Turania (RI), about 75 km from Rome, is a small centre in Sabina, at 703 metres above sea level, with 250 inhabitants.
The meagre information regarding this settlement’s origins dates its foundation to the second half of the 11th century. Petescia, the town’s ancient name, appears for the first time in 890 in some documents at the abbey in Farfa. The town was called Turania only in 1950, taking its name from the river that crosses the Turano Valley below.
The fiefdom belonged to the Orsini, Tagliacozzo, and Muti families and, from 1632, for almost three centuries, was governed by the noble Roman Borghese family, until fiefdoms were abolished.
Some outstanding examples of its art history include the church of the Santissimo Salvatore, completely rebuilt in 1779 on the remains of a building from the previous century; the church of Santa Maria del Carmine, built in the 16th century near the inhabited centre, where the same Saint’s Feast is celebrated on the second Sunday of July; the Permanent Museum of Contemporary Art, in the Municipal Hall, with a prestigious bronze sculpture of Padre Pio, by Maestro Silvio Amelio, and a 16th-century Mill, recently renovated.
On the occasion of the Feast of the first Sunday of September, dedicated to Sant’Antonio and San Donato, hot air balloons handcrafted by enthusiasts are launched from the centre of the village. Also noteworthy is the Sagra della castagna (Chestnut Festival), the last Sunday in October.