Discover Rocca Priora: Nature, Culture and Local Festivals

Rocca Priora combines a distinctive viewpoint with natural and cultural attractions that can be clearly distinguished when planning your trip. Piazza Zanardelli is the viewpoint of Rocca Priora. The municipality is home to the Madonna della Neve natural monument, which covers three hectares. In the Bosco del Cerquone, you can admire several centuries-old Turkey oaks and pedunculate oaks; their trunk circumference at chest height is more than three metres.

Trails, viewpoints and archaeological landscapes

The CAI-503 trail leads into the town of Rocca Priora and to the Madonna della Neve sanctuary. A panoramic trail also leads from Rocca Priora to Frascati through the archaeological area of Tuscolo. These two connections give your planning different focal points between viewpoints, nature and an archaeologically shaped landscape.

Churches and historical building phases

Santa Maria Assunta is the most important religious monument in Rocca Priora. The church was built at the beginning of the 15th century and consecrated by Cardinal Bessarion in 1464. Palazzo Savelli was reconstructed in 1880 in the style of the 15th century. The building was erected on the ruins of the abandoned baronial palace of the Savelli, which had itself been built by reusing the medieval Castrum of the Annibaldi.

Art at the Museo Benedetto Robazza

The Museo Benedetto Robazza at the Polo Culturale Monsignor Francesco Giacci offers an independent cultural perspective. It houses a permanent exhibition by the sculptor Mario Benedetto Robazza. The exhibition is inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy, and in particular by the 34 cantos of the Inferno.

Festivals, religious traditions and local cuisine

The Madonna della Neve sanctuary dates back to the late 16th century. The solemn procession in honour of the Madonna della Neve still takes place on the first Sunday in August; the Festa Madonna della Neve is celebrated every year between the end of July and the beginning of August. Anyone wishing to include the procession in their plans should schedule their stay around the first Sunday in August. The Festa di Sant’Antonio Abate has been celebrated in January since the second half of the 19th century. At the Sagra dello Scottone, Scottone ricotta is made from milk that has been boiled twice and served hot in earthenware vessels. The Sagra del Fungo Porcino festival takes place during the first two weeks of September.

A historical detail from the town’s history

Rocca Priora’s economic history includes the trade in snow. This activity was significant, reached its greatest development in the 17th century and continued until the middle of the 19th century. Together with the festivals, which vary according to the season, this topic offers another way of exploring the town’s history.

When choosing a hotel in Rocca Priora, you can therefore consider which focus should shape your trip: nature at the natural monument and in the Bosco del Cerquone, trails connected with Madonna della Neve and Tuscolo, sacred and architectural history, or the festivals with their different periods and culinary traditions.

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