Village of vipers or village of the waters – what’s the origin of the name of Vivaro Romano? Its coat-of-arms shows a viper, which seems to clear up the matter, but it could stem from a mistaken interpretation that had long been accepted: Vivaro as a corruption of Viprarius, that is, village of the vipers. The historian Di Nicola, however, claims that “the most common opinion is that the Roman colonists of Carseoli called the place Vivarium on account of the abundance of water used for fish breeding”. Whatever the origins of its name, Vivaro Romano is a fascinating town!
The town, in the centre of the Sabina area in the Turano Valley, was originally a settlement of the Equi tribe. In 229 BC, the Romans founded a Latin colony here, whose main activity was the breeding of animals for food and sacrifices. During the barbarian invasions it was part of the Lombard Duchy of Spoleto. It then passed into the hands of the Abbey of Farfa. In the mid 15th century it was ruled by the Orsini family, then the Brancaleone and subsequently the Borghese. In 1799 it was attacked by the French, who burned down the ancient Castle, of which only ruins remain, the Rocca Borghese – visit it and you can enjoy imagining its history; even though there are only ruins of an ancient building, it can be a stirring experience.
From the profane to the sacred: well worth visiting is the Sanctuary of Santa Maria Illuminata, on the hill of the same name, whose foundation dates from the 13th century.
The adjective Illuminata was added as a result of a local legend that tells of a beam of light that guided the faithful to the place where an image of the Madonna was to be found. To commemorate this event, on the night of the 4/5 August a torchlight procession is held, in which the Madonna is accompanied from the Sanctuary to Vivaro, a walk of three kilometres. It’s an amazing sight!
Mezze maniche pasta with asparagus and hog jowl is the local speciality.