Saracinesco, located about 50 km northeast of Rome, is perched on a rocky outcrop towering 908 m above the Aniene river valley, in the heart of Ruffi Mountains. It is a very picturesque place, founded by a band of Saracen raiders from North Africa around 890 A.D....
The name comes from its foundation by the Saracens who, according to local tradition, wildly sacked churches and monasteries of the Aniene valley in the last decades of the 10th century.
The history
The village
- The Museum of Time
- Benedictine fortress (11th century)
- Ruins of the Roman aqueduct "Anio Novus"
- Church of St. Michael the Archangel (13th century)
- Saracinesco is a good starting point for some excellent walks in Ruffi Mountains
Nature
Information
The Giovenzano valley
The Giovenzano valley is a green valley along the Tiburtina Valeria, inside the Aniene river valley. The 7 municipalities of the Giovenzano valley are: Cerreto Laziale, Ciciliano, Gerano, Pisoniano, Rocca Canterano, Sambuci and Saracinesco. Those are very nice little towns surrounded by woods, green fields and mountains.