The ancient structure of the village was formed around the pre-existing Franciscan Convent, on a hill facing Mount Machilone, where the remains of the ancient castle still stand. Therefore, a new village was established along the Salaria, where the Church of San Felice already existed. It was a refreshment for the Roman pilgrims who went to Rome for the first Jubilee in history, announced by Boniface VIII, in 1300.
In 1331, by decree of King Robert, Posta was granted the attribute of “Positae Realis”, which sanctioned its belonging to the royal state property, and recalled the role, already carried out by the lords of Machilone, of a toll and duty collection station.
The oldest church in Posta is Santa Rufina, built on the ruins of the goddess Vacunea’s temple in the 12th century.
The Gole del Velino are wonderful, with their Roman remains such as the Masso dell’Orso and the Miglio, a Roman milestone that indicated the 69th mile from Rome, or the halfway point of the entire route from Rome to the Adriatic Sea.
Worthy of a visit are the Church of San Felice, the Church of Sant’Antonio, and the Convent of San Francesco, one of the richest and most flourishing Franciscan centres of the time.
Three bells ring on the bell tower; the largest and oldest weighs 1700 kg and has a diameter of 120 cm.
In the upper part of the town, next to the Convent of Saint Francis, we find the Porta delle Gabelle, which gave access to the market where the tax collectors asked for taxes on the goods that entered.
As for culinary specialities, mushrooms and truffles are the basis of ravioli and pappardelle. The ricotta and chard ravioli, the bean and wild chicory soup and the tagliatelle with nettle pesto and crispy bacon are also tasty.
Don’t miss the excellent local grilled meats, the pork ribs with cabbage and the loin with apples and ginger, while those with a sweet tooth cannot fail to appreciate the tozzetti with walnuts.