Rocca Massima, located at an altitude of approximately 750 metres, overlooks the Pontine Plain from a hill in the Lepini Mountains. The road to the village winds up through curves and climbs around the hill flanked by forests of oaks and holm.
The stone-paved alleys of Rocca Massima and the fortress built by the Annibaldi Family reveal its origins, probably dating back to the seventh century AD and the Middle Ages.
Flying in the Sky – Umberto T @flyinginthesky
Thrill-seekers will appreciate the initiative “Flying in the Sky”, the world’s fastest Peregrine Falcon flight, consisting of a two- kilometres steel cable transporting you at a maximum speed of 172 km/h, from the starting point at 700 metres to the finish line at nearly 400 metres. Just like a hawk, you will experience the extraordinary opportunity to admire a stunning view of the Lazio Coast, the Colli Albani, and the Abruzzo Mountains.
Rocca Massima LT Church of the Madonna del Carmine
Next to the to the launch pad, stands the Chiesetta of the Madonna del Carmine, a tiny seventeenth-century place of worship, which housed a Roman cinerary urn, whose traces have mysteriously been lost.
Worth a visit is also the Church of San Michele Arcangelo. Built in the late fifteenth century to expand the pre-existing one from the thirteenth century, it features a single nave with a barrel-vaulted ceiling. The frescoes on the apse, depicting the four protectors Santa Barbara, San Biagio, Santa Lucia, and San Sebastiano, were created in 1900 by Aurelio Mariani di Velletri and the altarpiece portraying Saint Michael the Archangel is a copy of the original by Guido Reni. Another remarkable work is a canvas by Mariani representing St. Isidoro, the protector of Rocca Massima, celebrated on the second Sunday of May.
The Rocca Massima Chestnut Festival
The local chestnuts, a typical product of Rocca Massima, are celebrated and roasted during a two-week Festival in mid-October, when their unmistakable aroma wafts through the streets. The event is accompanied by the performance of the flag-weavers from the different districts of Cori. Not to be missed in Rocca Massima is also the Polenta Festival, held at the end of November, where it is possible to enjoy polenta with spareribs and sausages and to admire a parade of Fiat 500s and other vintage cars.