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The Church of St Bernardine of Siena in Trevignano Romano: The Fishermen's Church
In 1452, one kilometre from the centre of Trevignano Romano, citizens built a church at the very spot where, according to tradition, St Bernardine of Siena had stopped to preach. The story goes like this: the population was fleeing from the presumed arrival of the Saracens. The Saint urged them to return to their homes, and the fishermen to go out in their boats. The Saracens did not arrive, and the nets filled with fish. That miraculous catch led to the custom of marinating fish to preserve it. The Festival of Marinated Fish on 20 May perpetuates this memory.
The Stone and the Mistaken Painting
This country church has a simple façade, with a central door, two side windows and an oculus in the pediment. The interior has a single nave with eight windows. On the left side is the boulder on which the Saint climbed to be heard by the crowd — at least according to tradition, confirmed by an inscription of uncertain date. On the Baroque high altar hangs a 17th-century painting attributed to Carlo Maratta. There is, however, a curious detail: the painter portrayed the Orsini fortress to the right of the Saint and the lake to the left, whereas in reality the opposite is true. It is likely that Maratta painted on commission, without ever seeing the place.
The Malpasso Trail
From the church, the panoramic Malpasso trail goes 8 km through oak trees and Mediterranean scrub to Monterosi, with the remains of a Trajan-era aqueduct along the route.
