Campello sul Clitunno: Springs, Stone Villages and Umbrian Hills

Campello sul Clitunno is a small municipality in central Umbria, between Spoleto and Trevi. Rather than one compact town, it is a collection of valley settlements and hillside villages. Its best-known sights are the clear waters of the Fonti del Clitunno and the nearby Tempietto del Clitunno, an early medieval monument. Above the valley, Campello Alto and other stone hamlets give the place a different character: quiet lanes, olive groves and views across the surrounding countryside. It suits a short, unhurried visit, especially for travelers exploring this part of Umbria.

Springs at the foot of the hills

The Clitunno springs are the landscape’s most distinctive feature. Water gathers in clear, shallow pools beneath trees before flowing into the Clitunno River. The springs have been admired since antiquity, but the place is easy to appreciate without that background: it is a small, leafy waterside setting in an otherwise open valley. The Fonti del Clitunno are a defined visitor site, not a long riverside walk. They make a pleasant stop, while the nearby Tempietto provides a reason to spend more time in the area. Together, the two sights explain much of Campello sul Clitunno’s appeal: an unusually close pairing of natural scenery and historic architecture.

A valley settlement and its hilltop villages

Campello sul Clitunno does not have the single, dense historic center that some Umbrian towns do. Its lower settlements sit along the valley, while older fortified villages occupy higher ground. Campello Alto is the clearest example, with stone buildings and enclosed lanes that feel separate from the road and activity below. Pissignano adds another layer to this scattered pattern of settlement. Olive groves cover many of the slopes between the villages. They are part of the working landscape, not just a backdrop, and help give the area its rural character. Moving between the springs, the valley and the hilltop streets shows more of the place than staying at any one sight.

How a visit fits together

This is a place for a few focused stops rather than a full schedule of museums or city attractions. The Tempietto del Clitunno is particularly significant: the small building belongs to the UNESCO-listed group of Longobard sites in Italy. Its classical-looking form can be surprising beside the modest scale of the surrounding settlement. A car makes it easier to connect the springs with Campello Alto and nearby villages, especially if you want to linger at viewpoints or explore the olive-growing hills. The valley also provides a useful base for seeing the wider Spoleto area. Expect a quieter, more spread-out visit than you would in a larger Umbrian hill town, and check access arrangements for individual monuments before making a special trip.

What is there in Campello sul Clitunno?

A quick overview of the most notable things you can find in Campello sul Clitunno.

Clitunno springs and waterways

Clear spring water forms pools and channels at the base of the hills.

Early medieval religious architecture

The Tempietto del Clitunno is a small but internationally recognized historic monument.

Fortified hill villages

Older settlements such as Campello Alto contrast with the more spread-out valley communities.

Olive-growing slopes

Olive groves shape the hillsides and the rural setting around the villages.

What to see in Campello sul Clitunno?

Notable places and attractions connected to Campello sul Clitunno.

Fonti del Clitunno

A small park centered on the clear pools where the Clitunno springs emerge, with trees and paths close to the water.

Tempietto del Clitunno

An early medieval monument near the springs, notable for its classical-looking architecture and its inclusion in the UNESCO-listed Longobard sites of Italy.

Campello Alto

A fortified hilltop village with stone lanes and views over the valley and surrounding olive groves.

Castello di Pissignano

The historic hilltop core of Pissignano, where medieval structures overlook the lower settlement and valley.

Pros & Cons

Pros

✓The springs and Tempietto make a rewarding pair of stops close to each other.
✓Hilltop villages provide views and a different perspective on the valley.
✓Olive groves and small settlements give the area a distinct rural character.
✓It is well placed for exploring nearby parts of central Umbria.
✓The main sights are manageable without a packed itinerary.

Cons

−The sights are spread between the valley and the hills, making a car useful.
−There are fewer restaurants and visitor services than in larger Umbrian towns.
−A visit focused only on the main landmarks may be fairly short.
−Hilltop lanes can be steep and uneven.
−Traffic on valley roads can interrupt the quiet near the lower settlements.

Location

Campello sul Clitunno is located in Umbria.

Campello sul Clitunno, Umbria, Italy

42.822868, 12.776263

Open in Google Maps

Explore more places in Italy

Discover more cities, towns and destinations across Italy.

Calabria

Acquaformosa

Acquaformosa is a small inland village in northern Calabria, in the province of Cosenza. Its defining feature is its Arbëreshë heritage: a language and set of customs rooted in the Albanian communities that settled in southern Italy centuries ago. Local religious life follows the Byzantine rite within the Catholic Church. Set among hills near Pollino National Park, it is a place to explore slowly rather than a town with a long list of sights. Its interest lies in the village itself, its living traditions and its mountain setting.

→

Campania

Capodrise

Capodrise is a small town in Campania’s province of Caserta, set in the flat, closely built-up area between Caserta and Marcianise. It is mainly a place of homes, local businesses and everyday routines, rather than a destination organized around tourism. An older center, parish church and Palazzo Mondo give it points of local interest, while the Royal Palace of Caserta is nearby. Capodrise makes most sense to someone visiting people in the area, looking for a base outside central Caserta, or trying to understand the towns that surround the city.

→

Calabria

Acquappesa

Acquappesa is a small town in Calabria’s province of Cosenza, where a hillside settlement looks toward the Tyrrhenian Sea. Its coastal area has beaches and summer accommodation, while the nearby Terme Luigiane district is associated with mineral-rich thermal waters. This is not a large resort with a long list of sights. Its appeal lies in the contrast between the old town, the shore and the spa area—and in the chance to experience a quieter stretch of Calabria’s coast.

→

Aosta Valley

Aosta

Aosta is the small capital of Italy’s Aosta Valley, set on the valley floor among high Alpine mountains. Its center is unusually rich in Roman remains, yet it still works as an everyday town, with shops, cafés and regional government offices woven into the old streets. People come to see its ancient gates and theater, use it as a base for the surrounding valleys, or take the cable car up to Pila. Aosta is worth understanding as both a historic place and a practical hub: less like an isolated mountain resort, more like a compact city with the Alps close at hand.

→

Piedmont

Andrate

Andrate is a small village in Piedmont, set high above the Ivrea plain near the northern end of the Serra d'Ivrea. The long, wooded ridge is the village's defining feature: it gives Andrate its views, walking routes and sense of distance from the busier towns below. This is a place to understand through its setting rather than a long list of sights. People come for a quiet stay, a walk in the hills or a change of pace while exploring the Canavese area.

→