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Frasso Sabino: the Sabine village with a Roman tomb and a planetarium
Frasso Sabino is located 60 km from Rome. This village was founded between the late 10th and early 11th century. It was donated to the Abbey of Farfa, and later passed on to the Brancaleoni and Sforza Cesarini families, who built the castle. Small, unpretentious, with two surprises you wouldn't expect: a monumental Roman-era tomb and an astronomical observatory.
A castle, a street, and a square
The Sforza Cesarini Castle dominates the town centre, where the main street climbs up to the Rocca. At the opposite end lies Piazza del Belvedere, overlooking the Farfa Valley.
The Grotta dei Massacci
The Grotta dei Massacci is located in the Osteria Nuova area, inside an 18th-century farmhouse. The name is misleading: it is not a cave but a large Roman funerary monument built with enormous limestone blocks stacked without mortar. It is attributed to the Bruttii Praesentes family, and was declared a monument of national interest in 1916.
Frescoes and stars
The Church of San Pietro in Vincoli (St Peter in Chains), dating from the 13th century, houses 15th-century frescoes. A short walk away, an old 18th-century mill has been turned into an Astronomical Observatory, and houses the "La Città delle Stelle" (City of Stars) museum and a planetarium.
What to eat
Extra-virgin Sabina DOP olive oil, guanciale (pork jowl), and cheese are the staple products. Local dishes include: fregnacce pasta Sabina-style, grain soups, spicy grilled chicken, stewed suckling lamb, spelt with truffle, strengozzi pasta Rieti-style, and sour cherry tart.
