Torre del Colle

Torre del Colle is a small village in Umbria, perched on a low hill 250 metres above sea level. It overlooks the valley of the Attone stream and lies near the first slopes of the Martani hills. The place started as a Roman settlement with traces of an aqueduct, tombstones and a temple to Latona. By the 10th century it became Castrum Turris Collis, later Torre San Lorenzo, a stronghold of the Antignano counts. Their castle dominated the area until the 13th century, stretching from Montefalco to Gualdo Cattaneo. The village reached its peak in the 13th century before passing under Foligno’s rule. After a period under Todi and Perugia, it returned to Foligno in 1392 under Ugolino III Trinci. The Statutes of Bevagna in the 16th century granted its people full citizenship. By the 17th century the name Torre del Colle was in use. The medieval castle still stands with its rectangular plan, sandstone walls and a pointed arch gateway. Inside, houses from the same period show original windows and facades. A short walk leads to the 14th-century church of San Lorenzo with its bell tower. Nearby is the hermitage of San Giovanni, founded in 1320 by the Benedictine Ugolino and now a farmhouse. Five kilometres away on the Martani hills at 520 metres sits the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Valle, rebuilt in the 1930s after reports of miracles. The portico and altar steps bear the completion dates. Each Christmas a living nativity recalls the Middle Ages, and in August the Ferie in allegria festival celebrates local life.