Latina: Exploring the roots in the land of the Lepini and Ausoni Mountains

Back to the Roots: Living the Past in the Village of Your Ancestors

Welcome to the village of your ancestors, where every stone tells a story and every narrow street hides ancient family memories. Here, you will not only be a tourist, but a member of the community, warmly welcomed by the local authorities and relatives who are waiting for you with joy.

You will explore the symbolic places of the town, from the ancient walls of the Church to the evocative silence of the Cemetery, up to the archives that jealously guard the historical documents of your family. You will be able to immerse yourself in your genealogy, discovering birth, baptism, marriage and death records, thus finding the roots of your history.

Special encounters will enrich your experience: you will hug the distant relative you knew nothing about and listen to anecdotes from old family friends, which will make you feel at home, even if you are miles away.

You will walk along the ancient alleys, breathing the atmosphere of the past, and you will get lost in the small squares illuminated by the lights of the sunset, letting yourself be enchanted by the slow passage of time.

You will participate in the daily life of the village, attending the religious service and strolling through the colorful markets, where you can taste local products and fully experience the traditions of the place.

The lunch organized by your relatives will be a unique opportunity to savor the typical local cuisine, a journey into the authentic flavors of your homeland.

At the end of your visit, you will receive the “TREASURE CHEST OF MEMORIES”, a precious wooden box containing photos and documents that will accompany you on your return journey, custodians of your family history.

You will experience an unforgettable day in the village of your ancestors, where everyone knows each other and every smile is a link with the past. And even if it’s your first time visiting, you’ll feel that the place has always been a part of you, giving you a feeling of nostalgia and familiarity.

Sonnino

Latina: A trip to Sonnino, the old frontier

The itinerary will start from Sonnino, the town on the old frontier of Latina where the inhabitants had a rebellious nature and were called “accoppa macere” that is jump walls to define the difficulty of being forced into the same territory. You will visit the “Borderlands” Museum in the historic center of the town where you will find documents that tell the story of emigration and the presence of brigands with images of traditional costumes and sets related to the borderlands.

Here you will be guided to discover the ancient tradition of torches, a spectacular celebration that comes to life every year on the eve of the Ascension; A thousand-year-old event that masterfully blends the sacred and the profane. The inhabitants of Sonnino leave the village and head towards the borders, facing a long pilgrimage that ends at dawn the next day, after having marked at night, by torchlight, the entire municipal perimeter where men armed with decorated rifles, fire blanks while the pilgrims sing litanies (women in front and men behind). They are led by four “corporals” who, before leaving, received four large blessed candles from the parish priest in the church.

At the end of the religious service, the long procession starts and the pilgrims are divided into two routes. the “Way Down” and the “Way Up”. The choice to follow a path is determined by belonging to certain families and you never change your course. The procession covers about 30 km and from all the nearby villages you can see the ring of fire that symbolizes the border that has been reconquered.

Fossanova Abbey in Priverno

Latina: A Journey into the Gothic Art and History of Fossanova

You will visit the Abbey of Fossanova, a majestic example of Gothic art founded by Benedictine monks in the twelfth century on a reclaimed canal. The visit is a unique experience, You will enter another dimension, in a space-time rift: with the refectory, the kitchen, the dormitories, the winter meeting room, the chapter house, the pilgrims’ house, the cemetery and the infirmary, these places preserve signs of the close relationship between Fossanova and the Knights Templar.

The Abbey is linked to the death of St. Thomas Aquinas in 1274. who, being in those lands, aware of his imminent death, on the back of a mule, He went there to spend his last hours in prayer and recollection. In the cloister you can see the footprints that, according to legend, were released by the mule carrying the Saint. The church with its perfect acoustics is ideal for concerts, and you can hear the muted voices of the monks praying and singing. The environments inspired the writer Umberto Eco in the writing of the of the masterpiece “The Name of the Rose”.

Maenza

Latina: Maenza, a Medieval Jewel with enchanting views

You will discover the medieval village that preserves its original structure on a rock with passages, alleys, narrow streets. On a clear day you can enjoy the view of the Pontine Islands: Ponza, Zannone and Palmarola.

The history of Maenza is linked to the great feudal families that have succeeded one another over the centuries: the Caetani, the Borgia, the Aldobrandini, the Borghese, the Pecci.

Among the historical monuments, the imposing Baronial Palace in the upper part of the town. You will also be enchanted by the Loggia dei Mercanti, a covered square where merchants took refuge when, arriving in the village at night, they found the access doors closed. From here you can enjoy a splendid view of the Amaseno valley below, the Pontine Plain and the distant Mount Circeo.

Maenza is famous in Italy for the cherries that have been cultivated since the Middle Ages and which, here, are called “Cerase” and are also preserved in alcohol for the Christmas period. The women of the village still make tasty jams and liqueurs with the variety called “sour cherry”.