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00   Arrone
Stemma di Arrone

Umbria · Terni

Arrone

Medieval castle village on the left bank of the Nera, upstream from the largest man-made waterfall in the world.

Best time
Apr–Oct
Population
2,555

Known for

  • CASCATA DELLE MARMORE

    165-meter three-tier waterfall five kilometers downstream, cut by the Romans in 271 BC, the largest man-made falls in the world.

  • MEDIEVAL CASTLE

    Ninth- or tenth-century noble castle on the upper hill, with walls, towers and stone alleys preserved to the original layout.

  • NERA RIVER

    Base for kayaking, rafting and the Cammino di San Francesco on the lower Nera, between Marmore and Ferentillo.

When to visit

Best · Apr–Oct

  • J12°
  • F14°
  • M15°
  • A18°
  • M23°
  • J28°
  • J33°
  • A32°
  • S26°
  • O22°
  • N16°
  • D13°
  • Best
  • Hot or crowded
  • Quiet
  • Mostly closed

Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.

The festa: Giovanni Battista, 24 June

Why come

Arrone sits on the left bank of the Nera in the lower Valnerina, the upper part of the village a 9th- or 10th-century noble castle with its walls and alleys still in their medieval layout. The town grew up around the fortified hill and spread along the river as the danger faded. The Cascata delle Marmore, the largest man-made waterfall in the world across three tiers, is five kilometers downstream; the Romans cut the original channel in 271 BC to drain the marshes around Rieti, and successive interventions through the 16th century gave the falls their present form.

The Cammino di San Francesco passes through, and the village is the base for kayaking and rafting on the lower Nera. The Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista in the upper castle holds 15th-century frescoes of the Umbrian school, and the collegiate Chiesa di Santa Maria in the lower village was rebuilt in the 16th century on Romanesque foundations.

The Sunday letter

Arrone is on our list. Its letter is still to come.

We are writing about all 1,000 of these towns, one at a time, in a free letter every Sunday: the photo, the food, the festa. That is our mission. Sign up and you will be there when Arrone comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.

How to get there

From Rome (FCO), about 2h 30m by car.

Ancona / Pescara (AOI) is about 2h 39m away.

By car from the centre of Perugia 1h 37m or Pescara 2h 41m.

Arrone, photo 1
Arrone, photo 2

What to see

  • Castello di Arrone

    Upper part of the village, the 9th-10th century castle, walls and steep medieval alleys preserved to the original layout.

  • Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista

    Fourteenth-century church inside the upper castle, with 15th-century frescoes of the Umbrian school, including a Madonna and saints.

  • Chiesa Collegiata di Santa Maria

    Sixteenth-century collegiate church in the lower village, rebuilt on Romanesque foundations, with frescoes by Vincenzo Tamagni.

  • Cascata delle Marmore

    Largest man-made waterfall in the world, 165 meters across three tiers, cut by the Romans in 271 BC, five kilometers downstream from Arrone.

  • Casteldilago

    Frazione of Arrone, a medieval hilltop hamlet preserved almost intact, with its own walls and parish church above the Nera.

The slow-trip planner

Building a trip? Find where Arrone fits in a slow Italy circuit.

Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.

We recommend

Where to eat

Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.

Living here

  • Population 2,555
  • Commuter belti
  • Pharmacy in town
  • Nearest high school over ~30 minutes away
  • Nearest airport Rome, 2 h 30 min drive
  • Regional capital Perugia, 1 h 37 min drive

Common questions

What is Arrone known for?
Medieval castle village on the left bank of the Nera at 243 meters, upstream from the largest man-made waterfall in the world.
Where is Arrone?
Arrone is a comune in the province of Terni, in Umbria.
What is the nearest airport to Arrone?
Rome (FCO), about 2h 30m by car.
How long is the drive from Perugia to Arrone?
About 1h 37m by car.
When is the best time to visit Arrone?
Best in Apr–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 33 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 13 rain days.
Is there a sagra or a festival in Arrone?
The town keeps its patron saint's day: Giovanni Battista, 24 June.
Which other towns are like Arrone?
Allerona, Bomarzo and Bassano in Teverina.
How many people live in Arrone?
2,555 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

The numbers

  • Elevation: 243 m
  • Population: 2,555
  • Surface area: 41.04 km²

These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

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