Pofi, a village sitting on the top an ancient extinct volcano, offers a 360° view over that part of Ciociaria dotted with flower greenhouses.
Pofi – www.comune.pofi.fr.it
Pofi, the seventh stop on the route Prenestina – Casilina, the latter, a stretch coinciding with the Southern Via Francigena, is accessible through two ancient doors, Porta del Melangolo and Porta dell’Ulivo.
The Baronial Castle in Pofi
The castle is divided into three parts: the ancient courtyard, the Baronial Palace, and the 36 metres high Romanesque Clock Tower, converted into a bell tower. The Colonna Baronial Palace, a reconstruction of much of the ancient castle, was built between two corner towers of the city wall. Abandoned during the eighteenth century and restored in the early nineteenth century, the dark basalt palace stands today in all its beauty.
The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore – www.comune.pofi.fr.it
The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore was built in 1100 AD inside the castle fortress. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, it was demolished and a new church with a Greek cross plan and six chapels was built on the same spot.
In the area of Lupara, fossil remains of Homo erectus from the Paleolithic age, and of Elephas Meridionalis and Elephas Anticus, dating back to prehistoric times, were discovered. These precious finds are exhibited in the Ecomuseo Argil in Pofi. Our journey through history continues all the way to Ceprano, where, in 1994, an approximately 800,000 years old skull of Homo erectus, among the oldest ones in Europe, was brought to life.
the pizza fritta pofana – Facebook @prolocopofi
On the last Sunday of April, Pofi hosts the renowned Flower Festival and, in November, the two-day celebration of the local culinary tradition, which also includes folk singing and dance performances. Not to be missed is the Fried Pizza Festival, in early August. The dough, prepared with warm water and flour, is fried in oil, or lard in the past, and then sprinkled with salt. The fried pizza can also be enriched with chicory sautéed in garlic and chili pepper.
Crepes Pofane – Facebook @prolocopofi
A typical Christmas speciality in Pofi is the stracciatella in brodo, beaten eggs poured into the broth, once served at Easter time and weddings. Pumpkin cooked in a pan with oil, salt, onion, and tomato is served on Christmas Eve, along with cod and cime calate, cauliflower tops cooked in a pan with white wine, garlic, salt, and pork fat. Among the desserts, the holiday menu includes the crespelle with raisins, small leavened pastries fried in oil.
rolled frappe – Facebook @prolocopofi
Worth tasting are finally the Carnival frappe, rolled strips of dough fried in oil.