Not far from the town of Terni is Valserra, an area that takes its name from the Serra River that flows through it. This valley has been a place of passage for centuries, when, in addition to the Valley of Tessino crossed by the Via Flaminia, it was the natural communication route between the Terni basin and the town of Spoleto. The importance that this communication route had in the far past is still evident today by the many small towns or borghi found in the valley and foothills. These hamlets did not develop as fortified towns like most of the other towns in the territory. The more important settlements did not arise along the path, but higher up on the mounts in defensive positions with a wide view. The villages that one sees within fortified towns and those around religious complexes like monasteries or productive centers are quite different from the small towns one encounters along the valley floor. It is obvious that they developed around tall observatory towers from where one could keep an eye on the ‘traffic’ through the valley. Acquapalombo, Battiferro, and Poggio Lavarino were small villages around lookout towers, and were part of a vaster system of castles and fortresses that allowed the people to control and defend a large territory.
The valley was of great importance around the year 1000 when there was political tension between the Papal State and the dukedom of Spoleto. Enrico II, saint, king of Italy and emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, to confirm his loyalty to Pope Benedict VIII, gave to the pope all the lands known as the Terre di Arnolfo (Lands of Arnolfo), which included the Valserra valley and its settlements, thereby creating a ‘cushion’ area for the tensions of the two states. It didn’t change life much for the inhabitants because the Arnolfi counts, who had owned the land for centuries, continued as always to manage the area, but now as vassals or servants of the pope rather than of the emperor. Things carried on this way for the next six hundred years.
The Valserra valley has undergone little urbanization over the years. Its woods and forests are examples of the great biodiversity present in Umbria; so much so that it was recognized as an Important Community Site (SIC in Italian) and a Special Area of Conservation (ZSC in Italian) in Europe during a 2000 Nature Network program set up by the European Union for the protection and preservation of many species – plants and animals – and their habitat. As you stroll or cycle on the many paths along the river or up the hills among the small villages, it will not be difficult to see foxes, roe deer, or weasels running through the underbrush.
Off the beaten tourist tracks, Valserra will not disappoint those who have gone to Umbria to find peace and quiet without giving up the charm of ancient history and places that, either due to laziness or self-satisfaction, do not seem to want to let modern times in the door.