Located 85 kilometres from Rome, in Contigliano, there are still-visible remains of the Roman settlement that was formed when Quintilian, an orator friend of Vespasian, retired to Quintilinus, near the parish church of San Lorenzo.
Castrum Quintilianum is first mentioned in 1157, and its medieval walls, beautifully preserved, still exist, as well as the urban layout with the two medieval City gates, Santi and Codarda, the houses and alleys, stairs and arches, leading to the top of the hill, dominated by the 17th-century Collegiate of San Michele, with frescoed chapels.
Outside the inhabited area, the Cistercian abbey of S. Pastore, from 1255, extensively restored and no longer used as an abbey, preserves the charm of the monastery.
In addition to the Collegiate Church of San Michele Arcangelo, you must see the ruins of the Church of San Giovanni and the oldest remains of the Church of San Lorenzo, in the open countryside.
In the month of August, the Assault on the Castle is commemorated with a re-enactment of the conquest of the castle of Contigliano in 1501.
This lively festival lasts several days, and includes the exchange of coins with ducats, candlelight, lots of wine and song; the highlight is the Palio dell’Ariete: the six town districts simulate the attack on the Porta dei Santi with a long and heavy ram.
The typical lu pizzicottu PAT, is a dish with bread dough gnocchi seasoned with spicy sauce.
Typical local dishes are the fregnacce pasta all’arrabbiata, the cheese, and the truffles.
The pizza sucia PAT, a Christmas sweet, is also excellent. The special native breed of pig, Nero dei Monti Sabini, makes for good eating, as do the cured meats, butter of San Filippo PAT, still produced using the wooden churns, and the corno di toro PAT tomato.