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Vacone

In Vacone, silence and tranquility reign, all accompanied by a breathtaking view and a characteristic village of alleys where time has magically stopped.

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Population

245

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Area

9,1 km²

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Altitude

517 m

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Where is it?

Vacone is a small town located 512 meters above sea level on a ridge of the Sabine Mountains. The territory, which extends for just over 9 square kilometers, has about 235 inhabitants. The smallest restaurant in the world is in the municipality of Vacone, called “Solo per Due” as it has only one table for two people available.

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Its origins?

Vacone is mentioned for the first time in the Farfense register in the year 1027, the date on which the Lombard noblewoman Susanna, with her husband's consent, donated to the abbey of Farfa what she had inherited from her father Landolfo and her mother Tassia in Vacone Castle. At the beginning of the 13th century, the castle fell into the power of a Roman noble family (Ogdolina). The population reacted violently to the imposition of the noble domain to push Pope Gregory IX to regain the rights of the Vacone castle. It remained under the direct control of the Church at least until 1278, when it swore fidelity to Niccolò III, then it passed to the Orsini. The last owner of Vacone was the Marquis Antonio Clarelli of Rieti, who on 18 November 1816 renounced his feudal rights over the property. During the parenthesis of the French dominion, Vacone was first ascribed to the Clitunno department and then to the Rome one in the Rieti district. With the Restoration and the reform of 1816-1817, Vacone became part of the Sabina province. After the annexation to the Kingdom of Italy in 1860, Vacone was assigned to the Province of Perugia. In 1923, it passed under the Province of Rome until 1927, when it became part of the newly established Province of Rieti; from 1928, it lost its status as an autonomous municipality, merging into Cottanello. However, it regained it in 1946.

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What to see?

Just before entering the village, there is a fountain. The water that flows here comes from the Collalto springs that can be tasted directly from the fountain. Characteristic is the entrance door to the village, surmounted by a tower, the only remaining part of the ancient castle walls. At the top, there is a clock and the stone coat of arms of the last family, still visible above the door arch of the feudal lord of Vacone: the Marini Clarelli. Through the town door that leads to the old village of Vacone, at the end of the first section of the staircase, is the so-called Terrazza Della Sabina, a balcony looking out over a breathtaking panorama from which it is possible to admire the mountain. Soratte, the Cimini Mountains, and, on a clear day, also catch a glimpse of Rome. Also worth visiting is the Parish Church of Saint John the Evangelist, which was built in the 12th century on the ruins of the temple dedicated to the goddess Vacuna (Fanum Putre Vacunae) and renovated in the 18th century. The cult of the Sabine goddess Vacuna, from which the village name derives, was introduced by Numa Pompilius, king of Sabine origin, and was particularly felt by the Romans. The divinity was considered the protector of those who devoted themselves to the countryside to restore the spirit and reinvigorate their strength. Therefore, a sort of protector of holidaymakers’ ante litteram. The Vacone Castle, which can be visited only from the outside, is one of the beauties of the village. Inside the castle garden, higher than the castle itself, you can see the centuries-old holm oak of Vacone, one of the monumental trees of the Sabina. The itinerary ends by reaching the Pago, the magical sacred wood already sung by Pliny. The inhabitants of Vacone are particularly attached to this place still today, which is the setting for many of the town's festivals.