Visit Ferentino
Ferentino is a city very rich in ancient religious buildings, and well worth a visit that is situated in the eastern part of the Lazio region of central Italy.
The city is surrounded by a complex wall which is the result of several successive layers made at different times and with different technologies. Typically the foundations and the lower part of the wall consists of polygonal, square or large boulders, mingled with other more regular structure dating from the medieval walls.Among the various gates that open into the walls the best known is the “Bloody Gate”, located in the oldest part of Ferentino - according to tradition it owes its name to a massacre that occurred in Roman times.
We can begin a visit at the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, built in Gothic style in the XIII century by Cistercian monks. Austere and elegant, it is embellished with three rosettes, a pointed arch portal and many other ornaments, some of unusual appearance. For example, two sculptures located on the left portal of the church depicting the faces of Frederick II of Swabia and Constance of Sicily (1154-1198) seem to bear witness of the good relations between the Cistercian monks and the emperor himself.
The church was restored in 1241 - the entire building was not demolished, but a new part was built entirely with the apse and transept built in the new Gothic- Burgundy style. The façade was raised and enriched with a central rose window and two other roses on the side doors, and it was also decorated with a pointed arch portal. The interior, with three naves, is very solemn; the front is typically Romanesque, while the area of the transept and apse shows clearly a Gothic style, with clustered pillars and cross-vaults. The church contains many medieval sculptures and various inscriptions.
During the same period the Church of Santa Maria of the “Gaudenti” was built. It is mentioned for the first time in 1249, in some documents of Innocent IV (1195-1254), where it is listed as “Ecclesia S. Maria Gaudenti Ferentinatis”. The name derives from the “Gaudenti” Knights to whom it belonged, together with the nearby Palace with which it is traditionally associated. Built on the site of an ancient pagan temple it is built on a polygonal bastion. The church has a single nave, covered by vaults. In one of the four chapels, there is a painting of "Saint Catherine ‘della Ruota’", by Giorgini (19th century). On the floor outside the entrance there is a North Star with eight points - this symbol refers to a mysterious figure linked to esoteric philosophical concepts such as the energy balance.
Near the church is the Palace of the Gaudenti Knights that belonged to the Order of the Knights of “Maria Gloriosa”, formed by militant monks appointed to act as peacemakers between the Italian families. This order has affinities with that of the Knights Templar.
The small church of San Pancrazio dates from before the eleventh century, and it belonged to the Monastery of “Montecassino”. Its name is engraved on the bronze doors of the basilica (“San Pancratius in Ferentinu”). Originally it had three aisles, but now it has a single nave; one was demolished in 1795 because it threatened to collapse, the other is incorporated in the nearby Ruggeri-Bossi Palace. It is known for its marble altar frontal and the elegant capitals embedded in the walls, an evidence of the Cistercian sculpture. The façade was restored, but the access stairway is original and dates back to the original building.
Also worth seeing in Ferentino is the so-called “Roman Market”, dating back to II-I century BC. It consists of a lounge deck, which, through arches, opens on five shops on the side covered with barrel vaults. Also noteworthy is the Monastery of St. Anthony, founded by Celestine V - the mortal remains of Celestine were held here for several years, before they were transferred to the nearby church of St. Agate, from which the inhabitants of Aquila then stole them to carry them to the abbey of Collemaggio. The heart of Celestine remains in Ferentino, guarded in the monastery of Poor Clare nuns.
The Latin poet Horace came to Ferentino very often, because, he said, the place was quiet and away from the noise of the city ["If you love peace, and you like to sleep, and instead you hear the dust, the noise of wagons and inns, I suggest you stay in Ferentino"]. Besides the tranquility, near the town there are the Pompeius Baths, the sulphurous-bicarbonate calcium waters of which were known by the Romans.
Take time to also enjoy the local cuisine which offers tasty traditional dishes, such as noodles, dumplings and soup with 'panesotto'. Among the local products be sure to taste the cheese, wine and meats.
See also history of Ferentino