Pastena to discover

Pastena is a Lazio town in the province of Frosinone; rises at 318 meters above sea level and has 1,500 inhabitants. Pastena is inserted in the splendid natural theater of the regional park of the Ausoni mountains and of the Fondi lake, in the heart of Ciociaria. The name of the village derives from the Latin pastinatum, or hoe, the work tool always used by local farmers. Its imposing defensive towers and the walls that surround the historic center testify to its past as a border area between the Papal State and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Walking through the characteristic alleys of the historic center, glimpses of enchanting beauty open to the visitor's eyes. In Pastena there is the paternal house of Nino Manfredi, today a museum in memory of the great actor. The main monument of the village is the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, dating back to the 11th century. The façade is made of brick and houses the images of the patron saints Elena and Sinforo in two niches. The interior has three naves and houses the relics of San Sinforo. On the baroque altar there is the suggestive relic of the Holy Cross, a small fragment of the cross of Christ. Not far away is Palazzo Trani from 1789, today the seat of the town hall and the museum of peasant civilization; inside it retraces the history and life of the local population, largely devoted to agriculture and livestock, as Pastina did not know noble or high-ranking families. The pearl of the village are certainly the splendid caves located not far from the historic center. Formed by the slow working of the waters, they offer visitors a magical and unmissable spectacle: stalactites and stalagmites dating back to the Mesozoic period. Lastly, Pastena is famous for the cherry festival, a product of local excellence.