Discovering atmospheric little hill towns like Montone in Umbria is one of the pleasures of living in Italy. It's generally the case that the most charming ones, typically with only a thousand or so residents, are tucked away in obscure corners of Italy and it's this remoteness that adds to their appeal because they are invariably neglected by tourists as well as being surrounded by gorgeous unspoiled Italian countryside.
Our best discoveries over the years like Casperia, Suvereto, Magliano in Toscana, Gualdo Cattaneo, Silvi Paese etc and now Montone always seem to be in central Italy because it is here that the rolling hills are carpeted with vines, olive trees and cypresses and that is the singular image that most people conjure up when they dream of Italy. (And if you've barely heard of any of these places then consider signing up for one of our guided tours that we are offering for 2025 which Elena and I personally accompany - https://www.mykindofitaly.com/tours).
The entrance through Porta del Veziere (above left) and a steel sculpture near Piazza Fortebraccio (above right)
Elena and I know central Italy as well as anyone. She has spent her whole life here and I now have more than a decade of travel experiences that have encompassed 18 of the 20 regions of Italy but mostly concentrated in Tuscany, Liguria, Veneto, Umbria, Marche, northern Lazio, Abruzzo and Puglia. But sometimes it's advice from Italian friends or relatives that helps us find new and interesting places to visit and our trip to Montone came about after a conversation with Elena's Arezzo relatives who told us to skip Umbertide and go straight to Montone.
Established almost one thousand years ago on the highest point of the hill at an elevation of 1,600 feet, Montone overlooks the upper Tiber valley in the north-east corner of Umbria not far from the Tuscany and Marche borders. It's a perfectly preserved medieval village, virtually unchanged over the centuries, with a richer history than one would expect thanks to the warmongering Fortebraccio family who ruled the town during the 15th century.
Andrea Fortebraccio, known as Braccio da Montone, spent his entire adult life as a respected and successful condottiero (mercenary) in the paid service of just about everyone who was powerful in Italy from 1388-1424. His employers at various times included the House of Montefeltro of Urbino, the Republic of Florence, the Kingdom of Naples and the Pope.
In his final 10 years he was named Lord by half a dozen Umbrian cities, after laying waste to many of them, and was paid a fortune for liberating Bologna. His overriding ambition in life was to take revenge on Perugia for having expelled his family, a conquest that eluded him until five years before his death. Finally the siege of L'Aquila proved one battle too many for him and he died a warrior's death in Abruzzo.
His son, Count Carlo Fortebraccio, took up the same profession and in 1440 was on the losing side in perhaps the most famous battle in Italy of the 15th century, the Battle of Anghiari. Two years later as head of Pope Eugene IV's army he defeated Francesco Sforza in Assisi, expelling a force of 800 soldiers but refusing Perugia's demand to destroy the city.
Carlo went on to serve the Venetian Republic and after a famous victory against the Turks was given a single thorn from Christ's crown of thorns that supposedly had traveled from Jerusalem to Constantinople in the 11th century, when it was the capital of the Holy Roman Empire.
It then arrived briefly in Venice in the 13th century on its journey to France where it was stored in Notre Dame until the recent fire when it was saved and now resides in the Louvre.
Is the Santa Spina of Montone a legend or holy relic - who really knows? Anyhow, Montone keeps the thorn in a silver chalice and celebrates the gift of this holy relic twice every year on Easter Monday and on the penultimate Sunday in August.
While serving as a general in the Venetian army Carlo was also called upon to wreak havoc upon lands belonging to the Papal State, an action that resulted in the Pope sending his legions to Montone to destroy the Rocca di Braccio, whose ruins remain today and such was the Pope's fury that Carlo's personal residence was also deliberately targeted for destruction.
Above photo taken by Jun Ishikura, Lensculture
Since medieval times the upper Tiber valley has been a treasure chest of artisan workshops that keep alive ancient crafts. In particular Montone's long tradition of iron forgers and blacksmiths working with wrought iron goes back to the days of Fortebraccio and continues today with Gianluca Volonterio who has an incredible workshop in Montone dominated by a mass of tools, a huge fire and a giant anvil. As well as a skilled welder with a background in mechanical design he is an metal artist who participates in competitions winning his first prize at the Stia biennial in 2001.
Montone is also the host of the annual Umbria Film Festival now in its 26th year. It was started by Terry Gilliam of Monty Python fame who has a house nearby and every year in July the keys of the city are awarded to a distinguished actor. In 2022 the recipient was Stanley Tucci (above right in a white suit).
And if all this wasn't enough for a small village with a population of only 1,672 people, a number by the way that has declined by 50% in the last 75 years, there is one other thing that merits inclusion in this article and that is the splendid lunch we enjoyed at Taverna del Verziere.
Our intention on our visit to Montone was not to dawdle over a two hour lunch, but it was a glorious Sunday and there was something about the atmosphere of the restaurant, the menu and the gorgeous outside terrace that made us both change our minds. It was a great decision because Taverna del Verziere was a huge surprise in the sense that while it appears very casual and slightly rustic, the food in fact is very imaginative and quite sophisticated.
They have really made an effort with the entrance to the restaurant from inside the centro storico but even with plants and cushions adorning the steps down, there's only so much you can do with a gloomy medieval corridor.
However, once you step inside there's an open space with lots of natural light leading to a large stone and brick terrace that is naturally charming rather than fussily curated. It's exactly how you would want your terrace at home to be and I think people sometime underestimate the importance of ambience in allowing you to relax and enjoy the food.
Top left is the primo piatto of cappellacci (stuffed pasta) and top right is the tortelli ripieni. Both were very imaginative stuffed pasta combinations that were excellent. Bottom left, the polpette in three different sauces also worked exceptionally well and a classic lamb preparation served with a caponata was executed to perfection.
Creativity in restaurants in Italy is often mostly found in the antipasti and primi piatti and it proved to be the case here, with a range of interesting and unusual choices on the menu at very reasonable prices that you won't find in Tuscany anymore.
There are three rioni in Montone called Monte, Verziere and Borgo Vecchio, which explains the name of the restaurant.
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