Overview
Magliano de' Marsi is located at the foot of the Monte Velino massif, immersed in a nature so
uncontaminated that it seems never to have been touched by the hand of man.
This is a territory with a very ancient history, so much so that in its vicinity you can admire one of the most important archaeological sites in Italy: Alba Fucens.
Alba Fucens was an ancient Roman city and within its walls you can see the remains of many buildings, including an amphitheatre, a temple and numerous houses. But listen to what connection there is between this ancient and valuable Roman city and the Abruzzese village. It is said that Magliano de' Marsi was born as the place where the blacksmiths' workshops in the service of Alba Fucens were located, and that its name derives from the Latin word “malleus”.
After this very ancient origin, the first concrete records of the village date back to 1250. In this century, the village began to develop taking the shape and following the structure of the hill of Santa Lucia, preserved until the earthquake of 1915.
From 1528, Magliano de' Marsi was controlled by the Colonna family, who favoured its development and growth. In the same year, however, the village was the scene of a clash between the Colonna family and the Orsini, who challenged each other, as they often did, for control and domination of the Marsica territories. Imagine walking along the cobbled streets of the village, closing your eyes, letting your imagination take you back in time, running back through the centuries, and experiencing those moments that marked the history of a vast territory in Abruzzo, so full of tension and adrenalin. Doesn't it all seem full of fairytale magic?
After this leap into the village's glorious past, we invite you to appreciate its vast religious heritage by visiting the churches that enrich it: the Church of Santa Lucia, whose origins are lost and intertwined in the Roman origins of the village; the Church of the Madonna di Loreto, dating back to the 14th century and preserving two cycles of medieval frescoes in its interior; the Church and Convent of San Domenico, dating back to the 14th century, with a single nave and a wooden pulpit in Dominican style and a finely decorated Renaissance portal; the Church of Santa Maria in Valle Porclaneta, probably built in the 11th century.
But that is not all. For nature lovers, the ideal place is the "Monte Velino" Oriented Nature Reserve, a special piece of paradise in the heart of the uncontaminated nature of the hamlet, among pastures, cliffs, screes and woods within the Sirente Velino Regional Natural Park. The Reserve also has a didactic-museum structure with dioramas, ecoramas and showcases that through models, photos, images and panels tell the history of the area. In addition, there is a botanical garden that reproduces the main environments of the protected area at lower altitudes, the high-altitude grasslands, oak and beech forests, the Cites depository, a collection of over 500 specimens of stuffed birds from Europe and Italy of rare and endangered species, plus an equipped rest area, a wildlife area and aviaries.
Ancient history, art, nature and stories... there is no shortage of reasons to fall in love with this village!