The modern town is built on the site of an ancient Etruscan settlement, called Contenebra (destroyed by the Romans): several tombs carved out of the tuff rock have been found. Some originally covered with tiles. In the area known as La Piantata there's a deep entrance leading down to a funereal chamber with frescoes and inscriptions.

The first documentary evidence of a community here dates back to the 6th Century A.D. mentions the vineyards and lands around Arlena. Then a papal document dated 1258 describes the fact that the nuns of Santa Chiara in Tuscania had lands and vineyards "in Amemna". The oldest part of the modern-day town dates back to the 13th Century: the remains of the city walls. Given that there are no signs of church within, it's presumed that this was merely a military fortress. Nearby, on the hill known as Civitella, there are the remains of a 15th century castle (Castelvecchio - literally, the old castle).

Like Tessennano and Piansano, the area was re-populated in the 16th century with families from Allerona (Umbria) and the three parallel streets on the opposite side of the main road from the old borgo we see today were built to accommodate them.
In 1788 Pope Pius VI leased the area to Count Alessandro Cardelli and then, in 1808, the Church sold the small town to the Polish prince, Stanislaw Poniatowski.