Mazzano Romano: Medieval Borgo and Treja Valley

Mazzano Romano combines a medieval townscape with the landscape of the Treja Valley and several sites of cultural and historical interest. The borgo was built on a steep hill rising from the Treja Valley.

Borgo, Squares and Churches

The medieval borgo includes the Palazzo baronale di Everso e Dolce degli Anguillara from the 15th century. At Piazza dell'Antisà, the recognizable remains of the 16th-century Church of San Nicola have been preserved. The church was built to a design by Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola and demolished in 1940 because it was at risk of collapse. The small Church of San Sebastiano stands at Piazza Umberto I and contains 16th-century frescoes. Together, these sites lead through different layers of Mazzano Romano's history, without requiring you to view the town as a mere open-air museum: the present-day town center remains the setting in which the individual historical traces can be understood.

Archaeology in the Treja Valley

The Museo Archeologico Virtuale di Narce, or MAVNA for short, is an archaeological museum. It focuses on the ancient city of Narce, the archaeology of the Faliscians and the area of the Treja Valley. The museum is located at Piazza Giovanni XXIII 12 in Mazzano Romano. The Colle di Narce is another historical focal point. The summit can be reached from the path in the Valle del Treja; it was the center of an ancient Faliscan city, some remains of which have been preserved.

Hiking Trails between Mazzano and Monte Gelato

Several trails connect Mazzano Romano with the Treja River and historic landscapes. The hiking trail to Santa Maria di Castelvecchio leads from Mazzano Romano along the Treja to the remains of the medieval borgo, which its inhabitants abandoned in the 17th century. Hiking trail 001, “Fossi della Mola di Monte Gelato,” begins in Mazzano Vecchio and follows the Treja River to the area of the Monte Gelato waterfalls. The circular trail “Il cuore del Parco: da Mazzano Romano a Calcata e ritorno” begins in the historic center of Mazzano Romano at Via del Lavatoio and initially descends to the Treja River. For day planning, the three routes differ above all in their starting points: Mazzano Romano, Mazzano Vecchio or Via del Lavatoio.

Monte Gelato: Mill, Waterfalls and Roman Remains

The Monte Gelato complex in the municipality of Mazzano Romano comprises a medieval tower, an old water mill and waterfalls on the Treja River. The restored Mola di Monte Gelato houses a permanent exhibition with models and panels explaining the structure of the mill and the surrounding area. The archaeological site of Monte Gelato also preserves the remains of a Roman villa from the 1st century BC. The history of the water mill includes a specific event from the 19th century: On October 9, 1830, Marquis Urbano del Drago Biscia Gentili applied to the treasurer of the Papal States for permission to build a water mill on the Treja near Monte Gelato.

Getting There and Further Orientation

Mazzano Romano can be reached from Rome by CO.TRA.L. bus services. If you would like to explore destinations beyond Mazzano Romano during your trip to Italy, you can find further destinations here: Osteria Dell'osa, Pavona, Montelanico, Sasso, Morlupo, Anticoli Corrado, Isola Farnese and Prima Porta.

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