What is Stroncone known for?

The Convento di San Francesco south of the walls, founded by tradition by Francis himself in 1213, two years before papal recognition. An almost complete medieval circuit and original gates, with the stepped lanes climbing toward the small main square unchanged for centuries. Stroncone sits on the olive-covered slope above Terni, the surrounding groves the working backdrop of the town and its frantoi.

Stroncone is a comune in the province of Terni, Umbria region of Italy, about 13 kilometers from Terni.

Umbria · Terni

Stroncone

A walled medieval borgoeight kilometers south of Terni, with a Franciscan convent traditionally founded by Francis himself in 1213.

13 km / 8 mi

Nearest hub (Terni)

4,629

Population

Apr–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Why come

Stroncone sitson an olive-covered hill eight kilometers south of Terni, in the Conca Ternana on the western slope of the Apennine. The name traces to Duke Ugone of Spoleto, whose castrum Hugonis evolved through Castrugone and Strungone to the present form. A group settled here around the tenth century and built a castle; Stroncone first appears in documents in 1012, when Giovanni di Pietro made a donation to the monastery of San Simeone. Pope Innocent III granted municipal self-rule in 1215. The Convento di San Francesco, south of the walls, is one of the older Franciscan foundations in Umbria, founded by tradition by Francis himself in 1213, two years before papal recognition of the order. The medieval circuit walls remain almost complete, with the original gates framing a network of stepped lanes that climb to the small main square. The Cammino di San Francesco passes through, picking up walkers between Rieti and Assisi.

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Gallery

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Known for

Convento di San Francesco
Franciscan convent south of the walls, founded by tradition by Saint Francis in 1213, two years before papal recognition of the order.
Centro storico
Walled medieval core with original gates intact, climbing through stepped lanes to the small main square at the top of the hill.
Chiesa di San Giovanni Decollato
Main parish church at the heart of the borgo, with frescoed interior and a Renaissance baptismal font.
Piazza centrale
Small main square at the upper end of the centro storico, framed by the medieval Palazzo Comunale and the parish church.
Belvedere sulla Conca Ternana
Panoramic terrace on the southern walls, looking across the Terni basin toward the Sabine hills and the slopes that hold the olive groves.

When to visit

Best months · Apr–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

April through June and September into October are the months for Stroncone. Olive harvest carries the autumn rhythm into late November, and the frantoi work into the evening through October and November. July and August are warm in the Conca Ternana but the hill is high enough that nights cool quickly. The Cammino di San Francesco brings a steady trickle of walkers in spring and again in September. November through March is quiet, with the convent on reduced hours, the parish church between services, and the Apennine wind clearing the basin enough to see Terni and the slopes beyond.