Mazzano Romano lies in a protected area within the Riserva Naturale Valle di Treja, rich in rivers, waterfalls and dense forests of poplars, elms, and willows.
Photo by Antonino Scordo
Monte Gelato Waterfalls, in the municipality of Mazzano Romano, have been the location of many shoots, while, in the historic centre, the 1956 movie “Destinazione Piovarolo”, with the great actor comedian Totò in the role of a stationmaster, was filmed.
The Monte Gelato Waterfalls in Mazzano Romano
The Monte Gelato complex, with its medieval tower, ancient watermill, and waterfalls along the Treja River, lies within the Parco Valle di Treja. Traces of settlements dating back to prehistoric era are preserved here, as well as the remains of a Roman villa from the first century BC, an agricultural settlement from the eighth century AD, and the watermill.
Mola di Monte Gelato – www.retedimorestorichelazio.it
The Mola di Monte Gelato, an old horizontal hydropower mill, was built in 1837 at the behest of Prince Urbano Del Drago Biscia Gentili, by restoring two medieval buildings, a tower and a turret. It was used by local millers until the postwar period, and then, in 2005, it was turned into the Allestimento Museale della Mola di Monte Gelato, one of the Historical Houses in Lazio.
Mazzano Romano – Instagram @giostra_delle_contrade
The village of Mazzano Romano is accessible through an arch incorporated into the Baronial Palace of the Biscia Family. The city walls embrace buildings from different periods, included the fifteenth-century Baronial Palace of Everso and Dolce degli Anguillara. At the top of the village, lie the remains of the ancient Church of San Nicola, built in the sixteenth century according to a design by Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola and demolished in 1940 due to the risk of collapse.
Important archaeological attractions around Mazzano Romano are the area of Narce, which documents ancient Faliscan settlements, and the Monte Li Santi, which preserves, on its top, the remains of a large public building and a Roman villa.
Votive artefacts from the Sanctuary of Monte Li Santi – Le Rote, preserved in the MAVNA
The MAVNA – Museo Archeologico Virtuale di Narce is dedicated to the ancient Faliscan site of the same name in the Treja Valley, in the two municipalities of Mazzano Romano and Calcata. The museum displays everyday items testifying the presence of the Faliscans from the Bronze Age to the Roman conquest. These artifacts were mainly discovered in cinerary pit tombs and chamber burials from the Etruscan period.
Just outside the walls, stands the small Church of San Sebastiano, decorated with sixteenth-century frescoes depicting “The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian between Saint Rocco and Saint Gregory the Pope”, “The Madonna and Child”, and “Saint Anne”.
The Giostra delle Contrade – Instagram @giostra_delle_contrade
Not to be missed is the Giostra delle Contrade, a Renaissance-themed event held in early September. In 1526, the small fiefdom of Mazzano Romano was acquired by Giovanni Battista degli Anguillara, who reorganized and improved the political and social life of the village. The locals joyfully welcomed the Anguillara Family and the wealth they brought.
The Giostra delle Contrade – Instagram @giostra_delle_contrade
The Giostra delle Contrade recalls this event with a parade of the town’s four districts in Renaissance costume through the streets of Mazzano Romano. The sixteenth-century festive atmosphere is recreated with traditional dinners, folk game tournaments, and the archery competition.