Vasanello is about 85 km from Rome. Situated between Mount Cimino and the River Tiber, it is of extremely ancient origin, as can be seen by the numerous artificial grottoes, Etruscan tombs and the remains of old walls scattered among the crags surrounding it.
The building of the Via Amerina was an incomparable source of financial and cultural wealth for the town of Vasanello.
For a time the town belonged to the Church, to which it had been gifted by the Lombard King Liutprando. It rose up against the Church and, after the revolt had been suppressed, was assigned by Gregory XI to Neruccio Enricuccio di Soriano, who had brought about the appeasement.
Over the following centuries it was governed by various feudatory families, including the Orsini (to whom it owes the construction of the majestic Castle) and the Della Rovere.
When the male branch of the family died out, the fief passed into the hands of the Colonna, whose heir married Elena, the last descendant of the Della Rovere, who retained it until the 18th century.
The following architectural gems are of particular note: the Orsini Castle, the Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Cathedral), erected in the 11th century over the remains of a Roman temple, the Church of San Salvatore, the Abbey of the Madonna delle Grazie, the Church of San Lanno and the Municipal Museum [Museo Civico], set within the premises of the Town Hall.
For further information: Comune di Vasanello