Sermoneta is a fortified historic town ranked among the best-preserved medieval architectural complexes in central Italy. The city is picturesquely situated on a hill and a medieval castle dominates it.
The town has its roots in the Middle Ages, and the buildings and, above all, the monumental, stone Caetani castle towering above the houses, owes to the wealthy Caetani family, to which it belonged from the beginning of the 13th century. Sermoneta's cultural role lasted until the 18th century. At the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, the humanist Aldo Manuzio lived and worked here. The baroque painter Antonio Cavallucci also came from the city.
The main attraction of Sarmoneta is the Historical Center with stone houses, narrow, cobbled streets and lots of atmospheric alleys. The most valuable monument here is the thirteenth-century Romanesque-Gothic Church of the Virgin Mary of the Assumption. In turn, in the Renaissance church of San Giuseppe, you can admire the 16th century frescoes that decorate the chapel of the founders, the Caetani family. In the body of the church, there are also visible fragments of an earlier Romanesque building from which it was rebuilt.
In the mountains near Sermoneta there is also the Romanesque Abbey of Valvisciolo, founded in the 12th century by the Cistercians. It is not only a valuable monument, but also an extremely picturesque place, famous for its beautiful views and wild nature.
