Monteflavio lies at an altitude of 900 metres on the slopes of Mount Pellecchia, nestled among the beech and conifer forests of the Parco Naturale Regionale dei Monti Lucretili. It is renowned for its castle’s ruins and the production of Sabina PDO extra virgin olive oil.
Monteflavio
The village owes its name to the Cardinal Flavio Orsini, who founded it in 1570, relocating the inhabitants of Marcetelli to the Montefalco Estate.
The Ruins of Montefalco – parcolucretili.it
At an altitude of approximately 900 metres, stand the ruins of the 13th century Montefalco Castle. The ancient fortified settlement was destroyed around 1400 by the Colonna Family.
A View of Mount Pellecchia from Monteflavio
The ruins of the city walls, the fortress, and the dwellings equipped with water cisterns, are nestled within the Monti Lucretili Natural Park, offering an impressive view of Mounts Pellecchia and Gennaro.
Piazza Vittorio Emanuele III – comune.monteflafio.rm.it
Piazza Vittorio Emanuele III hosts characteristic houses and a Renaissance salt mortar-shaped fountain “The Pilocca”. On the square, also stands the Church of Maria SS. Assunta from the late 16th century, which features capitals adorned with the five-petaled rose emblem of the Orsini.
The deeply felt Feast of the Madonna dell’Assunta takes place on August 15, while the celebrations in honour of the patron saint, San Rocco, occur on August 16.
Polenta with pork spareribs
Piazza Vittorio Emanuele III, the meeting place for the inhabitants of Monteflavio, hosts, in October the Polenta Festival. This speciality is cooked in copper cauldrons, the cotturi, and served with pork spareribs and castrated lamb chops.
The Castrated Lamb Festival in Monteflavio
The Castrated Lamb Festival takes place in mid-May and is accompanied by music performances. In Mid-October the “Radici Street Art Festival” is held, an immersive experience through the works created by several artists, to be also admired on a guided tour.
Strange Days Festival a Monteflavio
The “Strange Days Festival”, a mid-July musical event involving the whole Roman Sabina, hosts a both emerging talents and big names from the regional, national, and international scenes, as well as both emerging and renowned street artists.