Monte Rinaldo

A Brief History

After the first settlement of the Picenians, who arrived from Sabina, and the Roman conquered territories, the history of the old urban centre of Monte Rinaldo begins in the early 10th century. At this time, Malugero Melo, son of Drogone of Altavilla, a Norman count from Puglia, ran away with his mother Porzia to Fermo, where he married a woman named Morica.

He had three children, one of which was named Rinaldo, to whom he built and gave a castle, which still stands on the present town area.

Historical and Naturalistic Routes

Our journey begins at the River Aso, the primary source of life. Ascending the green hills surrounding the river, you reach a dell of different ancient districts, such as Cuma. Here the Romans built an Hellenic-style temple around 268 B.C, which was discovered and excavated between 1957 – 1962. It was a meeting point for local people living all over the territory. In addition, the building of Roman villas in the Middle ages arose all over the region.

The exploration of the temple began in 1957, and has so far uncovered and re-assembled some architectural elements of a portico measuring 66 metres in length, and consisting of a basic wall of big tuff blocks and a double row of tuff columns. The central columns of the portico are the tallest at 6.8 metres, and exhibit the Ionic-Italic style capitals; the outer columns are roughly 4.75 metres in height and are Doric-styled. At the western end of the portico you can see a room of 9x6 metres, which was built later, a conclusion deduced from the style of three Ionic column capitals that rise up at the front between two pilasters.

The temple on the high podium is supported by a foundation made up of Tuscan volcanic tuff, which also exhibits signs of a two-phase progressive widening, while fire traces can be seen on the artistic groups (worked by means of the terracotta technique) belonging to frontons and friezes. The fire traces are believed to have been caused by fighting during the Picenian era. Moreover, excavations have unearthed some parts of fictile statues. Among these are included images of men dressed in armour and breeches, which probably relates to the fronton as a composition of a heroic subject with probable references to local historical episodes. It is not currently possible to restore the fronton groups, also the mystery of the temple cannot be solved. No one knows to whom it was devoted, and whether it had one or three cells with two side niches. Hence, the historical archaeological setting is still unknown.
 
Continuing on our journey, we reach Montorso, here the church of Santa Maria lies, constructed from recycled Roman material. It is also where a castle once stood, and both buildings were probably constructed around the year 1000 A.D.

Walking along the village towards the south you will reach the church of SS. Soccorso, which dates back to the 11th century and was once devoted to Saint Flaviano. It is situated on an ancient crossroad and has a fountain as well. It was modified in the Baroque age.

Heading North we reach the Indaco ditch, the seat of water mills over the centuries. The old system consisted of canalisation of side ditches.

Going up alongside the Indaco, deep in lush vegetation we reach the district of Bucchiano with its towered, Roman tomb, upon which the castle of Bucchiano and the churches of San Giacomo and San Pietro were built during the Frankish age but were destroyed in 1379.

In this area near the Indaco one can find groups of Oak. This tree has a history of worship in the region as it was regarded as sacred by the followers of Jupiter, and is still used by the local people in anything from domestic to building purposes.
 
Heading up into the hills you can reach the Monte Rinaldo, with its church of Santo Rosario (1750), the parish of San Leonardo and San Flaviano (13th century) and palazzo Giustiniani (18th century) built, like all other houses, on the ancient castle walls. On the top of Monte Rinaldo there exist traces of the first urban centre of Frankish-Longobard origin dating back to the 10th century.
 
In the district of Cuma-Bucchiano you can appreciate a beautiful, rolling landscape, which is crossed by typical white country roads. The vegetation is predominantly Mediterranean, but with age-old oaks and poplars, the area is far from the typical scrub land associated with the Mediterranean. Moreover, along the two rivers, the Aso and the Indaco, there is typical, lush riverside vegetation.

Exhibitions and Folk Festivals

• 3rd Sunday of July – Capitello d’oro, festival of children’s choir
• 2nd Sunday of August – festival of Mutton (Castrato)
• 30th November – fair of Sant’Andrea

Gastronomy

The economy is mainly rural and hence continues to produce olives and the famous Picenian pickled olive (produced using the local cold-singeing method). Along with olives, the region continues to cultivate pears, apples, grapes named Palma, and wholemeal bread. Local sheep help produce Pecorino (a cheese that is quoted in the recipes of the famous Luigi Veronelli). Also the Picenian sow is used for sausages, which were already famous during the times of the Romans (referred to by Pliny the Elder, Martial).

Some typical dishes are Vincisgrassi (baked noodles), lamb, mutton, porchetta (roast suckling pig), salted pork and, of course, olive oil. Wines include white, Picenian red, cotto (cooked).