Torricella in Sabina

What to see?

The parish church dedicated to the Patron Saint, San Giovanni Battista, is unmissable. The church is in the medieval part of the town, and its construction probably dates to the 12th century. On the façade, remodeled several times, an artistic rose window stands out, with masterfully carved arches and spiral columns referred to as the early fourteenth century. The interior has a single nave; the apse consists of the semicircular curvature of a pre-existing tower. On the walls, fragments of medieval paintings with figures of saints have been discovered. One of these bears the date 1251. Two valuable paintings of the early 16th century have been found on two side altars. A splendid tempera panel depicting Madonna and Child has been at the Superintendence for a period. It was attributed by a few to an anonymous artist from the Umbrian-Lazio region of the 15th century, and by others, more likely, to the school of Lippi. Worthy of interest is a beautiful processional cross embossed in silver, a valuable medieval goldsmith's work from the end of the 14th century, probably from Abruzzo. Outside the village, there is the church of Our Lady of Graces, with an ancient convent annexed to it, located on the road to Poggio San Lorenzo. The precious tempera of the Madonna and Child comes from this church. During the works carried out in the past years, some fascinating frescoes have come to light, hitherto hidden by plaster and paint overlaid without criteria over the centuries. On the right wall, there are a Madonna enthroned with Child and, again, a Madonna and Child and Saint Anthony Abbot; another, well made, is on the second altar on the left, also depicting the Virgin with the Son, and, on the sides, Saint Nicholas of Talentino and St. Catherine of Alexandria. The Rocca di Ornaro Alto dates back to around 1000 and is noteworthy. If you climb to the top of the tower, you can admire the fantastic hills surrounding the village, forming a unique panorama. The building represents the heart of the history of this village. The square below the tower, called Piazza Della Rocca, connects it to the rest of the historic center. Passing through the hamlet of Oliveto Sabino, there are the Palazzo Parisi and the sixteenth-century church of the Most Holy Savior, internally rebuilt in the years 1929- 31. Also of interest is the rock church of Saint Prassede which preserves a fresco of the Virgin and Saint Barbara, and Saint Prassede, patron saint of Oliveto.