The medieval borgo of Montenero Sabino (RI) stands amidst the pristine wild nature of the Sabine mountain range. Montenero probably derives from the Latin Monte Nirium or from Mons Nigrus which references not only the thick, dark vegetation that covers the surrounding area but also the pyrite available in large quantities in the nearby quarries.
The residential settlement stretches out upwards on a rocky spur with a single main road dividing it into two parts which feature the symbols of two ancient powers, temporal and spiritual, the Church of St. Cataldo and the Orsini Castle, which here face off and keep each other in check. The Baronial Palace was created from the castle which probably dated to the early 1000s CE and, although restructured various times over the centuries, still conserves one of its towers and the enclosing walls. The Church, restructured in 1735, has Baroque plasterwork and frescoes and a 19th century wooden statue of the Virgin Mary.
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