San Vito in Monte
– SMALL TOWN IMMERSED IN THE GREEN OF UMBRIA –
San Vito in Monte is a small village immersed in the green heart of Umbria. It is 12km from San Venanzo, in the province of Terni, but borders with the province of Perugia.
It is virtually half way between Orvieto and Perugia. The village is divided in two parts, San Vito Castello, which is situated on the top of the mountain at an altitude of approx. 620m, and San Vito in Monte which is situated further down at an altitude of 520m. The original name of the village was “Baccano”, or Hubbub in English, because, being situated half way between Perugia and Orvieto it was a popular stopover for travellers who stayed there during their journey.
It is said that the name is due to the fact that there was an inn which was a popular meeting place for the travellers who, enjoying a rest and the good local wine created a little ‘hubbub’ during the long winter evenings. Tradition tells us that the Sicilian saint, San Vito, passed by here, leaving his name to the village: San Vito.
Until 1929 San Vito had its own council, independent from San Venanzo, but in that period, following events connected to Fascism, the council was incorporated into that of San Venanzo. San Vito in Monte has an optimum location which allows tourists to easily visit all of Umbria and central Italy. It is about 30km from Perugia, 50km from Assisi, 40km from Orvieto, 30km from Todi and 30km from Trasimeno Lake. It is also ideally situated for who wishes to visit the Italian cities of Rome and Florence. Take the E45 to the motorway junction towards Rome or Florence. We are practically half way between the most beautiful Italian cities, making them easy to reach in a short time.
SAN VITO CASTELLO
A beautiful and still uncontaminated landscape with greenery, fresh air, silence and views unchanged for centuries. In San Vito Castello there is a medieval castle and church, both in need of restoration. From the castle it is possible to see half of Umbria: Perugia, Assisi, Mount Subasio and all the central northern part of Umbria.
FOR LOVERS OF…
For walkers there are pathways varying from 3 to 6 hours in length and which pass through country side and forests and connect San Vito with other villages and with San Venanzo. For mountain bikers there are country lanes and tracks, perfect to see the local scenery. For lovers of fishing or swimming there is the Fersenone river which divides the provinces of Perugia and Terni and which flows through the San Vito area creating various pools where it possible to fish or swim. The most important of which are “il Borgone del Diavolo”, “Vivaio” and “Borgo del Mazzo”.
Along the river the is an old mill called “Rota Prona” which is a nice walk from our agriturismo and where there is a new wooden bridge to cross the river. For those who are interested in health there sources where there is water which is rich in iron, helpful to treat conditions such as anemia or other conditions related to a lack of iron. The most famous source is “Acqua Forte” and is known in all of Umbria.
MADONNA DELL’OLIVO
For those interested in spirituality there is the sanctuary of “ Madonna dell’Olivo” where there is a source of blessed water and where a miracle is said to have taken place. Within the San Venanzo district there is the medieval village of Poggio Aquilone and Sette Frati park of Mount Peglia, the volcanology museum and other characteristic villages such as Collelungo.