Description

The town overlooks the Piana del Cavaliere and it is one of the first ones you will encounter crossing from Lazio into Abruzzo. Pereto is nestled in the Carseolani Mountains and is renowned for its 10th century castle that belonged first to count Rostainuccio Cantelmo and then to the Orsini family. As the other towns in the Piana del Cavaliere, Pereto was considered important from a strategic point of view.

Between 1000 and 1400 A.D., Pereto was governed first by abbots from Lazio, and then by those from Montecassino and Farfa. The Orsini family governed the town until 1800, and then the power was in the hands of the Colonna family. Thanks to the abolition of feuds, the Colonna family was forced to give up their lands and leave Pereto for good. The towns of Oricola and Rocca di Botte were annexed to Pereto (they will later become independent at the beginning of the 20th century). At the beginning of the last century, a lot of Pereto locals left their houses to seek fortune in America or Rome.

Pereto is a genuine town, both from an architectural and a structural point of view. You can visit the castle that represents the center of the local cultural life, or the churches of San Pietro and San Silvestro, built around 1400 A.D. Faithful from all over Abruzzo come to visit the church of Madonna dei Bisognosi and the annex monastery, to this day still inhabited by a large group of religious and secular people. The first text mentioning the picture of the Madonna with baby Jesus that came from Seville, Spain, to Serrasecca, date back to 610 A.D.

During the year you will find many different events and festivals held by the local organization, such as the living nativity scene or the many food festival that aim to valorize local product and rediscover ancient traditions.