From the slopes of Mount Rosato, Poggio Bustone dominates the Rieti Valley and the Lakes Lungo and Ripasottile. This small village in Sabina, immersed in a Franciscan atmosphere, is the hometown of the famous singer/songwriter Lucio Battisti, and the village of the Porchetta.
“Buon Giorno Buona Gente”
This is how St. Francis greeted the locals in 1208, and the phrase can still be read on the Gothic Arch of the Buongiorno. Every year, on October 4, the inhabitants of the medieval village greet each other that way and celebrate a feast in honour of the saint. Poggio Bustone is one of the stops along St. Francis’ Way. The saint’s visit is also commemorated on Easter Monday, with the procession to the Franciscan Hermitage, and, on August 2, with the Festa del Perdono.
At approximately 800 meters above sea level, surrounded by the mystical panorama of the Riserva Naturale dei Laghi Lungo e Ripasottile, rises the Convent of San Giacomo. Here, the Poor Man from Assisi had a vision of an angel, who confirmed the forgiveness of his youthful sins. From this moment on, St. Francis started his mission of peace with his first six companions, with the construction of the Sanctuary of Poggio Bustone.
The cloister, with its quadrilateral portico, leads to the Convent and the nearby Church of San Giacomo, built in 1300. Past the convent, we reach an ancient frescoed Refectory, and the pre-existing Hermitage, with its rough perimeter walls embedded in the rock, where St. Francis retired in prayer and rested.
The Tempietto della Pace, in the church square, houses a white marble statue of St. Francis by the sculptor Lorenzo Ferri.
The Sacred Cave in Poggio Bustone
The Upper Sanctuary houses the evocative Grotta delle Rivelazioni, or Sacro Speco. It can be reached in about thirty minutes on foot along a well-marked path through an oak and maple forest, starting from the Piazzale delle Missioni Francescane, in front of the Sanctuary church. In this cave, over 1,000 metre above sea level, an angel, disguised as a child, appeared to St. Francis and, after forgiving his sins, revealed to him that his message of peace would miraculously spread.
A shrine along the climb leading to the Sacred Cave
In the early 1300s, a small church with a bell tower was erected by the cave, later enlarged in the seventeenth century. In the same period, six shrines were built along the trail leading there, to commemorate some of St. Francis’ miracles.
“I Giardini di Marzo” – Poggio Bustone
Poggio Bustone is the birthplace of Lucio Battisti, one of the most renowned Italian singer-songwriters of all times. In the park and panoramic terrace “I Giardini di Marzo”, named after one of his famous songs, stands a bronze statue of the artist with his guitar by Manuel Campus.
The Porchetta from Poggio Bustone
The Festival of the Porchetta IGP has been celebrated in Poggio Bustone since 1950 on the first Sunday of October with live music and costume parades. The ancient recipe, passed down from generation to generation, follows a meticulous process. The oven’s heat is evenly distributed, and ground pepper, garlic, rosemary, and salt precisely dosed.
The Poggio Bustone Cup – Italian Championship
Thanks to favourable ascending currents, the area around Poggio Bustone is a paradise for lovers of hang-gliding, soaring and paragliding.