Monterubiaglio: Church Art, Castle and Wine Tradition

Monterubiaglio brings together several distinct themes for a trip: religious art and older masonry remains, medieval fortification architecture, walks and wine tradition. If you are planning a hotel stay, you can use these highlights to guide your trip: architectural history, landscape and wine each offer a different focus.

Church Art and the History of a Fortified Settlement

The present-day church of Sant'Antonio Abate contains an older building layer: parts of the walls and apse of an earlier church, as well as fragments of frescoes, lie beneath its flooring. The architectural description thus brings together the present-day church and traces of an earlier building.

One walk takes you to Monterubiaglio and includes a visit to the church of Sant'Antonio Abate and the remains of San Bartolomeo. The two sites therefore form part of a single walk focused on religious and local history.

The fortification architecture can also be understood through specific details. The square Castello Monaldeschi has corner towers and overlooks Piazza dello Statuto. In the 1292 cadastre, the fortified settlement of Monterubiaglio is recorded as a Castrum; the term refers to a fortified place. The medieval castle developed into a fortified complex with a circuit wall, keep and palatium. Castrum denotes the fortified place, while the circuit wall, keep and palatium are elements of the described complex.

A wooden depiction of the Assumption of Mary has been historically associated with local celebrations and local devotion since the 17th century. It adds a focus on art and religious history to the architectural history, without requiring the castle complex to be the main focus.

Walks and Landscape

The archaeological site of Coriglia lies on the northern slope of the hill crowned by Monterubiaglio, overlooking the valley of the River Paglia. This relationship between summit, slope and river valley offers a different perspective on the surroundings from the fortification architecture in the settlement. Coriglia is therefore a distinct point of interest for travelers who would like to understand the landscape setting as well as the churches and castle.

May Celebration and Wine Tradition

Every year in May, Monterubiaglio's patronal celebration combines religious observances with music, food and wine events, and other traditional activities. Unlike the architectural traces of the settlement's history, it is an annual event that can shape the theme of your travel period. If you are traveling specifically for the celebration, check the dates for that year's edition.

The local wine tradition also has a historical dimension. The Cotarella family's connection with the world of wine began in the 1960s, when winegrowers Antonio and Domenico Cotarella built their first wine cellar in Monterubiaglio for their own wine production. Old cellars dug into the rock beneath Monterubiaglio are also associated with a winemaking tradition passed down through generations.

At Baffo DiVino, each course is paired with a selection of the best DOC wines and local wines from Monterubiaglio's historic cellars. The specific menu selection may vary from one edition to another. This event format therefore differs from the broader history of winemaking by bringing food and wine selections together.

Another recorded sequence of events relates to a specific edition: the 2022 Festa della Pistatura program called for the grapes to be placed in the Bigonzone, trodden barefoot and the vessel sealed with cement. In November, the Bigonzone was to be brought back to the square for a tasting of the new wine. This timeframe distinguishes the described custom from the annual May celebrations.

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For the regional travel overview: Terni.