The Village of Pietralunga
A treasure chest of history and traditions in the Green heart of Italy
Pietralunga is a small Umbrian village situated on the top of a hill overlooking the Carpinella Valley.
The surrounding countryside is characterised by an endless succession of hills that run along the sides of the valley, leading up to the Apennine ridge and the border with the Marche region. The dense forests of oaks and downy oaks color the slopes and valley floor deep green in spring, providing peaceful corners with an almost primordial flavor.
The charm of the places, their spatial and temporal remoteness from the chaos of modern life, is evidenced by one of the lowest population densities in Umbria: just 2,300 inhabitants in a territory of more than 140 sq. km., with a widespread housing settlement; in fact, each hill hosts one or more stone cottages, often flanked by a small church.
The heart of the town is dominated by the Longobard Fortress with its partially intact tower, which outlines its characteristic profile, easily recognizable even from a distance.
The high walls envelop the town centre, encircling it in an embrace that has its overlook in the stunning Piazza Fiorucci, a natural balcony overlooking the valley below but also the beating heart of village life.
There is no better place to start your visit and delve into the alleys of the village!
Our thousand-year history
Roots that are lost in history
The inhabited settlements have very ancient origins, dating as far back as the Bronze Age, when the nomadic shepherds of the Apennine Community erected primitive strongholds, castellieri, on the top of the hills, and even today, in the territory of Pietralunga, there are as many as forty-six of them.
The founding of the urban center with the name Tufi(ernu), however traces it back to the Umbrian people when they settled in the territory in the 10th-9th centuries BC.
Between the 6th century and the 8th century AD. Pietralunga was rebuilt on today’s hill after being destroyed following the barbarian invasions. It thus turned into a. It was a fortified village, strategically important for guarding the communication routes that linked Arezzo, Tiferno and Gubbio along the north-south axis.
The construction of the Church of Santa Maria and the majestic pentagonal Longobard fortress date from this period. As time went on, the Pietralunga’s territory became a populated and flourishing land, and the name of the town was changed to Pratalonga as a tribute to the green and flourishing pastures that surrounded it.
A heritage of flavors to cherish
Ancient flavors and age-old pride
Pietralunga jealously guards a vast food and wine heritage made up of ancient flavors, ingredients from a unique land.
The Pietralunga Truffle, King of our culinary tradition, with its thousands of seasonal variations, from the prized white, to the summer scorzone. Of this delicious and precious mushroom Pietralunga has made a symbol of its gastronomy, but also the economic engine of a real industry, made up of men and women who preserve the ancient art of traditional truffle quarrying, protected by UNESCO.
But truffles are not the only representative of our tables; the Pietralunga White Potato, with its Protected Municipal Designation of Origin, is an ancient garrison and native variety of our valleys.
And how could we not mention Visciole, wild cherries from which a sweet liqueur with an ancient flavor is made.
Fruits of our land such as Pietralunga Hazelnuts, an example of agricultural wisdom and an extraordinary soil, expertly transformed into spreadable creams and desserts with an irresistible sweet tooth
The natural world as far as the eye can see
Endless stretches of state forest, rolling hills, mountains and endless gems to explore
Endless expanses of authentic woods that stretch as far as the eye can see, from the low western valleys to the slopes of Monte Nerone.
Nature is at home in Pietralunga; it is the sap that has nourished and continues to nourish the authenticity of the territory, with a human presence that is always discreet and integrated into the authentic landscapes of the Umbro-Marchigiano Apennines.
The dense forests of turkey oaks and downy oaks color the slopes and valley floor deep green in spring, providing peaceful corners with an almost primordial flavor.
EXPLORE
Explore the thousand secretes of Pietralunga
