In 1979, photographer and architect Norman Carver — author of the book Italian Hilltowns — described Castello di Postignano as the archetype of an Italian village.
Strategically located in the Vigi Valley, its history dates back to the 9th century.
Today it belongs to Italy’s national heritage and, thanks to a careful and meticulous restoration, has found new life — now counted among the most beautiful villages in Italy.
THE ROOTS OF
CASTELLO
DI POSTIGNANO
9th–10th century AD – 1611
The hamlet was founded and built by its own inhabitants — mostly farmers and artisans — as a castrum, or fortified hamlet. This is why the word “castle” appears in its name, and why a watchtower still stands on the highest point of the hillside.
Castello di Postignano’s position was highly strategic, lying exactly at the crossroads between Spoleto, Norcia, Foligno and Assisi. In the centuries that followed, the village enjoyed a period of great economic stability as a hub for the processing and trade of iron and hemp in Umbria.
By 1611, its population had reached 235.
ABANDONMENT AND REDISCOVERY
1963 – 1979
After a gradual decline, the last eight families living in Castello di Postignano left their homes in 1963, driven out by the risk of collapse.
Though uninhabited for years, the village never lost its soul. American photographer and architect Norman Carver recognised this when he chose a photograph of Postignano for the cover of his 1979 book, Italian Hilltowns. His work rekindled interest in Italy’s ancient villages and helped bring wider appreciation to their history.
The village’s recovery began in 1994, with the acquisition of all its land and buildings.
Around 250 individual property deeds were drawn up before work was halted by an earthquake in 1997.
Restoration resumed in 2007, guided by landscape and architectural constraints requested by the owners themselves and issued by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and the Umbria Region. Building by building, the village gradually returned to the place it once was — faithful to its history and its soul.
A RESTORATION OF TIME
1994 – 2014
THE VILLAGE TODAY
Castello di Postignano is now a lively hamlet, with restaurants, exhibition spaces, shops and the Church of SS. Annunziata, host to conferences, events and concerts. Its houses have been converted into suites welcoming guests from all over the world.
