In Collalto Sabino, one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy since 2002, you will live unforgettable experiences: you will be captured by the charm of the old stone and wooden houses,the ancient portals, the cobbled streets, the narrow alleys and the scents emanating from the chimneys and the traditional dishes cooked in the houses, but also by the courtesy of its inhabitants.
Collalto Sabino also has a millennia-old history to tell its visitors having been built the village in the first half of the 12th century by the Counts of the Marsi and, the historical events that have taken place, make it rightfully part of the history of Italy having been for more than 4 and a half centuries a feud of the most important aristocratic families of the Italian nobility: the Savelli, the Strozzi of Florence, the Soderini, also Florentine and finally the powerful Barberini family.
The ‘entire village is dominated by the baronial castle, which was, between the Middle Ages and the 18th century, a military fortress defending all six castles that made up the ancient imperial Barony of Collalto.
From the terraces of the castle, you can admire a breathtaking view that sweeps from Mount Terminillo to the Gran Sasso and on to the Maiella Mountains, giving you a unique experience.
Stopping at Guglielmo Marconi Square you can observe unique and spectacular sunsets.
In Collalto, located at an altitude of 1,000 meters and surrounded by centuries-old forests of chestnut, oak and beech trees, you can cheer your lungs with excellent fresh and healthy air by immersing yourself in walks and hikes through the woods and mountain paths where, mushroom and truffle lovers can find plenty.
For those who want to spend a vacation,a weekend, a short period in the village to escape from the monotony and chaos of the city remember that we are easily accessible from Rome and other nearby cities.
At the foot of the castle , below the drawbridge, you will find the village’s main square: Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II with an octagonal fountain, formerly known as Piazza delle Erbe or the marketplace that took place once a month and was also open to outsiders.
In the square, for several centuries,the following were put in the public pillory: blasphemers, swindlers and adulterers.
The most beautiful part of the village,in addition to the charming square, is the small square that lies between the castle, the medieval church of St. Gregory the Great and the Latini Palace, built between the 13th and 16th centuries.
The entrance that gave access to the castle and the village is the present-day Porta Vecchia from which, in panoramic views, the Velino and the Carseolano mountains can be seen.
Among the striking things to be found in Collalto is undoubtedly the private house, with attached church of Our Lady of Hope belonging to the Latini family under which there is a magnificent Italian garden that is well maintained and unique in the whole area
HISTORICAL NOTES.
Collalto was formed in the early 11th century from the union of various settlements scattered over its territory
The first rulers were the Counts Berardi followed by the first Lords who took their name from the toponym Colle Alto.
The first fortress that was built , for military purposes, was the core of the present castle.
Around the 14th century an Imperial Barony was established of which Colle Alto ( Collalto) was the administrative, political and military center of seven castles or Terre: Collalto, Paganico, Collegiove, Nespolo, San Lorenzo, Ricetto and later , in the 17th century, Marcetelli.
The fief was sold from time to time to important aristocratic families such as the Savelli, Strozzi, Soderini and Barberini.
Among the most relevant historical vicissitudes are : the French occupation of 1792 that caused the emptying of the fortress , the removal of numerous cannons and the assault and looting carried out on February 13, 1861( the same day on which the fortress of Gaeta and papal power fell) by papal soldiers, zuavi,Bourbon soldiers and brigands that caused, in addition to numerous damages to houses and property, also the killing of the captain of the civic guard Bartolomeo Latini, the Proizi couple, the keepers of the castle and their child of only eighteen months.
Several times, Collalto Castle found itself at the center of military clashes between the Kingdom of Naples and the Papal States due mainly to mutual encroachments that ended with the agreement between the King of Naples and the Pope around the middle of the 19th century.
The various wars and, especially the creation of the Turano Lake reservoir and dam, caused severe depopulation due to waves of migration to America, Australia, and Argentina because the best cultivated lands , which provided a livelihood for all the families in the Turano valley, were submerged by the waters.
Originally, Collalto Castle was a medieval stronghold placed on the border line between the Papal State and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies to defend the territory and protect the inhabitants.
During the rule of Alfonso Soderini, the fortress was fortified, transforming it into a military fortress.Later, the castle was greatly enlarged at the behest of Cardinal Francesco Barberini junior, who equipped it with more cannons, had the surrounding walls fortified, and built prisons in the dungeons for people who were sentenced.
The castle was protected by about thirty-five soldiers under the command of the castellan.
In the ancient Square of Arms there were then quarters for the militia, stables for the cavalry, large warehouses for grain collection and food supplies for both the castle staff and the inhabitants of the village
In the castle, throughout the 15th and 16th centuries there were,often, large parties in the fashion of Florence with Moorish dancing and dancing especially when there were illustrious guests such as Pope Urban VIII Barberini , various Rieti bishops and cardinals.
Florentine soldiers from the castle imported to our area the ball game that still thrills young and old alike.
Address:
Piazza Guglielmo Marconi, 1 – 02022 – Collalto Sabino (RI)
Switchboard:
Tel. +39 0765.98025