Montenero Sabino

Its origins?

Its name – probably deriving from the presence in the area of quarries of dark flint – was mentioned, for the first time, in 1023 in the Regesto Farfense. The oldest part of the village, at the top, corresponds to the fortified “castrum”, dating back to the 11th century. The part below, the present-day village, developed from the 12th to 13th centuries until the 17th. The human presence is very ancient: this area seems to have been used since prehistoric times for the production of tools and weapons; later it housed the ancient Roman settlement of Pag. Then it was abandoned and devastated, following the fall of the empire, the invasions of the barbarians and the subsequent regrouping of the population in castles. The first attestation of the existence of the castle dates back to 1085; in 1240 Napoleone Orsini bought the Municipality from the Camponeschi family who, probably, had always owned it. From Napoleone Orsini the property passed from generation to generation until around the mid-1400s when the castle became a defensive element of the entire territory. The Orsini family maintained ownership of the fief until the 1600s, when they temporarily gave it to the Mareri, before taking over the ownership. In 1644, it was purchased by the Mattei family from Paganico and, in 1671, Pope Clement X granted this family the transition to the duchy of Montenero. In 1755, Benedict XIV authorized the sale to the Vincentini Marquises of Rieti, who were feudal lords for centuries and owners of the castle until a few decades ago. But even today the manor is known as Castello Orsini and is owned by the municipality.