Piglio: Cesanese Wine, Castles and Sacred Sites

Piglio combines wine with fortified and sacred sites. The town lies at the foot of Monte Scalambra; from Piglio, you can look out over the Valle del Sacco. At the same time, Piglio is part of the growing area for red Cesanese wine with DOCG status. Highlights include Castello Colonna, Castello Baronale, San Lorenzo Monastery, San Lorenzo Church and the Santuario Madonna delle Rose.

Castles and sacred sites

Castello Colonna rises at the highest point of the town and was built around the year 1000. Piglio's Castello Baronale is a doubly fortified complex consisting of two areas. The Upper Castle is also called Castello Superiore or Castello Alto; the Lower Castle is called Castello Inferiore or Castello Basso. Castello Colonna and Castello Baronale thus represent two distinct fortified points of reference in the town.

Piglio's sacred character includes several independent sites. San Lorenzo Monastery in Piglio was founded by Francis of Assisi and lies at an altitude of 850 m amid forests of elm, holm oak and laurel trees. San Lorenzo Church houses an urn containing the mortal remains of Blessed Andrea Conti. In the southern part of Piglio, you will also find the Santuario Madonna delle Rose; from there, you can look out over the valley below. The monastery and the santuario are located in different parts of Piglio: one at 850 m in a forested setting, the other in the south with views over the valley.

Cesanese and regional products

Piglio is part of the growing area for red Cesanese wine with DOCG status. The Cantina Sociale is a sales outlet where the wines of member companies and other regional products are available. The DOCG status assigns red Cesanese wine to the growing area around Piglio.

The Sagra dell'Uva “Cesanese del Piglio” is also associated with Cesanese. Following a two-year interruption due to the pandemic, its 48th edition took place from September 30 to October 2, 2022.

Routes for culture and landscape

Six routes were created for the Strada del Vino Cesanese as part of Safari d’Arte. They can be viewed via the free Safari d’Arte app or through the project's publications. The routes pass through Acuto, Affile, Anagni, Paliano, Piglio and Serrone, thus extending beyond Piglio. For route planning beyond Piglio, the itinerary therefore includes several places outside Piglio.

Piglio is also one of the places along the Via Francigena del Sud, particularly on the Prenestina-Casilina route. The Strada del Vino Cesanese and the Via Francigena del Sud thus stand alongside each other as two distinct route connections.

More places for your travel planning

Vicalvi, Alvito, Acuto, Pico, Casalvieri, San Donato Val Di Comino, Ausonia, Veroli

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