The
Origins and
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The tradition wants Valentano
to derive from the etrusca "Verentum" but traces could not be
found. Only for the Roman period well visible are the rests of numerous
villas scattered along a byway of the Street Clodia. Rustic villas, in
the log run turned themselves in small villages that, in medieval epoch
for the sake of defense felt the necessity to reunite together, on the
top of the hill where, the first nucleus of that called village was probably
formed "Valentano" (perhaps in Valley of the Ontanis). longobardes
are present also rests of fortifications with necropolis toward the place
"La Fortezza".
The first news of the country could be those of 680, when the bishop of
the destroyed city of Bisenzo would move for brief time in this center.
From the documents of the imperial Abbeys of Farfa and St. Savior on the
Amiata Mountain we know about the first certain documents of the country
dated in the years 813-844.
In the year 844, in documents of the Imperial abbey of S. Salvatore on
the Amiata Mountain (IX century) is mentioned Balentanu or Valentano.
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In 1053 however the village
is already structured and it appears organized as free commune, in the
location currently used, with its parish devoted to St. John the Evangelist
and the Fortress of defense. From this period and actually to halves of
the XIV century, the country knew destructions, fires, devastations and
reconstructions, and was contended by the dominion of the near cities
of Orvieto and Viterbo.
In 1354 the town, recovered by the cardinal Albornoz, was assigned to
the dominion of the Farneses for long years, turning into the residential
building of the Family, the ancient fortress of defense, with Renaissance
courtyard and great hall and also asking for the artistic intervention
of Antonio da Sangallo il Giovane.
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