I Cascinali (Fiastra)

History of I Cascinali

Benedictine monks settled in the Fiastrone valley before the year 1000. As their first home they chose a rocky area of the Rio Sacro valley, where they built the monastery of San Salvatore di Rio Sacro, in the area now called I Cascinali. No exact founding date is known, but the abbey existed before 985.

A papal bull of 1192 gave it jurisdiction over nine churches, including that of Santa Maria de Merigu. The abbey was the center of religious life for the whole valley. Its heyday lasted until around 1500, when the monastery was entrusted to commendatory abbots. They squandered the abbey's assets and forced the monks to move to that same church of Santa Maria de Merigu, today Santa Maria di Meriggio.

What to see at I Cascinali

What remains of the monastery are ruins and traces of walls, which emerge from the thick woods in the Cascinali area. There is no intact building to visit: the appeal of the place lies in its historical memory and in the natural setting of the Rio Sacro valley.

How to visit I Cascinali

The remains are partly swallowed by vegetation and have to be searched for on site. Before setting out it is worth checking the weather and, since this is a wooded area in the mid-mountains, wearing suitable clothing.

Where I Cascinali is located

I Cascinali is in the Rio Sacro valley, within the municipality of Fiastra, inside the Sibillini National Park in the Sibillini Mountains. The Rio Sacro flows down toward the Fiastrone stream, a short distance from Lago di Fiastra, a lake.

Near I Cascinali

The monks of San Salvatore moved to the abbey of Santa Maria di Rio Sacro, near Meriggio. It stands on a knoll along the left bank of the Fiastrone, not far from Lago di Fiastra. The Castle of the Varano in Fiastra is also in the area. For other places of historical interest, see the page on archaeological sites in the Sibillini.