Situated at about 1,000 metres above sea level, Collegiove, according to some experts, was built where in ancient times there stood a Roman temple dedicated to the pagan divinity Giove [Jove] Rotondo, whence the town probably takes its name. Indeed, remains of aqueducts and fragments of mosaics from Roman times have been discovered here.
The Church of Santa Maria houses a large red marble bowl found in Colle Santo, which is used today as a stoup for holy water; the church’s bell-towers date from the 16th century.
Behind the town tower Mount Navegna (1,500 m.) and Mount Cervia (1,400 m.), which give their names to a wonderful Nature Reserve, among the most unspoilt, verdant areas of the Lazio region, filled with dense forests of beech, elm and oak, the haunt of golden eagles, wolves and wildcats.
There is a network of karstic caves known as the “Grottoes of Paganico” on Mount Cervia, still unexplored. An hour’s walk takes you to the summit, amid breathtaking scenery and picturesque woods; the part of Navegna facing east is extremely steep and for this reason is used as an open air “gym” for rock-climbing. .
Collegiove’s traditional local speciality is a sort of handmade pasta called “cecamariti” [“husband-bedazzlers”], whose ingredients are maize and wheat flour, served with a tomato, garlic and chilli sauce.
Legend has it that this dish takes its name from the fact that, given how quick and easy it is to make, it could be used to “blind” husbands, letting them think their poor wives were busy in the kitchen for hours, while they were actually engaged in other affairs.