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Rocca Santo Stefano in the Aniene Valley: churches and forests between the Ruffi and Ernici Mountains
Located 59 km from Rome, in the Aniene Valley, Rocca Santo Stefano stands on a limestone ridge amidst the chestnut groves of the Ruffi and Ernici Mountains. The village originated as a fortress, or "Rocca", built to defend against the incursions of feudal lords allied with Filippo da Marano and Civitella. Today, only a single tower remains of the Ceci Bove family castle, which has been incorporated into the urban fabric of the historic centre.
The two churches and the coopers' forest
The Church of Santo Stefano (St Stephen) is outside the inhabited centre, possibly erected after 415 AD, when the relics of the saint were discovered. It is decorated with 16th-century frescoes by the School of Perugino. The Church of Santa Maria Assunta (St Mary of the Assumption), on the other hand, is in the heart of the village. The chestnut-filled Bosco dell'Antera (Antera Forest) preserves the Porta del Bottaio (Cooper's Gate): a travertine sculpture commemorating the village's coopers and tub-makers, trades that have since disappeared. The monument was created in collaboration with the sculpture school of the Academy of Fine Arts of Rome (Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma).
The "gnoccacci" and the flower festival
Every June, the village hosts the Sagra degli gnoccacci, a food festival dedicated to a traditional water-and-flour pasta served with porcini mushrooms gathered in the local woods. In the same period, the Infiorata of Corpus Christi takes place: since the early 1980s, master floral artists have covered the streets of the centre with carpets of flower petals, reproducing the paintings of international artists.
