
Cantalice is a little gem built vertically along a steep spur of rock from which you can admire the lakes along Ripasottile. It is located in a part of Sabina which has always been the land 'border'. In 774, with the arrival of Charlemagne, the Sabina was the "Terminatio Confinorum" border between the Ducato Longobardo and the rising Papal States. For this reason, the Sabina is divided into "Roman" and "Rieti". In 1200, with the annexation of the Diocese of Rieti to the Papal States, Sabina entered the Papal States, although some towns were part of the Norman kingdom and then Angevin. The village of Cantalice is part of Anjou and was formed around the XII century along the path that connects the Rocca di Sopra Castello, the small fortress of the Valley and the Rocca di Sotto, on a slope leading down to the valley. Conflicts between Rieti and Cantalice continued for centuries and reached a peak in 1577, when the people of Rieti violently assaulted the town which resisted and drove the enemies back. It was during these battles that the motto "Fortis Cantalicia Fides" was established, and it is still reported in the town's coat of arms that represents an eagle with open wings on a tower flanked by a lion and a holm oak. Cantalice takes its name from Holm Cantalice. Cantalice was given in 1539 by Emperor Charles V to his daughter Margaret of Austria, second wife of Ottavio Farnese. The Farnesi ruled the town until the eighteenth century when, as a result of family problems, it was returned to the Kingdom of Naples.
# specialfood

Black truffle
Cantalice is known for its numerous truffles from which we extract the precious black truffle,…
# specialarts

Feast of San Felice
On May 18 Cantalice celebrates its patron San Felice and the statue of the saint,…

Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie
This church is one of the oldest in the country and is located on a…

San Liberato Church
Outside Cantalice, in the village of San Liberato, is the parish church and the old…

Santa Maria del Popolo
This church in the heart of the village was dedicated to Santa Maria del Popolo…

Misericordia Church
Coming down from the top of the village, you find the Misericordia church with an…

Church of Peace
Outside the town of Upper Cantalice is the fifteenth-century Church of Peace. There are interesting…

Fontana Scentella
According to some legends, the name may derive from the evolution of Cantalice 'catà and…

Ramacogi Palace
At the centre of the village is Palazzo Ramacogi and, bevelled on the entrance door,…
# specialfun

Lakes Nature Reserve along Ripasottile
Cantalice dominates the plain of Rieti with a view over the three lakes (Long, Ripasottile…