Acquapendente and Torre Alfina

Acquapendente, with its hamlet Torre Alfina, the northernmost town in Lazio along the Northern Via Francigena, was included in the List of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy. Probably of Etruscan origins, it owes its name to the many waterfalls that flow into the Paglia River.

During the fourteenth-century, the charming Castle of Torre Alfina, with its large battlements, witnessed mysterious events related to the Monaldeschi Family.

The Crypt of Santo Sepolcro in Acquapendente

The medieval walls, painted in the typical colours of the Tuscia Viterbese, embrace several churches and a pilgrim hospital. The Cathedral of Santo Sepolcro houses a blood-stained stone, brought, according to legend, by the Crusaders returning from the Holy Sepulchre. The relic is preserved inside a Romanesque crypt dating back to between the tenth and the eleventh centuries (one of the oldest in Italy), with imposing arches and twenty-fours columns.

Museo del Fiore @ www.museodelfiore.it

Not to be missed is the “Museo del Fiore”, a small natural history museum in the “Bosco Monumentale del Sasseto”, within the “Riserva Naturale Monte Rufeno”, where, in the herbarium and the laboratory, it will be possible to discover  the biodiversity of the area through finds and models of flowers, interactive experiences, and multimedia panels. Outside the Museum, the “Sentiero natura del fiore” will lead us to an old water mill and the educational beehive.

At the foot of the Torre Alfina Castle, we can admire the “Monumento Naturale Bosco del Sasseto”, called the Snow White’s Forest, due to its overwhelming beauty. Classified among the “Twenty most enchanted Italian Sites” by the Swide Magazine, it hosts centuries-old oaks, Turkey oaks, beech and holly trees, ruffled ferns, and green-mossed boulders. Among the twisted branches, we can spot the Monaldeschi Castle, the ancient water mill, the Waterfall of Fosso Subissone in the Aquilonaccio area, and the tomb of the Marquis Cahen.

Cahen Mausoleum in the Bosco del Sasseto

In the late nineteenth century, the Marquis bought the large estate of Torre Alfina, which included the Castle, part of the village, and the Forest, to make it his final home. Within the monumental forest, impenetrable at that time, he created a maze of paths in perfect harmony with nature, and his small Neo-Gothic Mausoleum.

Not to be missed is the Planetarium in the “Oasi Astronomica Monte Rufeno” in Acquapendente, where, through a large telescope, we can admire a starry night, undetectable by the naked eye. The attraction is accessible both day and night all over the year.

The Pugnaloni of Acquapendente (Photo Enrico Ferri)

Acquapendente is renowned for its Pugnaloni, magnificent floral mosaics, created on the occasion of the eight- century old Feast of the Madonna del Fiore, celebrated on the third Sunday of May. During this folkloristic event, which recalls a miracle by the Virgin, large multicoloured panels of flowers and leaves from the different districts are displayed. The winner of this deeply felt competition will retain the awarded primacy for an entire year. The tradition originated in 1166, when the inhabitants of Acquapendente freed themselves from the cruel Governor Frederick I Barbarossa. It is said that an extraordinary event was witnessed by two farmers, the miraculous blossoming of a dried-up cherry tree, a symbol of the tyrant’s oppression. As a sign of gratitude, the community of Acquapendente established the Festa di Mezzomaggio.
The Pugnaloni, flower-decorated goads once carried on procession by the local farmers, evolved into gorgeous works of art.  Their creation requires a long time and includes the drawing of sketches, the searching for materials, and the labour of many artists. The parade starts with the giant panels, which, at the end of the celebration, will be exhibited and strictly guarded in the Cathedral of the Santo Sepolcro throughout the entire year.

The character of Saltaripe at the Carnevale Aquesiano

The typical mask of the Carnevale Aquesiano is Saltaripe, a sort of colourfully dressed, black-masked Harlequin, a drunken slugger who loves to play pranks and make fun of others; his float is one of the most anticipated of the parade. The Feast ends on Shrove Tuesday at sunset with the burning of King Carnival, who will repent of all his misdeeds, only to repeat them in the future.

Fregnacce di Acquapendente

Not to be missed is also the Festival of the Fregnaccia, a rolled thin pancake made with water, flour, and pork fat, to be filled with pecorino or parmesan, enriched with chocolate or sprinkled with sugar.