Fara in Sabina: Medieval Village Between the Sabine Mountains and the Tiber Valley

Between a Medieval Borgo and the Sabine Landscape

Fara in Sabina is a medieval village on Colle Buzio between the Monti Sabini and the Valle del Tevere. Those looking for a place with historic character and different cultural points of interest will find narrow lanes, churches, museums and paths through the municipal area here. A walk through the narrow lanes offers the chance to experience the borgo’s old medieval atmosphere. The medieval development of Fara in Sabina also included the construction of the town walls and two entrance gates.

Churches and Traces of the Past

The Duomo di Sant’Antonino is a three-storey building complex. It comprises the present-day church, an original lower church from the 14th century and an upper area that housed the canons’ residences. The canons’ residences in the upper area are functionally distinct from the two church spaces within the three-storey complex. Construction of the present-day Chiesa di Sant’Antonino began in 1501 and was completed in 1506. Another religious attraction is the Chiesa di San Giacomo, a small Baroque church that became the seat of the Misericordia confraternity from 1619. The churches in Fara in Sabina belong to different periods and have had different uses: construction of the present-day Chiesa di Sant’Antonino began in 1501 and ended in 1506, while San Giacomo became the seat of the Misericordia confraternity from 1619.

The Cippo di Cures also points to the early history of the Sabina. It is the only epigraphic evidence from the Sabina within the series of Paleo-Sabellic inscriptions. In the Museo Civico Archeologico della Sabina Tiberina, the chronological range extends from prehistory to Romanization. It mainly houses archaeological finds from Cures and Eretum.

Museums with Different Areas of Focus

The Museo del Silenzio is dedicated to the ascetic practice of silence associated with the Order of the Hermit Poor Clares of Fara Sabina. The museum invites visitors to learn about the lives and belongings of the nuns who lived in the monastery from 1673 onward.

Cammino, Trails and Olive Groves

Fara in Sabina is a stage of the Cammino di Francesco. The route leads from the Valle Santa Reatina to the Abbazia di Farfa and then climbs towards the borgo of Fara in Sabina. When planning the stages, the ascent to the borgo should be considered a separate part of the Cammino. The municipal area also contains the ruins of the Basilica Santa Maria Nova on Monte Acuziano. They can be reached via the well-signposted and relatively easy trail 351A, which begins in the hamlet of Quattroventi.

The area, characterized by olive groves, is associated with Sabina DOP olive oil. When choosing a hotel for your trip to Fara in Sabina, you can therefore focus on a medieval town walk, churches and museums, or trails and landscape-related attractions.

More places for your travel planning: Orvinio, Castel di Tora, Belmonte In Sabina, Pian De' Valli, Antrodoco, Selci, Varco Sabino, Pescorocchiano.

For the broader travel overview: Rieti.