The
Etruscans inhabited the area from the 6th century BC and called it
Hurta, as testified by the findings in a
necropolis nearby, now preserved in the
Vatican Museums. Two major battles between Etruscans and Romans (310 and 283 BC) were fought nearby on the shores of the
Vadimone lake. The Romans were victorious both times. The Romans domination made it the municipality of
Horta (also
Hortanum). Under the rule of
Augustus, it received numerous
public works. Because of its strategic position, Orte was occupied in succession by the Ostrogoths, the
Byzantines and the
Lombards. During the late 9th to early 10th century, along with much of central Italy, Orte was also held or threatened by the
Saracens. In the
Middle Ages, the city was never seat of a fief, becoming a free
comune under a
podestà (elected magistrature). Later it became part of the
Papal States.
George Dennis visited Orte in the 1840s. He describes it as picturesque, but having scarcely any visible Roman or Etruscan remnants. == Ecclesiastical history ==