Montopoli di Sabina
Welcome to Montopoli di Sabina!
Hello everyone! Today I want to talk to you about a wonderful town in Lazio: Montopoli di Sabina! With its 3944 inhabitants, this municipality in the province of Rieti is known as "The town of pirates".
Let's discover its physical geography
The territory of Montopoli di Sabina is crossed by the Farfa River, which offers a wonderful natural spectacle. The climate, like all the surrounding areas, is Mediterranean, with hot and dry summers and mild and rainy winters.
The history of Montopoli di Sabina
The territory of Montopoli di Sabina has a thousand-year history. Since the Bronze Age, the proto-historic and then archaic settlement has been an important reference point. Near the town, there are some Archaic-era chamber tombs, excavated in tuff. Today, it is believed that this is Orvinium, an ancient city of the Aborigines. The city was the most important center of the Aborigines in the proto-historic period. The hegemonic role of Orvinium seems to be lost with the arrival of the Sabines and the foundation of the new capital, Cures.
In the Middle Ages, it was known as Castellum Montis Opuli, of which the square-plan keep and remains of the enclosing walls remain. In the Palazzo Comunale, the "Statuti Terrae Montisopuli," on miniaturized parchment and dating back to the 16th century, are preserved.
Monuments and places of interest not to be missed
If you come to Montopoli di Sabina, there are some places you absolutely must visit! The parish church of San Michele Arcangelo is the oldest religious building in the town. The original core dates back to the second half of the 12th century. The church stands on a pre-existing pagan temple dedicated to a deity of the earth. The bell tower, which rises above the church, dominates the underlying village and is worth a photo.
The Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, better known as "the Convent," preserves frescoes attributed to Vincenzo Manetti and rich baroque-style stucco decorations. The Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie is a seventeenth-century building of particular interest and boasts a Madonna on a throne with a child made in 1602 by Andrea Bacciomei. Finally, the former Church of San Sebastiano in Pretoriolo, called "La Chiesaccia" by the Montopolesi, was first mentioned in Gregorio da Catino's "Registro di Fare" in a document from the year 817.
Conclusions
Montopoli di Sabina is a welcoming and history-rich town, with many places to visit and surprises to discover. I hope you enjoyed my virtual journey to this splendid Italian municipality and that you feel like visiting it in person. Don't miss the opportunity to discover the hidden treasures of Montopoli di Sabina. Have a great trip!
