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Sasseto Forest Natural Monument: the enchanted forest in the heart of Tuscia
The Bosco del Sasseto, a Natural Monument protected since 2006, is located below the castle of Torre Alfina, in the municipality of Acquapendente. Its name tells the story of its origin: enormous lava boulders, remnants of an ancient volcano, cover the ground, where centuries-old trees towering over 25 metres high, with trunks exceeding one metre in diameter, have grown. Beeches, elms, maples, holm oaks and manna ashes — over 30 species — coexist across 61 hectares of extraordinary biodiversity.
A Timeless Atmosphere
Twisted trunks, mosses and ferns everywhere, great fallen trees that have become part of the landscape. The forest has often been chosen as a film location. In spring, the undergrowth bursts into bloom with colours changing week after week: anemones, cyclamens, squills. Light barely filters through the canopy, creating a damp and shaded atmosphere even in summer.
The Hidden Tomb in the Forest
In a clearing stands a Neo-Gothic mausoleum: the tomb of Marquis Edoardo Cahen, who at the end of the 19th century rebuilt the castle and chose this wild forest as his final resting place. The building is by Sienese architect Giuseppe Partini, whilst the paths and gardens were designed by the French landscape architects Henry and Achille Duchêne. The forest can be visited along marked trails departing from Torre Alfina, a village listed among the most beautiful in Italy since 2007.
