Most of the top 10 tourist attractions in Oriolo Romano are located on or near the Piazza Umberto I. The absolute highlight is the Palazzo Altieri with the Galleria dei Papi.
Top 10 tourist attractions Oriolo Romano
01. Palazzo Altieri di Oriolo
The Palazzo Altieri takes up one side of the Piazza Umberto I. The building was enlarged in 1674 by Pope Clement X (an Altieri himself). The interior of the palace is decorated with frescoes depicting Old Testament events and local landscapes. The Galleria dei Papi is its main attraction.
02. Fontana delle Picche
The Fontana delle Picche was probably designed by a student of Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola. The fountain takes up central position in the Piazza Umberto I. The four heads from which the water spouts are directed towards the four points of the compass. The one facing the, cold, north is wearing a hood.
03. Mola del Biscione
Giorgio Santacroce, the founder of Oriolo Romano, was also the one who had this mill built. Only the outer walls and a series of channels from the river Mignone remain.
04. Faggeta di Oriolo
The beech forest of Oriolo is exceptional in that the trees begin to grow at an altitude of 450 meters, rather than at the usual 700 meters. A bicycle route has been created through this protected area.
05. Olmate
Oriolo is linked to the village of Montevirginio (part of Canale Monterano) by a series of tree-flanked avenues that start just outside the central square and the Palazzo Altieri.
06. San Giorgio Church
The late baroque Chiesa di San Giorgio was built to replace the old small church built by Giorgio Santacroce in the 18th century. In the first chapel you can see a baptismal font from the first version of the church, while above the altar hangs a beautiful painting depicting the saint in combat with the dragon.
07. Palazzo del Governatore
The Palazzo del Governatore was designed by Carlo Fontana. When it still served as the headquarters of the Governatore appointed by the feudal lords of the Altieri family, its cellars served as the city’s prison.
08. Columbarium
The Roman Columbarium dates back to the end of the 1st century A.D. It has a square plan with a black and white floor mosaic. Of the 24 niches in the walls, the lower ones are vaulted and the upper ones are shaped like an aedicula.
09. Fontana Vecchia
Built in the 16th century, the Fontana Vecchia is, as its name indicates, the oldest fountain in Oriolo Romano. The monument is located outside the center, at the beginning of the Fosso della Fiora.
10. Sant’Antonio da Padova Church
The Sant’Antonio da Padova Church and Convent were built on the occasion of the Jubilee Year 1675. Attractions are the five sundials, some paintings from 1761 by Giovanni Pichler and the private chapel of the Altieri family.