Salisano
A town whose name is already a legend, all to be discovered and admired: this and much more is Salisano.
Population
496
Area
17,5 km²
Altitude
460 m
Where is it?
Salisano is one of the most characteristic towns of the Sabina. Its territory, which rises 460 meters above sea level on the foothills of the Sabine mountains, overlooks the Farfa valley. The Tancia mountain range frames the village. The municipality covers an area of 17.6 square km and counts 550 residents. The village's name derives, according to tradition, from that the only access road to the town put a strain on the physical resistance of the people who intended to reach it and could therefore only be traveled by those who were physically healthy.
What to see?
Salisano has a characteristic medieval historic center. Visitors can admire the Church of Santi Pietro e Paolo, built around the eighth century, and located in the historic center. It was formerly dedicated only to St. Peter. Today, it has a simple facade, in neoclassical style, on which two bell towers stand out. Its current external structure dates back to an outstanding restoration work around 1700; in old times, the Church was endowed with a single bell tower with a clock. All that remains of the original façade is the 15th-century portal and a small stone coat of arms with two decussate keys. The clock in the centre of the entablature is no longer the original one, as the latter was damaged by lightning in 1680. The castle of Rocca Baldesca is one of the points of interest in the village. It was likely built as a guard outpost of Salisano before the town became a castle (1050). Rocca Baldesca is among the most spectacular disappeared Castles of Sabina. It is located on the top of the relief (at an altitude of 238 meters above sea level) between two stream beds - the Fosso di Rasciano and the Fosso Salisano - which throw into the river Farfa. Its ruins suggest that it was a large fortification that, over time, had gathered the civil population inside. It is precisely the tower that characterizes Rocca Baldesca: in fact, it appears in the middle of the wood that has swallowed up all the rest, in an elevated position, perfectly visible from the curvy road that climbs from the plain towards Salisano. In Salisano, there are also magnificent excursions in the surrounding area that allow you to reach the top of Mount Ode (964 m.) through green meadows and the surprising Pozze del Diavolo between waterfalls and water games. The path to the right of the Fosso Dei Cipressi leads up to the Monumental Cipresseta, an extraordinary forest of cypresses whose original layout dates back hundreds of years ago. Noteworthy is a section of the underground aqueduct from the Roman era discovered in Monte Cese. Also worth a visit is the Franciscan Convent of St. Diego, which was built in 1559 and finished after three years. It was restored by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. Among the municipal documentation, all the rental contracts starting from 1868 are available. From a technical point of view, an underground cistern under the cloister built before the convent in 1575 by Lombard workers is fascinating.
