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Monteleone di Spoleto is an Italian town of 648 inhabitants of the province of Perugia in Umbria, is situated on a hill 978 meters to the foot of which flows the River Corno, this quaint village is especially popular in summer, when many tourists come here in search of refrigierio.
"The Castle Brufa, now Monteleone di Spoleto, was built in 880 by a Roman nobleman named Atto Arrochar or the son of Count Lupone. He being an exile of his country, went to live in a valley surrounded by the Black River, later known as Valley Attona or Arrona and made himself lord of the region or Nerina Valley Nar also said Narca where he built the castle of Brufa ".

In 1907 the archaeologist A. Pasqui recover consciousness, on the northern slope of Captain's Hill, a cemetery with graves in the cockpit.
The 44 tombs found, which were found in ceramic urns containing the ashes of the dead as well: pins, brooches and rings twisted by the fire, showed similarities with that found at the Pianella Genga, the Tolfa and Allumiere protovillanoviano and the Po Valley .
There is no doubt that this is a single civilization and perhaps the same people who during the Bronze Age extended over the whole peninsula.
This burial ground to be counted among the oldest ones that mark the transition from the 'Bronze Age to the Iron Age.

Contacts with the Etruscan civilization in the territory of Monteleone, are witnessed by the so-called "BIGA" discovered in 1902 at the Captain's Hill. Made of wood and covered with bronze plates embossed with the technique worked, presumably depicting scenes of life greek hero Achilles.
The Furtwaengler classified it as a product ionic and dated it to the mid-sixth century. BC, classification shared by Richter in the catalog of the METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART IN NEW YORK, where, still, is jealously guarded and studied.
Another archaeologist, Chase, held it, on the contrary, a product Etruscan, and the little children he shared the classification despite obvious relationship with the Ionic art. Lately Rijs, in his book "Art Etruscam" the Etruscan considered himself a product.
The hypothesis that has prevailed in recent years, attributes the decoration of bronze artist greek-ion immigrant in Etruria.
The exhibit is at the center of fierce battles between the New York museum and the city administration of Monteleone, who has long called for the return.

The presence of Rome is particularly marked in the village of Trivium (anciently Trebia or Trebula). The present church of S. Erasmus to Trivium is built on the ruins of a pagan temple, outside you can see a Roman marble statue.

The Roman Empire collapsed, the invaders advance and plunder the riches of imperial Rome. The son of Count Lupone (Atto or Arrochar) exile from home, went to live in low Valnerina and built the castle of Arrochar.
Later extended his tenure to other lands, and in 880, built the CASTLE BRUFA. This is the date that is arguably one of the founding of Monteleone.
Later, the destroyed castle Brufa, around 1100, Tiberius, the son of Atto II, rebuilt on the ruins of the current Monteleone and, towards the end of the century, his children donated to Spoleto Tenimento of the hill. In 1228 Berthold Ursilingen with Saracen troops, burned and destroyed the castle of Monteleone Tiberti but, in 1265, rebuilt it and gave it permanently in Spoleto with other castles. After years of wars, destruction and reconstruction, the monteleonesi, aspiring to the title of "REPUBLIC MONTIS Leonis", rebelled in 1535 in Spoleto, ousted the mayor imposed, they decided to elect him in "Arenga" city.
The reaction of Spoleto was terrible but failed to retake the country for the strong resistance of monteleonesi, plundered and destroyed many houses, however, ruined windmills and fruit trees.
Pope Pius IV took to heart the situation of Monteleone and took the subjection and put him in Spoleto in 1559, directly under the delegation of Perugia.
After the historic clash with Spoleto (1535) for Monteleone began the "resurgence". They were repaired and rebuilt the houses, churches and strengthened the defenses. Much of the development had to the richness of the iron mines that had worked in the Horn River at the ironworks, mines in the next century due to the interest of Cardinal Fausto Poli, (native Usigni Poggiodomo), will then be enhanced. The presence of mansions along the city testifies to the welfare achieved in those centuries. The town is still surrounded mostly by walls and towers that preserve medieval gates
From the second half of 1500 to around 1600, you can define the golden age of Monteleone.
In this climate of prosperity born "statutes". A people who are law-giving reveals his maturity, his strength and his thirst for freedom.

The terrible earthquake of 1703, which went immense damage and many victims, hopelessly blocked the period of prosperity and development. The event caused enormous damage and kills many victims. Also produced the diversion of waters of the Horn River, which contributed to the impoverishment of the area triggering flows of migrants to Rome who over the years grew more and more, especially after 1718 when the country was hit by a severe plague. Towards the end of 1700 included the land of Monteleone was invested by the French revolution, which annexed the Umbria first to the Roman Republic, then directly to the Empire.
In 1831 the new revolutionary wave also brought havoc to Monteleone.
Henceforth the life of the country was no longer characterized by its own imprint but was inserted in the largest events of national character.
Monteleone, with the entire region, was finally annexed to the Kingdom of Italy, by plebiscite, November 4, 1860. From this point on, followed the development of the history of united Italy.
In recent decades Monteleone has failed to build a real economy, except that of the sheep, even today, along with summer tourists, is a source of relative comfort.
The oldest occupies the top of the hill, crowned by a fort of 1465, then destroyed, while in the fifteenth century, has developed the village near the ancient walls, encased in a larger city walls.

Going through the village up to the gateway of the city's oldest, opened a pointed arch in the Clock Tower, which is nothing but the door of the old medieval castle.
A few feet away is the beautiful palace Bernabo, fifteenth. On the right side of the imposing Church of St Francis, with a squat bell tower and the massive buttresses which give a fortified aspect.

The Gothic portal, beautifully carved in relief, enter inside, animated and unusual: two aisles of different heights and different coverage grow in length, while a door provides access to the cloister, where they found the materials found in archaeological excavations the neighborhood. The nave is surmounted by a coffered ceiling painted by Giuseppe Frigerio (1760). Surviving frescoes of the fourteenth century.; The choir of the lower church is entirely frescoed with scenes from the Franciscan. In the sacristy are preserved the rich liturgical furnishings.
Another noteworthy church is St. Nicholas, especially interesting for the blades of the 'altar attributed to Ghezzi and Masucci.