Fiamignano

Its origins?

The history of Fiamignano dates back long time ago and is shrouded in mystery. Dionysius of Halicarnassus located in this area the Roman city of Vesbula, while others identified it as the ancient Aequicolous town of Cliternia. There is no doubt that Fiamignano must have been extremely important in the area, given the many inscriptions found in the capital and in neighboring villages. It was certainly one of the cornerstones of the Res publica Aequiculanorum, conquered and subjected to Rome around 300 BC. The territory was dotted with Roman sanctuaries on whose remains churches and chapels were then built. In 591, with the Lombard conquest by Ariolfo, Fiamignano was annexed to the Duchy of Spoleto. During the 9th century, following the Saracen invasions, the old settlements were abandoned and new centers began to emerge to promote defense, so that the history of Fiamignano was closely linked to that of the castle of Poggio Poponesco. Stone houses were built around the high tower of the castle to protect the fortification and the church of Santa Maria. The castrum of Fiamignano developed downstream of the castle. In 1226, during the struggles between Emperor Frederick II of Swabia and the Church, the fief comprising Fiamignano was taken from the Mareri family and passed to the Colonna. When the Mareri tried to take back their lands, the rebel troops destroyed the castle of Poggio Poponesco in 1283 when the current town of Fiamignano began to develop. With the advent of Charles II D’Angiò the territory returned again to the Mareri. In 1523 Fiamignano and the surrounding area was sold by Maria Costanza Mareri to the bishop of Rieti, Pompeo Colonna, who subsequently passed it to the Barberini family that kept it until 1700. Like the rest of the Cicolano, Fiamignano was later included in the Kingdom of Naples, in the district of Cittaducale. In 1927 the Municipality of Fiamignano was annexed to the province of Rieti.