Sismano, a little medieval '' borgo'', is a ''

frazione A ''frazione'' (: ''frazioni'') is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' ('municipality') in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidat ...

'' of the Italian commune of

Avigliano Umbro Avigliano Umbro is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Terni in the Italian region Umbria, located about 50 km south of Perugia and about 20 km northwest of Terni. As of 2011 census its population was of 2,568. The municipali ...

, in the

province of Terni The province of Terni () is the smaller of the two provinces in the Umbria region of Italy, comprising one-third of both the area and population of the region. Its capital is the city of Terni. The province came into being in 1927, when it was ca ...

. Sismano lies 13 km from

Todi Todi (; ''Tuder'' in antiquity) is a town and ''comune'' (municipality) of the province of Perugia (region of Umbria) in central Italy. It is perched on a tall two-crested hill overlooking the east bank of the river Tiber, commanding distant view ...

and 5 km from Avigliano; according to the Italian state census of 2001, Sismano has 17 inhabitants in the densely built historic center and 308 in all. The large fortified '' rocca'' with two semi-circular towers, first built in the 11th century as part of the border defenses of Todi, had 21 hearths in 1322, according to a survey at Todi It was a possession of Benedetto Caetani, who spent many months here between 1281 and 1294, when he was elected pope, as

Boniface VIII Pope Boniface VIII (; born Benedetto Caetani; – 11 October 1303) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 December 1294 until his death in 1303. The Caetani family was of baronial origin with connections to the p ...

. In 1324, a bloody battle was fought in the vicinity, between forces of

and

Perugia Perugia ( , ; ; ) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area. It has 162,467 ...

and their friends and allies from

Narni Narni () is an ancient hilltown and (municipality) of Umbria, in central Italy, with 19,252 inhabitants (2017). At an altitude of , it overhangs a narrow gorge of the River Nera in the province of Terni. It is very close to the geograp ...

Spoleto Spoleto (, also , , ; ) is an ancient city in the Italian province of Perugia in east-central Umbria on a foothill of the Apennines. It is south of Trevi, north of Terni, southeast of Perugia; southeast of Florence; and north of Rome. H ...

and

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

. The castle's fortifications were strengthened in 1340, when it was contended for by two local noble families, the Atti and the Chiaravalle, in a vendetta giving rise to numerous tragic episodes, following the beheading of Catalano Atti in 1393. In 1461 Matteo di Ulisse Chiaravalle took it from Giacomo and Andrea degli Atti.Lorenzo Leonij, ''Memorie storiche di Todi'' (1856:342); Leonij, '"Lo statuto del catello di Canale", ''Archivio storico italiano'' 4th ser. 3 (1879:279); In 1500 the Borgia

Pope Alexander VI Pope Alexander VI (, , ; born Roderic Llançol i de Borja; epithet: ''Valentinus'' ("The Valencian"); – 18 August 1503) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 August 1492 until his death in 1503. Born into t ...

resolved the long-standing dispute in favour of the Atti, signors of Todi. On 14 October 1575, Eleanora Atti was murdered here by her husband, Orso II

Orsini Orsini is a surname of Italian origin, originally derived from Latin ''ursinus'' ("bearlike") and originating as an epithet or sobriquet describing the name-bearer's purported strength. Notable people with the surname include the following: * Aaro ...

. The Castello di Sismano, rebuilt in 1607

References

{{authority control Frazioni of the Province of Terni