Belmonte in Sabina is a small town in the center of the province of Rieti, 15 kilometres from the provincial capital. Its most famous landmarks are a 1st-century Roman bridge and a pre-Roman cyclopen wall.
Belmonte in Sabina travel guide
Useful information
Tourist information: There is no information office.
Town hall: The address of the town hall is Piazza Roma, 27 – 02020 Belmonte in Sabina (tel. +39 076577000).
Railway station: The city does not have a train station. The nearest one is in Rieti.
Belmone in Sabina Hotels | Top 10 tourist attractions
Tourist attractions
Close to the borough of Collina are some massive cyclopean walls from pre-Roman times. Ruins of a Roman villa can also be seen here, along with the 64-metre-long Ponte del Sambuco (1st century AD).
The Sant’Elena Church was probably built on a pagan temple.
The city’s most beautiful churches are San Salvatore Church and Santa Rufina Church. The latter houses an interesting “Madonna and Child”.
Highlights at the San Nicola Monastery are the 16th-century frescoes and the 17th-century wooden statue of St Francis.
A brief history of Belmonte in Sabina
Although the oldest documents referring to Belmonte date from the 14th century, the town was probably founded in the 12th century. Traces of settlements have been found, indicating that people lived in the territory as early as prehistoric times. The caves of Zoccani are an example of this.
Throughout history, Belmonte has been a fief of several families. The first were the Brancaleone, who were succeeded by the Cesarini. In the 17th century, the Mattei took over. This family was followed by the Lante Della Rovere, the Muti and the Lepri. The rapid succession of feudal lords led to a high degree of misrule.
The municipality was given its current name in 1863. Previously, the town was simply called Belmonte, but since that is a common name in Italy, it was then given the addition in Sabina.
Until 1923, Belmonte was part of the province of Perugia. From 1923 to 1927, it belonged to the province of Rome.
How to get to Belmonte in Sabina by car
The city is located off the SS4 (Via Salaria) beween Rome and Ascoli Piceno.