Papal Restoration in 1814, Montecchio was administratively aligned with the nearby settlement of [Baschi](/source/Baschi). In 1817 it was classified as a dependent district of Baschi.[4] In the 1850s Montecchio had a population of 738 inhabitants, of whom 601 lived in the town and 137 in the surrounding countryside.[4] In 1948 Montecchio was separated from Baschi and became an independent municipality.[4] ## Geography Montecchio is located about 5 miles (8.0 km) from Baschi.[4] Montecchio borders the following municipalities: [Avigliano Umbro](/source/Avigliano_Umbro), [Baschi](/source/Baschi), [Civitella d'Agliano](/source/Civitella_d'Agliano), [Guardea](/source/Guardea), [Orvieto](/source/Orvieto), [Todi](/source/Todi). ### Subdivisions The municipality includes the localities of Fratta, Le Case, Melezzole, Monastero, Montecchio, Pantanelli, Pozzociolino, Pranzuto, Prato Giardino, San Martino, San Rocco, Schiasciarelle, Tenaglie.[6] In 2021, 367 people lived in rural dispersed dwellings not assigned to any named locality.[6] At the time, most of the population lived in Montecchio proper (671), and Melezzole (159).[6] ## Economy The production facilities of the [Falesco](/source/Falesco) winery are located there. ## Religion and culture ### Castle of Carnano Apse of the church ruins in Carnano The Castle of Carnano stood near the Abbey of Sant'Andrea, of which little is known. Established around the year 1000, it occupied a dominant position over the Tiber Valley on a rocky spur, as reflected in the early Romanesque masonry of the church of Santa Maria. The castle is depicted intact in a 1583 map by [Ignazio Danti](/source/Ignazio_Danti), but already shown in ruins in a 1585 plan after its destruction in 1553, ordered by [Pope Julius III](/source/Pope_Julius_III) to punish the Baschi counts. The site was razed along with the abbey, and today only ruins remain, including parts of the apse, an altar, a cistern, and sections of collapsed walls.[7] ### Necropolis of San Lorenzo The necropolis of San Lorenzo is an Etruscan burial site dating from the 6th to the 4th centuries BC. The settlement to which the necropolis belonged is still unknown. It may have been one of the *castella* mentioned by [Livy](/source/Livy), small outposts of the city of [Orvieto](/source/Orvieto)-[Velzna](/source/Velzna) near the edge of its territory, close to the border with the [Umbrian](/source/Umbri)-[Italic](/source/Italic_peoples) world. The frequent discovery of pottery and brick fragments from different periods on the plain of Copio, which overlooks the gorges of San Lorenzo and the Raiano ditch, suggests that the settlement may have stood there. Based on these finds, its date would match that of the necropolis, between the 6th and 4th centuries BC.[8] A Roman rural settlement later covered the site, as shown by finds of common ware and [terra sigillata](/source/Terra_sigillata) from the early imperial period.[8] If confirmed, the settlement held a strategic position near the Tiber and the roads linking [Tuder](/source/Tuder) and [Ameria](/source/Amelia%2C_Umbria). This made the area around the river a meeting point between the Etruscan and Umbrian-Italic worlds and increased its importance and economic value, at least until the decline of Orvieto-Velzna and the spread of Roman control.[8] The tombs stretch along the slopes descending toward the stream, on different levels and likely beside roads running along their edges. They are chamber tombs cut into the ground. In most cases, they are preceded by a slightly sloping *[dromos](/source/Dromos_(architecture))*, closed by a [travertine](/source/Travertine) entrance slab. The burial chamber is rectangular, with a flat or slightly sloping ceiling, and has benches carved from the same material along the sides and back, used to place bodies and grave goods. In some cases, tombs are built one above another, which may reflect either different periods of construction or a lack of space. Other tombs follow a different layout, with two rooms in sequence connected by a doorway, based on models from southern Etruria. Their structure, and especially the grave goods, point to a date ranging from the late 7th or early 6th century BC for the earliest burials to the 4th century BC for the latest.[8] Excavations of the tombs along the San Lorenzo ditch produced a large number of grave goods, although some had been disturbed by repeated illegal digging over the years. The types of objects and their quality point to a society with strong economic and cultural resources, linked to nearby Orvieto-Velzna and clearly shaped by Etruscan ways of life. Bronze tools made both in that city and in central and southern Etruria, together with imported pottery, especially [Attic ware](/source/Attic_ware) that arrived through [Volsinian](/source/Volsinii) trade, suggest a high standard of living.