Ferentillo is divided by the Nera River into two villages, Matterella and Precetto, each dominated by a fortress built to defend the Abbey of San Pietro in Valle.
The Precetto Fortress, a typical hillside castle, has a triangular shape with a watchtower at its apex.
The Matterella Fortress features a square keep with cylindrical bastions.
Ferentillo’s roots stretch back centuries, as evidenced by ancient rock carvings found in the caves of Precetto, Gabbio, and Umbriano, dating to the 2nd millennium BC.
During the Lombard era in the 6th century, Ferentillo became a fortress protecting the abbey, earning the nickname "Valley of Castles." In 774, following the defeat of the Lombard King Desiderius, it was annexed to the Kingdom of the Franks and later included in the Papal States. In 1860, with the Unification of Italy, Ferentillo became an independent municipality.
Not to be missed is the Church of Santo Stefano, featuring a two-level structure:
The upper level, dating back to the 16th century, has a three-nave interior adorned with frescoes attributed to the school of Perugino or Jacopo Siculo (1559).
The lower level, from the 13th century, includes a crypt divided into two naves by pillars. Once used as a cemetery, it now houses the Museum of Mummies, where mummified bodies, discovered in 1805, are preserved. These were uncovered following Napoleon’s decree prohibiting burials within city walls and requiring the exhumation of remains from crypts.
The museum tells the story of the village through its deceased, whose bodies were mummified and well-preserved due to a physical-chemical phenomenon caused by microorganisms in the soil.
Another highlight is the Church of Santa Maria, dominated by a tall Romanesque spire-style bell tower with paired single-light windows. Built in the 13th century and expanded in the 15th century, it contains frescoes from the Umbrian and Byzantine schools.
The portal features a fresco titled Madonna and Two Angels from the 15th century. The interior has three naves divided by ogival arches resting on columns and pillars.
Five niches, opened in the 16th century, house frescoes by artists from the Raphael school, including Jacopo Siculo (1543), Orlando Merlini (1507), Pierino Cesarei (1559), and Pier Matteo Piergentili (1557).