Vallo di Nera
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Vallo di Nera | |
|---|---|
| Comune di Vallo di Nera | |
 View of Vallo di Nera | |
 Coat of arms | |
  Vallo di Nera Location of Vallo di Nera in Italy  Vallo di Nera Vallo di Nera (Umbria) | |
| Coordinates: 42°46′11″N 12°51′44″E / 42.769719°N 12.862349°E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Umbria |
| Province | Perugia (PG) |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Agnese Benedetti |
| Area | |
• Total | 36.0 km2 (13.9 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 467 m (1,532 ft) |
| Population (1 January 2025)[2] | |
• Total | 334 |
| • Density | 9.28/km2 (24.0/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Vallani |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 06040 |
| Dialing code | 0743 |
| Patron saint | St.Giovanni Battista |
| Saint day | 24 June |
| Website | Official website |
Vallo di Nera is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about 60 km southeast of Perugia. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy").[3]
The origin of the place name remains uncertain. It has been linked to the valley in which the settlement lies, which in earlier forms appears as Castrum Vallis. Another interpretation connects it to the Latin vallum, referring to a Roman defensive rampart. A further possibility derives it from a Lombard term, vald, meaning woodland.[4]
History
Archaeological evidence attests to settlements in the area as early as the 8th century BC.[4] The first documentary reference dates to 1177, when the settlement is recorded as a feudal possession under Conrad of Urslingen, duke of Spoleto. In 1217 the authorities of Spoleto granted the site of Flezano together with the right to build a castle.[4]
Throughout the medieval period the locality occupied a strategic position and was contested between the Papal States and Spoleto, although it generally remained loyal to Spoleto.[4]
Local statutes approved in 1563 regulated community life until 1796. During the Roman Republic of 1798 a municipal representative was appointed for Vallo and nearby settlements. The French withdrawal in 1799–1800 was followed by provisional Austrian rule and the restoration of ordinary administration. Between 1809 and 1814 the territory was included in the rural canton of Spoleto under Napoleonic rule.[4]
Administrative boundaries shifted repeatedly in the early 19th century. In 1816–1817 the area was reassigned between Spoleto and Campello, and in 1827 it was placed under the governorate of Spoleto within the new papal administrative structure.[4]
In the mid-19th century the municipality had a population of 302 inhabitants. Of these, 30 individuals lived in the countryside.[5]
Proposals advanced in 1868–1869 sought the suppression of the municipality and its merger with neighboring areas. In 1871 the municipal seat was transferred to Piedipaterno, and in 1881 Meggiano and Paterno were merged with the municipality, which thereafter operated from Piedipaterno.[4]
The municipality was suppressed in 1927 and annexed to Spoleto, but it was restored in 1930 with its seat at Piedipaterno.[4]
Geography
Vallo di Nera is a small settlement situated at an elevation of 433 metres (1,421 ft) above sea level in the upper Valnerina. It lies along the road connecting Terni to Norcia, at a distance of 38 kilometres (24 mi) from Terni.[6]
Subdivisions
The municipality includes the localities of Geppa, Meggiano, Montefiorello, Paterno, Piedilacosta, Piedipaterno, Vallo di Nera.[7]
In 2021, 9 people lived in rural dispersed dwellings not assigned to any named locality.[7] At the time, the most populous localities were Vallo di Nera proper (113), Piedipaterno (107), Meggiano (62).[7]
Economy
In the 19th century the local economy was based on agriculture, with the territory producing cereals, hemp, and tree crops including olives and vines.[5]
