Discovering the most intimate and hidden Sabina is possible, periodically, thanks to FAI – the Italian Environment Fund – which every year organizes days dedicated to culture, art, history and nature. And it allows us to enter places that are often inaccessible or not always open to the public.
After the visits of the previous editions to the Hermitage of San Michele al Tancia, the Abbey of San Pastore in Contigliano, the Grotta dei Massacci and Poggio San Lorenzo, the village of Montasola and the Garden of Colle Mola, with the FAI Days of Autumn, on 15 and 16 October 2022 it will be possible to visit the village of Rocchette and the “ghost” fortress of Rocchettine, in the municipality of Torri in Sabina.
Rocchette and Rocchettine, originally known as Rocca Bertalda and Rocca Guidonesca, were built starting from the 13th century with the function of controlling the valley between Rieti and the Tiber river. It is no coincidence that they are perched on two limestone spurs, in a strategic position, right in the narrowest point of the valley, and protected by towers and different layers of walls. Facing each other, in constant visual communication with each other, the two twin fortresses had a very different destiny.
Rocchette is still today an inhabited village, even if it has few inhabitants, it keeps alive its characteristic of inhabited center. Rocchettine, on the other hand, has lost its residential function and has been abandoned for over a century and here nature is gradually regaining its place, enveloping the towers and fortifications of the castle in its branches. However, without giving a sense of degradation, but rather giving it a mysterious and magical aura.
From the historical documents in our possession, Rocchette and Rocchettine changed hands over and over again over the centuries: first property of the Abbey of Farfa, then they passed to the Holy See. Disputed between the noble families of the Orsini and Savelli, in the early fifteenth century they passed under the city of Terni, to be finally annexed to the municipality of Torri in Sabina starting from 1817, by the will of Cardinal Consalvi and following the reorganization of the area falling within the Sabina.
Inside the Rocchettine castle stands the Church of San Lorenzo. The building, restored in 1700, is preserved in excellent condition compared to the rest. Every year, on 10 August, the church is the destination of a small pilgrimage of the inhabitants of Rocchette to Rocchettine. The church, which is usually closed and can only be visited on the occasion of this religious celebration, will be open during the FAI Autumn Days.
In Rocchette, the village still inhabited between the two, on this special occasion you can visit the Church of SS. Salvatore, built right on top of the town. A jewel of Baroque art, usually closed, the Church was restored in the early 17th century and frescoed by Girolamo Troppa, the Rocchette painter.
Guided tour times
Saturday 15 October 2022
Every half hour, from 10am to 1pm and from 2pm to 4.15pm
Sunday 16 October 2022
Every half hour, from 10 to 13 and from 14 to 17
The guided tour starts from the village of Rocchette first, and then goes to the castle of Rocchettine.
Meeting point: Rocchette, Provincial Road 54 – Torri in Sabina (Rieti)
Anti Covid measures
According to national indications, neither a green pass nor a mask will be needed to participate in the days.
Cost of the guided tour
The guided tour costs 3 €. For those who wish, it is possible to contribute to the FAI initiatives with a larger donation or through the annual membership.
Visits in a foreign language
English (on request)
Special initiatives in the two days of the FAI Days
The Church of SS. Salvatore will host two conferences dedicated to Girolamo Troppa, the seventeenth-century painter from Rocchette.
Saturday 17 October: supervisor prof. Francesco Petrucci
Sunday 18 October: Giuseppe Cassio and Monica Sabatini, respectively art historian and restorer of the Abap Rome-Met-Rieti Superintendency.
Limited number event: maximum 40 people for each event.
Reservation at the e-mail address sabina@gruppofai.
How to book
The guided tour can be booked directly from this link, choosing the day and time based on availability.
How to reach Rocchette and Rocchettine
Rocchette and Rocchettine are part of the municipality of Torri in Sabina and are located right on the provincial road 54.
For those coming from Rome, we recommend the A1 Ponzano-Soratte exit. Direction Poggio Mirteto, Cantalupo, Torri in Sabina. Ignore the junction for Torri in Sabina, continue on the provincial road 54.
If you sleep in Cicignano, Rocchette and Rocchettine are only 15 minutes away by car.
