Muntilan township is one of the main market centers on the western slopes of Mount Merapi, a major volcano in central Java within the administrative ambit of the regional government in Magelang.

In contrast, villages closer to the Kraton palaces of Surakarta and Yogyakarta tend to be more influenced by syncretic views of Javanese beliefs.

Jesuits have long had a presence in the town, having a school,[3] seminary, and a necropolis containing the remains of many of their earlier members.

[4] Frans van Lith, a Jesuit priest from The Netherlands, arrived in Muntilan in 1897 and played an important role in promoting Catholicism in the area.

The line of shop-fronts, and the enclave of Chinese-based businesses in the central area, provide clues as to the nature of commercial development in the town over the last century.