Itinerary 2 - Where oil is made

We exit the Salaria turning left (for those who come from Rome) at the height of Osteria Nuova, after 2.7 kilometers turn right at the first crossing, towards Frasso Sabino.
After having visited the town return to the crossroad and go to the right towards Poggio Nativo.

Frasso Sabino and Poggio Nativo Frasso Sabino is a tiny medieval town dominated by an imposing tower and by other ruins of an ancient castle. The mastio is instead completely in ruins and invaded by vegetation.

Returning to the crossroad and go left in direction of Castelnuovo di Farfa, you will reach it after approximately 8 kilometers. Situated at 358 m. above sea level, the town is on the ridge of a hill that stands in between two rivers, the Farfa and one of its tributaries, the Riana.
In the town one may visit the Museum of the oil of the Sabina and in its outskirts one may make suggestive excursions to the Farfa gorges.
From Castelnuovo di Farfa one continues for 5 kilometers and reaches the first crossroad. Here our itinerary biforks. Going towards the left, towards Fara Sabina we reach the Abbey of Farfa, while going to the right, towards Poggio Mirteto, we may visit the natural reserve of Tevere Farfa.
We reach the Abbey of Farfa, a little more than a kilometer after the crossroad.

The Abbey of Farfa Church with a basilical interior with a nave and two isles around which there is a large courtyard and two cloisters. It was rebuilt during in late medieval times, inbetween the VII and VIII centuries. The inside of the church is completely decorated: all the walls are frescoed.

From the Abbey one may continue, turning right towards Fara Sabina, for a couple of hundreds of meters and park in località Quattro Venti. This is the crossroad where, along the street from Coltodino and Farfa-Toffia, there is the deviation for Fara Sabina. We continue by foot for a walk on Monte San Martino.

Walk to Monte San Martino Ruins The walk on this hill will allow us to encounter the majestic medieval ruins of San Martino and enjoy the beautiful sight, as we admire the Farfa Valley and the Tiber in the distance.

After the walk we continue in the direction of Coltodino and take the second crossroad to the left in the direction of Canneto Sabino, a small town, at 480 m. above sea level, on the summit of a hill where we may see the oldest olive tree of the whole of Europe.
The tree belonged to the Abbey of Farfa since the VI century, and is of the Bettini family as of 1886.

The olive tree of Canneto Sabino A little detour to go visit that which many consider to be the oldest olive tree of Europe!

To follow the second branch of the itinerary, at the crossroad, after 5 kilometers from Castelnuovo di Farfa turn to the right and after a few hundred meters to the left, towards the route N° 313. You will reach it after 6.6 kilometers and must take it turning to your right towards Poggio Mirteto Stazione, you must then turn to the left towards Torrita Tiberina. Cross the Tiber and then continue towards Nazzano Romano.

The Natural Reserve of Tevere-Farfa The Reserve is where the Farfa flows into the Tiber forming a humid habitat of enormous interest. Walking along the wooden platforms one may visit the marsh and appreciate the richness of its avifauna.