location

Collalto Sabino Rieti Lazio,

In the middle of the Sabina, perched at around 1000 m high, is the village of Collalto Sabino, in the province of Rieti. Its name derives from its location on the hill of the same name (Collis Altus) and also indicates its first lords, which gave rise to the barony, the Collalto. A good part of the popular traditions of Collalto Sabino are made up of manifestations tied with religion that still retain a special charm, with annual events that make the historic centre particularly suggestive. 

The Harvest festivals with the cellars of the village are also very characteristic. These are set up in the old cellars of the historic centre in October, or at the Feast of the Brigands in period costumes. These are both food and wine events where you can also taste the typical dishes of Collalto Sabino, such as wheat flour and cornmeal gnocchi, broad bean soup and  pizza 'de' nfrasco ', cooked under the embers.

The history of Collalto Sabino dates back to antiquity, at the time of the lombards who, in central and southern Italy, held the duchies of Spoleto and Benevento. This was a period in which the destruction of the village of Carseoli took place and which once stood where Collalto is currently located. In the tenth century the area became the seat of a gastaldato and in the eleventh century it became property of the Abbey of Farfa that established its own Benedictine monastery. Later the Abbey ceded the village to the noble family of the Marsi. In the thirteenth century the village was ceded by Charles of Anjou to the Vatican and then passed, in the sixteenth century, to the houses of Savelli, Soderini and Barberini until, in 1861, was attacked and looted by bands of Bourbon reactionaries.

Today, walking through the narrow streets of this perfectly preserved ancient village, it is like going back in time. In the streets absolute silence reigns, broken only occasionally by some rare household noises. The only traces of modernity are given by the few cables of the power lines that unite the various ancient buildings. For the rest, this antique village built in stone conveys history at every step. The ancient walls, the fountain, the cobblestone paving, and the rays of light which creep through the narrow corridors make shadows which dance and makes this village enchanting and charming in a unique way. Collalto Sabino is considered to be one of the most beautiful villages in Italy (“uno dei borghi piu’ belli di Italia”).