Along the narrow alleys of Capena, we come across plenty of surprises and curiosities, such as the striking views, the decorated benches, and a giant statue contemplating the landscape.
The village, nestled among rich vineyards and olive groves, overlooks the Via Tiberina in the Tiber Valley, and, beyond the Tiber the Lower Sabina.
The narrow alleys of Capena
The historical centre preserves small streets paved with Roman stones, unexpectedly entering little squares, as well as wooden arches and passages, and the town gate in the walls.
Cicerone, in his “Epistulae ad Familiares”, wrote, “If you are looking for fertile fields and vineyards, head for Capena”, words testifying the unchanged beauty of the Roman countryside all around the village.
The Clock Tower of Capena
On the beautiful Piazza del Popolo, the elegant, small Clock Tower, whose windows are enriched with floral and animal motifs, unusually does not dominate the town, but stands, instead, between two other buildings. The clock marks the time according to the Roman, or Italic, method, widely used in the past. On the quadrant, divided into six parts, a single hand makes four turns each day within the twenty-four hours.
Today, the Clock Tower houses the Civic Museum, which displays the the history of Capena, from the fall of the Roman Empire to the current times.
Worth mentioning are the Church of San Michele Arcangelo, with its masterpieces and the sumptuous portal from 1477, and the Church of Sant’Antonio Abate. Among the centuries-old cypress trees of the silent, old cemetery, rises the Church of San Leone, an early-medieval jewel. The two-nave building preserves an intact iconostasis and old frescoes, included one from the nineth century.
The Benches of Capena, true works of art. Photo from FB Visit Capena @battista.rea
Not to be missed in Capena are the amazing mosaic benches, embedded in the medieval walls, by the artists Rosina Wachtmeister and Giovanni Battista Rea. Grandmother and grandson have portrayed natural motives, such as flowers, birds, ducks and cats, the many cats slumbering or roaming around through the alleyways of the burg.
The Giant of Capena
But Capena still reserves a special surprise, a peculiar, impressive 9-metre- high and 2.5-metre-wide sculpture, “Il Momento”, created by the Hungarian artist Ervin Lorianth Hervé. The giant statue depicts a man, leaning with his elbow against a building on the splendid main square, and watching the landscape all around, his eyes lost into the horizon, his mind projected into the future.
Worth to be visited are the underlying “Riserva Naturale Nazzano Tevere-Farfa “, where you can experience a pleasant excursion in the greenery, the many hermitages around Mount Soratte, from where to enjoy a magnificent view of the surrounding valleys, and, finally, the warm, ferruginous waters of Lake Puzzo.
Important events attract many visitors every year, the ancient Vendemmiale di Capena at the end of September and the Feast of San Luca, the Patron Saint, on October 18.
The Incollatori of Capena
The third celebration, the Processione dell’Incontro, is one of the oldest survived in Lazio from the early centuries of Christianity. The solemn Procession is carried out by the Fratelli Incollatori di Capena, every year on the night of August 14.
But tradition expresses itself also through gastronomy. In addition to Roman specialities, such as bucatini all’amatriciana, fried mozzarella and tripe, you can also appreciate the homemade pasta stuffed with meat, spelt flour polenta with truffles, and pork chops, accompanied by the excellent Bianco Capena DOC wine. Among the typical desserts, the Pangiallo and the Serpentone stand out.