Terelle - Colle San Magno

The Path between Terelle and Colle San Magno was certainly used in antiquity when the valley had marshy and dangerous areas. Then the route was used by the Germans to supply the defensive lines of Gustav and to transport the wounded to the rear. Today it is a splendid way to hike and visit two beautiful medieval villages.

1.a The Medieval Castle of Terelle The medieval fortress of Terelle, better known today as the Castle of Terelle, was built between 1117 and 1127 by the Lombard Counts of Aquino, Lando and his son Pandolfo, to carry out raids on the possessions of the Abbey of Montecassino. Duke Boncompagni-Ludovisi sold it in 1583 to King Ferdinand IV of Bourbon, along with Aquino, Arce, Roccadarce, Santopadre, Roccasecca, Colle S. Magno and Palazzolo (Castrocielo). It was confiscated in 1812 by the French and granted to the wealthy Iannarelli family of Belmonte (Castello), victims of banditry against the French of that time. A few decades later, it became the property of the Biondi family of Terelle, who still own it today.

1.b. The Medieval Village of Colle San Magno Colle San Magno was founded in the 11th century when a group of residents from “Castrum Coeli,” a castle built on the summit of Mount Asprano, were forced to leave due to climatic conditions. This town was also a point of contention between the Aquino family and the Abbey of Montecassino. Later, however, it caught the attention of Abbot Masone of Montecassino, who had the impressive fortifications built on Mount Asprano. The positioning of the military outposts was highly strategic for the Benedictines as they guarded the access points to the Val di Comino, which was the most fertile area of the Abbey’s domains. For this reason, its history is interesting within the framework of the Benedictine territorial organization. Its name derives from the martyr and saint Magno of Anagni. The historical center is mostly medieval, surrounded by impressive walls commissioned by the Lords of Aquino, and develops around the tower of the ancient palace, built in the 13th century and renovated after the earthquake of 1984.

If you visit Colle San Magno on Easter Monday, you can join the faithful who climb Mount Asprano and reach the small church dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta in Cielo, a Marian sanctuary built in the 1300s. Here, the citizens of Colle San Magno meet the faithful coming from Castrocielo, and together they witness the famous “bacio delle due Madonne” that each group brings with them.

At the same summit, at an altitude of 750 meters, you can visit the remains of the Castle of Castrum Coeli, which was the first refuge that the inhabitants of Castrocielo found to escape the raids of the Lombards, Saracens, and Normans in the valley.