Overlooking the splendid panorama offered by the Valle del Salto, Concerviano, originally called “Collis Cervinus”, was probably founded by the Benedictine monks of the nearby Abbey of San Salvatore Maggiore.
Today, Concerviano still preserves its ancient urban layout within the rectangular city walls; the two towers with a medieval part, one with a square plan with Guelph merlons, archery loopholes, and brattices with storm drains, the other with a recently reconstructed semi-circular plan, and the town entrance overlooking the Piazza and Church of San Nicola.
On the road that leads to Longone, in the ward of Pratoianni, is the important Benedictine Abbey of San Salvatore Maggiore.
The abbey is located on a plateau surrounded by mountains in a landscape of greenery. Founded in the 8th century, over time it acquired power and social and economic prestige.
Built on the ruins of a pre-existing Roman villa, in 891 AD it was set on fire by the Saracens; subsequently rebuilt in the second half of the tenth century it began to compete with the Abbey of Farfa for control of the territory, siding with the emperors in the struggle for investitures. For this reason it was named the imperial abbey.
Shortly before the abbey is a copious water source and stream that flows to the left of the river Salto downstream of the artificial dam forming Salto Lake.