Passo Corese
Passo Corese: history and territory
Are you curious to learn more about the hamlet of Passo Corese? Then you're in the right place! Passo Corese, with its 6480 inhabitants, is the most populous locality in the Municipality of Fara in Sabina in the province of Rieti. Read on in this article for some historical notes on the territory and toponymy of Passo Corese.
Territory
Passo Corese is located in the Tiber Valley and is bathed by the Fosso di Corese stream which flows into the Tiber immediately after the village. But the interest of the territory is not limited to this; in fact, near the hamlet there is Arci, where the ancient city of Cures Sabini was located.
Toponymy
Curious about how the name "Passo Corese" was born? Actually, the toponymy already existed before the urbanization of the area and indicated the point where the old Via Salaria crossed the Corese stream via a bridge. The word "passo" must therefore be understood as the "crossing of a waterway" and not as the classic mountain pass. The term "Corese" (adopted first for the stream and subsequently for the inhabited center) is the vernacular of the Latin "Curensis", an adjective related to the ancient city of Cures Sabini.
History
Prehistory and archaic age
To understand the origin of the hamlet, we need to take a dive into history. In the area where Passo Corese now stands was a ford of the Tiber which is still used today for transhumance. The ford is connected with the remains of ancient roads that reach up to the Ternana road. Furthermore, in the territory of Passo Corese stood the important archaic city of Cures Sabini, located on the axis of a large prehistoric cattle track used for transhumance, in Roman times a point of passage for the consular road Via Salaria.
The castle of Corese
In the Middle Ages, the surrounding area of Passo Corese was marshy and unhealthy. On the ruins of ancient Cures Sabini, a modest castle known as Corese rose. The castle was first owned by the Orsini family and then by the Barberini family; in 1834 it had a population of one hundred inhabitants and the presence of a parish church. But why did the initial inhabited center move away from the Passo di Corese?
The Passo di Corese inn
Despite the importance of the ford and the valley floor area, the territory remained an unhealthy place for a long time; the general tendency towards castling meant that the main inhabited centers developed far from Passo Corese. Most historians believe that the Passo di Corese inn, the historic restaurant located right in the hamlet, was the first hospitality structure to arise in this area.
Population
Over the years, Passo Corese has developed into the most populous hamlet in the Municipality of Fara in Sabina. In 1834 there were only 100 inhabitants in this area, but now there are more than 6000! Despite the demographic growth, the charm of the place has remained unchanged.
Curiosities
Passo Corese, in addition to being a historically significant inhabited center, has also been a place of exchange between land and river transport. The hamlet is in fact known as the place where the Via Salaria and the Tiber river intersect.
In conclusion, the origin of Passo Corese dates back to the ancient history of the area. The presence of a ford on the Via Salaria and the ancient city of Cures Sabini are just some of the historical testimonies of this fascinating hamlet. A curiosity: the area has often been chosen as a location for films and TV series such as "Boris". Come and visit Passo Corese and discover its millennial history for yourself!
