The city, a veritable Etruscan Balcony located to the left of the Tiber River, provides a natural lookout point offering views of one of Umbria’s most characteristic landscapes.
Bettona’s city wall, formed by well maintained structures from Etruscan times and the Middle Ages, continues to stand intact: a 1000 metre long stretch with towers, bastions and a drawbridge. The main street crosses the town from one end to the other with two gates that open up the ancient walls of the town.
Bettona, known in ancient times as Vettona, was founded by the Etruscans who, attracted by the favourable location, established a town of significant importance on the left of the Tiber in the territory of the Umbrians. This ancient Etruscan town also maintained its importance during Roman Times. With the end of the Roman Empire, Bettona suffered the same fate of many other Umbrian towns, with Gothic devastation and Byzantine and Longobard domination, serving as a bitter battleground for the Guelphs and Ghibellines, up until the unification of Italy.
The imposing Etruscan wall is the first thing that impresses visitors, the external part of which still stands predominantly intact. A sacred and profane local curiosity is reserved for two rounded stones in the wall mischievously known as the nun's rump.
As you make your way towards the centre of Bettona, your attention is drawn to the balance of its 14th- and 16th-century buildings and its lovely gardens. Palazzo del Podestà, which houses the Municipal Art Gallery, preserves works by Perugino, Florenzo di Lorenzo, Luca della Robbia, Dono Doni and many others.
Characteristic local specialities, such as the tasty roasted pork and goose, can be enjoyed in the town square during traditional folkloristic events held in the summertime.