Montefalco was already an important municipality in Roman times due to its dominant position above the valley connecting Spoleto and Perugia.
From the 11th century the town flourished in the culture of the free communes and the Renaissance. The Foligno seigniory dominated the town for about 50 years until it was liberated in 1424 by Francesco Sforza. The regaining of freedom led to the drawing up of the municipal statutes and a veritable rebirth of the arts and the economy. It was only in a much later century that the town received the title of “city” from Pope Pius IX in 1848.
The main square of the town, Piazza del Comune, offers a concentration of aristocratic palaces such as: Palazzo Pambuffetti, Palazzo Senili and Palazzo Santi-Gentili. The Town Hall was constructed in 1270, then embellished with a loggia, and in the 18th century the Bell Tower was added and topped with a fastigium to modify the facade. Across the square is the small church of S. Maria de Platea one of the oldest buildings in town. Also worthy of a visit is the Romanesque church of San Bartolomeo and the church and convent of Santa Chiara with paintings by the Umbrian school. Montefalco together with Giano dell’Umbria, Gualdo Cattaneo, Bevagna and Castel Ritaldi are part of the food and wine itinerary of the Sagrantino Wine Route, one of the most prestigious wines produced in Umbria.
