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Polino
Polino is the smallest town in Umbria and one of the most beautiful, surrounded by woods and overlooking 835 meters of altitude on the Nera Valley, which develops at his feet traveled by the Black River. Located between Spoleto and Rieti, at the foot of Mount Petano, was much sought after since the Middle Ages, because the land border and of great strategic importance.
Formerly known as "Pulino", was founded in the twelfth century by a powerful feudal family, the Polini, who gave it the name and administered it for a long time, then leaving the government to the family of Arroni. In 1248 Pope Innocent IV granted it's Spoleto in 1333 and was occupied by the militia of Robert d'Anjou King of Naples, became commanding general of the Papal States. The Arroni so had to swear loyalty to the city of Spoleto.
In 1416 the castle was bought by Nicholas VIII, Bartholomew IV and XV Corrado Trinci (who meanwhile had become rulers of Foligno) who began to defend a castle with three soldiers. In 1417 they were lords of Thomas and Gianpaolo nail with their families. After the death of Nicholas IV, VIII and Bartholomew (1421, Nocera Umbra), the fortress was given to his brother Corrado Trinci XV.
Returning to Polini, a popular uprising in 1527 killed the noble Andrea de 'Domo, accused of violence against a child. To avoid unnecessary bloodshed, Polino was returned to Spoleto. In 1528 he settled in the castle's militia Sciarra Colonna II, allied to the Landsknecht, which raged throughout Umbria.
In '500, the government began the Castelli family of Terni, which thanks to its enviable position used it as a stronghold. Near the fortress is still a public source built in 1615 by the Marquis Giambattista Castelli I, Count of Polino, and Torre Collestatte Orsina. It 'a tripartite facade and its base are three collection tanks topped with lion heads, which spouts gushing from the mountain springs of water.
Giambattista Castelli II, Patrician of Terni, ladies and Polino Marquis of the Holy Roman Empire, she arranged for her daughter, Maria Clelia with the Marquis Baldassini Alexander, Lord of Pesaro, Gubbio and Senigallia. The union was born Mary Francis Castles Baldassini but left no direct heirs.
Towards the end of 700 there he settled his family Albergotti of Arezzo. Then started (1762) in the mountains above the activity of an iron mine and silver that was used to mint, the mint room, the first shield of Clement XIII, but the mine remained active for only a few years, because of too many impurities of 'silver.
With the French Republic Polino joined the Canton of Terni. With the Restoration and until 1860 it was common baronial, governed by the Marquis Filippo Simonetti Stefanoni and later by the Marquis Antonio Albergotti.
Original defensive system to double wall remains today the beautiful Renaissance fortress. In the square opposite the castle 10 January 1944 the partisans of the two fascist battalion Spartacus executed and distributed to the population pounds of wool and 400 quintals of grain diverted from the clusters and for the Germans.
Today the town has about 310 inhabitants.