An ideal destination in the lukewarm autumn days is the tiny village of Percile, a jewel nestled in the woods and clearings of the Parco dei Monti Lucretili, where time seems suspended, and it is still possible to breathe in a medieval atmosphere.
Let’s get lost in the maze of alleys, arches, and small squares, where you can smell the scents of wood and chestnuts and admire the old stone houses with their typical, beautiful balconies.
Percile is located on a spur almost 600 meters high in the upper Aniene valley, and its remote origins are still shrouded in mystery. According to some historians, the name Percile comes from Porcia, a Roman family. The village preserves several findings, such as a tombstone dedicated to a girl and a terracotta sarcophagus.
The current seat of the Town Hall is Palazzo Borghese, an ancient castle owned by several noble families in the past, adjacent to the Church of St. Lucia from the 16th century, which includes the chapel of the nobles, dedicated to the Patron Saint of Percile.
In the unique village of Percile, it is possible to experience a feeling of freedom in front of the two karst lakes called “lagustelli”, Fraturno and Marraone, surrounded by willows almost touching the water, in a fairytale atmosphere. The lakes have been recognized as international humid protected areas, according to the Ramsar Convention.
The lovers of gastronomy will find here typical dishes with authentic and genuine flavours, made with local ingredients such as wild asparagus in spring and chestnuts, with their crackling and unmistakable autumn scent, celebrated with a festival on the last Sunday of October.
Percile will offer the tourist an unspoiled nature and the possibility of practicing trekking, horseback riding or mountain biking. Festivals and fairs animating the village are celebrated throughout the year.
During the Sagra della Ramiccia, occurring in December, about 1500 eggs are piled by hand one by one and sweets and other local products can be tasted: amaretti, “tettarelle”, “tisichelle”, nociata, donuts, honey, and sausages.
The village also offers the genuine pleasure of drinking at the Fonte degli Aliucci a very light mineral water well known by the ancient Romans for its therapeutic virtues.
For more information:
prolocopercile@yahoo.it
Piazza Garibaldi, 4 – 00020 Percile –
Tel. 338.1661576 – 335.259065
percorsiilecomune.it – segreteria@percilecomune.it – comune@pec.percilecomune.it