Nazzano is an ancient village in the Tiber Valley, a medieval gem rich in history, nature, and traditions.
The area was inhabited as far back as the Bronze Age, but it experienced significant development in Roman times. This is evidenced by numerous villas and the temple of the god Silvanus, whose remains were reused to build the Church and Convent of San Francesco, located in a centuries-old forest of holm oaks and oaks.
The old town winds along a single road that leads to the 13th-century Castle. The building has two towers at opposite corners: the Mastio, protecting the Savelli Fortress, and the tower with surveillance functions over the Tiber Valley.
For enthusiasts of religious tourism, there are many churches to visit; Santa Maria Consolatrice, the San Francesco complex, and just outside the village, Sant’Antimo, which preserves a cycle of frescoes in the apse attributed to Antoniazzo Romano.
The River Museum illustrates the life of the Tiber through rooms dedicated to geology, botany, zoology, and anthropic activities.
The Nazzano Tevere-Farfa Nature Reserve was established to protect the wetland formed in the 1950s, following the construction of an ENEL dam on the Tiber. The dam caused a significant slowing of river waters, leading to the formation of Lake Nazzano.
Among the typical dishes we find ravioli with fish filling, risotto with asparagus, strozzapreti with cheese and pepper, lasagne with artichokes, handmade gnocchi, polenta and pappardelle with wild boar sauce. Also noteworthy are the vegetable calzone and stracci di Antrodoco. Among the desserts: anise donuts and mostaccioli, dry biscuits with hazelnuts, honey, pepper, and grated orange peel.
Here are some not-to-be-missed events in Nazzano during the year: the Gnocchi Festival in March, the Pappardelle with Wild Boar Festival in April, and the Sant’Antimo Festival in May.