Sant'Angelo di Roccalvecce, twenty-five kilometers from Viterbo, has a suggestive nickname: "the land of fairy tales". The reason is obvious: the facades of its houses are full of murals, all drawn from the world of fairy tales and legends; there are even the classics of children's literature, such as "Alice in Wonderland" and "Puss in Boots".
The history of Sant'Angelo di Roccalvecce
Sant'Angelo di Roccalvecce was a small village destined to disappear. He had only about a hundred inhabitants, all elderly, as the young left him in search of opportunities. To save him from oblivion was, in 2017, theCultural Association of Art and Entertainment (ACAS). Which, led by the brothers Gianluca and Paola Chiovelli, takes care of redevelop forgotten villages. Even before being a village to be saved, for Giancluca and Paola Sant'Angelo it was a piece of heart and childhood: it was in fact the village of their grandparents, a place to which they were linked. Thus, that village that seemed destined to suffer the sad fate of the centers of Tuscia Viterbo began to transform itself into an open-air museum.
The first mural was released on November 27, 2017. It was dedicated to Alice in Wonderland, with the White Rabbit and his watch. It dominated, and still dominates today, the facade of a house. Year after year, the murals have increased. Today there are about fifty, but by 2023 they will be one hundred. And thus they will make Sant'Angelo di Roccalvecce an unmissable place of passage for those visiting Tuscia (many commercial activities have reopened, and several new shops follow one another in the center precisely because of the tourists who - here - come from all over the world).
What to see (and what to do)
It is evident that, in Sant'Angelo di Roccalvecce, people come mainly for its murals. Young and old have fun and get excited in front of those huge paintings, which portray must-haves of the children's literature: Pocahontas, The Little Prince, Hansel and Gretel, Don Quixote, Pinocchio. There are so many that, to make sure you see them all, it is good to follow them itineraries developed by the ACAS. All paths merge into the great Path of Castles and Fairy Tales which, about twenty kilometers long, also reaches the nearby municipalities of Bagnoregio, Graffignano, Vitorchiano and Celleno (financiers of some of the works) and the hamlets of Roccalvecce and Grotte Santo Stefano. Those who wish, can then take one of the paths that lead to the archaeological sites of Tuscia, thus combining history with fairy tales.
Furthermore, the Path of Castles and Fairy tales also suggests where to stop and eat. Because not only is this a place of great beauty: it is also a land with food and wine traditions to be discovered. Or to the many taverns that serve the typical dishes of the area: from the traditional cooked water (a soup made from stale bread, field chicory, mint and extra virgin olive oil added raw) to the chestnut and chickpea soup.
Photo in evidence from the Facebook page of S. Angelo "Il Paese delle Fiabe"
