Licenza is an ancient village surrounded by woods and olive groves in the Monti Lucretili Regional Natural Park.
Numerous findings show that the territory was inhabited since the Paleolithic era, but it was during the Roman period that stable agricultural settlements developed. Following the barbarian invasions, starting from the 6th century, castles and fortified fortresses were built on the less accessible heights. In 1632 the Orsini family ceded part of the feud to the Borghese family who, after various changes of ownership, finally acquired it in 1761. A visit to the Castle and the Ninfeo degli Orsini is evocative, a Renaissance architecture with a splendid waterfall that flows into a semicircular basin. Licenza was a village greatly loved by the Roman poet Quinto Horatio Flacco. He chose to retire here to meditate, write, and read.
Not to be missed is the entire historic centre of the village with the Baronial Palace, the Villa of Horace, and the Church of the Blessed Virgin Immaculate, built to a design by Luigi Maria Valadier.
The Path of Art in the Garden of the Five Senses in the Monti Lucretili Natural Park consists of seven Roman travertine sculptures created in 2011 by students of the Environmental Sculpture and Lapis Tiburtinus Course at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome.
The cuisine of the village proudly offers the traditional frascarelli seasoned with tomato sauce and sagne, celebrated in October at the Sagra delle Sagne ‘e Farre. Also characteristic are the Monti Lucretili spelt pasta, maltagliati with beans celebrated in April, and the polenta “rencocciata”, cut into slices and grilled, seasoned with wild boar sauce, celebrated on the last Sunday of February. The food stands are surrounded by performances, games in the square, and visits to the ruins of the Ninfeo degli Orsini, the Villa of Horace, and the Oraziano Museum.
Among the events not to be missed, is the San Rocco Festival in August.