[8] Among the metal finds were tools used for preparing and cooking food and for banquets, which are common in Etruscan and Italic burials of higher social groups. Among the ceramics, many Attic [kylikes](/source/Kylikes) were found; although not of especially high quality, they still show the circulation of expensive goods. [Bucchero](/source/Bucchero) ware and painted Etruscan ceramics from the Orvieto Group were also found in large numbers and were made in the Volsinian area. Several storage jars for provisions, found in one of the tombs, point to successful farming and trade among the local population. The presence, though limited, of jewelry in precious metals and containers for ointments and cosmetics suggests a prosperous female population, who may have held important social roles.[8] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-wikidata-16139ca327c50d72c40d8c5fd3abe706b989650e-v20_1-0)** ["Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011"](https://www.istat.it/it/archivio/156224). Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-istat_pop_20250101_TR_2-0)** ["Resident population by age, sex and marital status on 1st January 2025"](https://demo.istat.it/data/posas/POSAS_2025_en_055_Terni.zip). Istat. Retrieved 15 February 2026. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Umbria"](https://borghipiubelliditalia.it/umbria/) (in Italian). Retrieved 1 August 2023. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-siusa_history_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-siusa_history_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-siusa_history_4-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-siusa_history_4-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-siusa_history_4-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-siusa_history_4-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-siusa_history_4-6) ["Comune di Montecchio"](https://siusa-archivi.cultura.gov.it/cgi-bin/siusa/pagina.pl?TipoPag=prodente&Chiave=45863). *Sistema Informativo Unificato per le Soprintendenze Archivistiche* (in Italian). Retrieved 14 February 2026. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-conoscere_mont_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-conoscere_mont_5-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-conoscere_mont_5-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-conoscere_mont_5-3) ["Conoscere Montecchio"](https://www.comune.montecchio.tr.it/vivere_il_comune/territorio/territorio_1.html). *Comune di Montecchio* (in Italian). Retrieved 14 February 2026. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-istat_sez_2021_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-istat_sez_2021_6-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-istat_sez_2021_6-2) ["Sezioni di censimento – 10-Umbria"](https://www.istat.it/storage/cartografia/basi_territoriali/2021/R10_21.zip). *Istat*. Retrieved 16 February 2026. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-babb_7-0)** ["Castello di Carnano"](https://beniabbandonati.cultura.gov.it/beni/castello-di-carnano/). *Beni culturali abbandonati* (in Italian). Retrieved 22 March 2026. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-sabapumbria_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-sabapumbria_8-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-sabapumbria_8-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-sabapumbria_8-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-sabapumbria_8-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-sabapumbria_8-5) ["Archeologia Montecchio"](https://sabapumbria.cultura.gov.it/archeologia-e-territorio/archeologia-montecchio/). *Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per l'Umbria* (in Italian). Retrieved 2 April 2026. *This article incorporates text from this source, which is available under the [CC BY 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/) license.* ## External links - [Official website](http://www.comune.montecchio.tr.it) - Media related to [Montecchio (comune, Italy)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Montecchio_(comune,_Italy)) at Wikimedia Commons v t e Umbria · Comuni of the Province of Terni Acquasparta Allerona Alviano Amelia Arrone Attigliano Avigliano Umbro Baschi Calvi dell'Umbria Castel Giorgio Castel Viscardo Fabro Ferentillo Ficulle Giove Guardea Lugnano in Teverina Montecastrilli Montecchio Montefranco Montegabbione Monteleone d'Orvieto Narni Orvieto Otricoli Parrano Penna in Teverina Polino Porano San Gemini San Venanzo Stroncone Terni Authority control databases National Israel Other Yale LUX This Umbria location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Umbria-geo-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3AUmbria-geo-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Umbria-geo-stub) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Montecchio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montecchio) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montecchio?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.