Longone Sabino: Culture, Festivals and Landscape

Longone Sabino combines medieval local history, lively festival traditions and a natural setting in the Alta Sabina. The town lies in a valley known for its natural landscape and is surrounded by forests. The settlements of the municipality lie between the Velino and Turano rivers, opposite Monte Terminillo. Those looking for a holiday apartment or holiday house in Longone Sabino can choose a place where landscape, history and regional customs can be discovered in different ways.

Medieval traces and distinctive local history

U Cinemittu opened in Longone Sabino in 2024.

Longone Sabino has medieval origins. To this day, the town preserves traces of walls and buildings from the feudal period. The hamlet of San Silvestro in the municipality also preserves the characteristics of a medieval village. These two indications of the older settlement history give exploration a clear cultural focus without tying it to a single building.

More recent commemorative history includes the Monumento Attilio Verdirosi. It commemorates the war volunteer Attilio Verdirosi, who was born in Longone Sabino on 1 July 1873 and received the Gold Medal for Military Valour. Another historical stop is the Chiesa di Sant'Antonio di Padova, built in the 17th century. At the Chiesa di Sant'Anna, a spring was considered beneficial; for centuries, women in labour came here to drink its water. This tradition is part of the town's history and should be understood as such.

Festivals, candlelight and regional cuisine

Particularly distinctive is the patron saint's festival of Saints Cosmas and Damian on 26 and 27 September. It includes a procession illuminated exclusively by candlelight after nightfall. During the festival, large bundles of dried broom, known as Foconi, are also set alight on a nearby hill. Those who wish to plan their trip around regional traditions will find a specific occasion here to discover Longone Sabino at a suitable time.

The Sagra della braciola di pecora also shapes the local character. It takes place every year on 16 August and has been organised since 1979. In the village square, around 600 kg of lamb chops and approximately 120 kg of pasta with mutton sauce are cooked on special grills over wood embers. These quantities are part of the festival tradition described and illustrate the importance of communal cooking and regional dishes on this occasion.

Landscape between rivers, forests and nature reserve

Longone Sabino's location offers various ways to explore the surrounding area. The settlements of the municipality lie between the Velino and Turano rivers, opposite Monte Terminillo. Longone Sabino also lies at the foot of the Riserva Naturale del Monte Navegna e Monte Cervia. The Strada del Tartufo e della Castagna della Valle del Turano passes through the town and connects the choice of destination with the regional themes of truffles and chestnuts.

This allows you to plan your trip according to your preferred combination: the focus can be on medieval traces and churches, festivals and their distinctive customs, or the landscape of the Alta Sabina. If you are travelling with different interests, these priorities can be taken into account when choosing your accommodation in Longone Sabino.

Longone Sabino as a starting point for planning your trip

For your travel planning, you can choose the period according to your interests: 16 August is suitable for the culinary festival, while 26 and 27 September are the dates for the patron saint's festival. This gives the search for accommodation in Longone Sabino a specific cultural or culinary focus.

For further orientation, you can also view the pages on Scandriglia, Leonessa, Santa Rufina, Selci, Cottanello, Colli Sul Velino, Greccio and Casperia.

For the overarching travel overview: Rieti.