• 1035: documents from the Abbey of Farfa first mention “Castrum Vetus de Ophiano,” established during the period of fortifications around the year 1000 AD. Following a period under the Abbey of Farfa, who received it as a gift from Lombard lords, Castelvecchio, along with Castrum Antoni (today Antuni) and Collepiccolo, came under the seigniory of the Brancaleoni and then of the Mareri. It was confiscated from the Mareri in 1241 and returned in 1250 by Frederick II.
• 1440: the fief of Castelvecchio, annexed to the Papal States, passes into the hands of the Orsini, then to the Estouteville from 1558 to 1570, and then back to the Orsini until 1634, when it falls to the Borghese. It remains with the Borghese until Napoleon’s abolition of the feudal system. Antuni, on the other hand, belongs to various families, including the Drago princes in 1800. In 1944 it is bombed by the Americans, and in 1950 the townspeople abandon it. The Drago palace, with its frescoed halls, stone stairways and 365 windows, falls into ruin.
• 1870: after the Unification of Italy, Castel di Tora (the name of Castelvecchio since 1864) is added to the Province of Perugia, i.e. in the Region of Umbria. It goes to the Region of Lazio in 1920 as part of the Province of Rome, and then to the newly created Province of Rieti in 1927.
• 1935-38: the construction of the dam and artificial lake of Turano, which floods the most fertile lands in the valley, results in a massive emigration of the population, which falls from 1000 to the present population of 300. The local economy also changes from agriculture and sheep-farming to commerce and tourism.
Sightseeing:
Some of the Most Beautiful Scenery in Lazio, Scented with Broom and Thyme
Castel di Tora stretches along the shore of the artificial lake of Turano, surrounded by a crown of thick woods. Rising above is Mt. Navegna (1506 m), from the peak of which on a clear day you can see the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome with the naked eye.
In the village, the buildings made from bare local stone, with a wooden roof covered with clay tiles, are typical of rural architecture in the Middle Ages.
The fortress, built at the edge of a sheer cliff, has a polygonal tower from the 11th century, while the towers on Via Turano and Via Cenci (the latter incorporated in a house) are from a later period (15th century), and are part of the remains of the old city walls.
The Palazzo del Drago and the entire village of Antuni, on the small peninsula projecting into the lake and connected by an isthmus, date from the 15th and 16th centuries. The hermitage of San Salvatore is also on a cliff overhanging the lake.
Returning to the “mainland,” visit the Baroque church of San Giovanni Evangelista (with frescoes from the 1500s and a bell tower with gillyflowers and pennyroyal growing on it.) and the 18th century building next to the polygonal tower. The fountain of Triton in the main square is from 1898. The structure of the historic center remained virtually unchanged until the mid-1900s.
Still visible on Via Umberto I are parts of Roman columns and friezes and Latin inscriptions on the outer walls of the church. But now it is necessary to take measures, as the local government is doing, to protect the old portals, the characteristic tiny streets with arches, stairs and passages, and the grottoes and cellars dug into the rock.
Ovens and terraces, clothes hanging, old women dressed in black, a small square with a marvelous scenic view, the shimmering water of the lake rippling in the breeze: this is the storybook landscape handed down to us by the ancient shepherds of Thora.
And for those who wish to conclude their visit with a “mystic immersion” (for a worldly immersion, there is the lake), there is the Convent of Santa Anatolia, once the summer residence of the Greek Orthodox Papal College, with a beautiful church mentioned in a papal bull dating from 1153.
Local Products and Dishes:
Peas are grown here on local farms. They have a particular flavor and texture.
This is also a land of great cheeses (from sheep’s and cow’s milk, and a sheep’s milk ricotta excellent for ravioli) and grains (maize, spelt, barley). It’s also known for truffles, porcini mushrooms and fish from the lake.
Information:
HOW TO GET THERE
By car:
from Rome, going towards Rieti: SS4 - via Salaria - Osteria Nuova - Poggio Moiano - SP Turanense (80 km);
or SS4 - Ornaro Basso - Roccasinibalda (90 km);
or A24 Rome-L’Aquila motorway, Carsoli exit - SP Turanense, toward Rieti - Lago del Turano (72 km).
From Rieti: Valle del Turano - Roccasinibalda.
By train:
Carsoli station, 22 km; Rieti station, 30 km. Rest of trip by bus.
DISTANCES IN KM
Rome 80, Rieti 30, Carsoli 22
ELEVATION
m. 607 a.s.l.
POPULATION
305 (200 in the village proper).
PATRON SAINT
St. Anatolia, second Sunday in July
TOURIST INFORMATION
Comune (Town Hall):
tel. 0765716313,
fax 0765716266,
Hours 8am-2pm, including Saturdays.
Useful Web Sites:
www.lagoturano.com
INTERNET
87.98.149.165
www.prolococastelditora.it
www.turano.it
E-MAIL
comunecastelditora@libero.it
info@comune.castelditora.ri.it
Shopping
Forno a legna Orsini - via Turanese - Tel. 0765716270
Home-style bread, local cakes and sweets.
Where to Eat
Il Tasso - via Turanense 13 - Tel. 0765716301
Ravioli with sheep’s milk ricotta, fettuccine with truffle, grilled spring lamb.
Where to Stay
La Posta - loc. Campigliano - Tel. 0765716317-3381607521
Rooms and meals: spelt and barley soup, sheep’s milk cheese and ricotta, grilled spring lamb.
Le Cascine - loc. Campigliano - Tel. 0765716243-3337598152
Accommodations in apartments
Albergo del Turano** - via Turanense 50 - Tel. 0765716300
Camper Parking
Posto Sosta - Parking area -
Under construction in Bivio di Castel di Tora, at the foot of Mt. Antuni – will have 20 places and tourist information. |
