Montesanto Castle (Sellano)

History of the Montesanto Castle in Sellano

Montesanto was the seat of the Collicola, lords of the castle, who in the 14th century also held Sellano as a fief. Only a ruin remains of their palace. The community's wealth can still be seen in the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta: built in the 12th century, it was enlarged to three naves from 1545 at the inhabitants' expense, and in 1574 the bishop granted the community of Montesanto patronage over the church. The furnishings and works of art that adorned it, including paintings by Domenico Beccafumi and Giovanni Andrea De Magistris, have largely been moved to the Museo diocesano (diocesan museum) of Spoleto, partly after the 1979 earthquake that brought down the roof.

What to see at the Montesanto Castle

Just inside the castle gate, on the right, is the Madonna della Porta: a small 16th-century chapel in the form of a loggia, open on three sides, built to protect a late 14th-century fresco of the Madonna and Child painted on the facade of the church of Santa Lucia. The vault shows the Four Evangelists and, several times, the coat of arms of Montesanto, the work of the Angelucci workshop from Mevale.

In the center of the village, on a small square, the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta keeps from its Romanesque phase the small apse, a single-light window and the sturdy three-tier stone bell tower, into which the coats of arms of Spoleto and Montesanto are set. The stepped facade has three portals in pietra palombina, a stone quarried nearby.

How to visit the Montesanto Castle

The remains of the castle and the walls can be seen by walking through the village. The parish church suffered heavy damage in the 2016 earthquake and is unsafe. Montesanto is also the arrival point of the Sellano Tibetan bridge, which in October 2026 was not in operation: it is advisable to check its status before planning a visit.

Where the Montesanto Castle is located

Montesanto is a hamlet of the municipality of Sellano, in the province of Perugia, in the Valnerina area between Foligno and Spoleto. The village is linked to the main town by the Tibetan bridge, 517 meters long and 175 meters high above the valley.

Around the Montesanto Castle in Sellano

Next to the bridge's arrival station in Montesanto, a trail descends for about one kilometer, in 30-45 minutes, to the Lago del Vigi; from there the way back up to Sellano is on foot, by road or by a woodland trail. An easy bike route suitable for children also starts from Montesanto and reaches La Piaggia. Along the Vigi, through beech and Turkey oak woods, are the Cascate delle Rote (Rote waterfalls), whose name recalls the old wheels of the water mills.