The Borgo Martano, nestled among 32 rolling hectares of meadows and woodlands, is an extraordinary compound of 13th-century medieval buildings offering extraordinary views of the verdant hills and sapphire skies of Umbria, a land of castles, fortified towns, ancient Roman thoroughfares, and exquisite cuisine in the heart of central Italy.

The borgo is a prime example of 13th-century Umbrian culture bringing forth a first-quality urban site in perfect harmony with nature. And today, the views from the borgo remain among the most splendid in central Italy.

The area was inhabited between the eighth and third centuries BCE and well-settled in pre-Roman times. By around 220 BCE, the site of Massa Martana sat astride one of the most important Roman arteries linking northern Italy and the Adriatic, the Via Flaminia. The nearby Statio ad Martis served as a center for rest and refreshment for soldiers and travelers of the era.

A settlement, the Vicus Martis, developed around the Statio, well-documented by surviving Roman inscriptions. With the accelerating spread of Christianity during the third and fourth centuries AD, Vicus Martis became known as Civitas Martana. Marvellous Christian catacombs from this period survive today in Massa Martana. Massa Martana was home to several saints between the first and fourth centuries AD, including Sts. Felice, Fidenzio, Terenzio, Faustino and Illuminata.

Unfortunately for the Umbrians, Alaric the Visigoth then razed the area surrounding the Via Flaminia during the Goth-Byzantine wars.

In the seventh and eighth centuries AD, during the Longobardic domination, the Castle of Massa was constructed. “Massa” itself translates as "a group of fortified dwellings.”

In medieval times, the lowlands in the region became marshland, and residents migrated to the nearby hills, building fortifications. The stones of today’s borgo date back some 700 years.

Massa Martana developed as the seat of the Zampani family in the thirteenth century AD. The borgo became part of Massa Martana’s domains in the 15th century, when Massa Martana freed itself from the rule of its larger fortified neighbor, Todi.

The interiors of the Borgo Martano buildings were richly renovated in the 1800s. During the 20th century, the borgo became a private retreat for great families. Today, an international industrialist family with strong Umbrian ties enjoys its beautiful serenity while contemplating the site's extraordinary future potential.