Situated in the heart of the generous land of Sabina, in a strategic position in the capital Rieti and in the neighboring valley of the Tiber, Casperia owes its name to a Roman settlement or, more likely, Sabine. One name, however, which was acquired recently, in 1947, when, wanting riallacciarsi its origins oldest. The town decided to abandon the name Aspra. That was accompanied throughout the Middle Ages. The site of Casperia, therefore, goes back to a pre-Roman era, to the point that it is considered among the most ancient of Sabina, if not the first city built in the pre sabina. Among scholars, however, there is no equality of views on the effective identification of the country with Casperia sabina, which, beyond tradition, there is no objective evidence in buildings or buildings. But if not legitimate identification is talk, there is no doubt that this had to exist quell'insediamento whose memory sinks in the myth of the birth of Rome, but the events that preceded: Virgil, in fact, cites as Casperia one of the allies of rutulo Round, which is opposed to Aeneas in a vain attempt to prevent the men who came from nearby East and the defeat of Troy, to take possession of the territories south of the Tiber. But in Rome Casperia which owes its organization in municipium. The remains of Roman no shortage in the territory, even if they are not such as to suggest the idea of a comprehensive settlement. And the rest is known to all Sabina is characterized from the point of view archaeological especially for the large presence of Roman villas, rustic or employers, rather than on large remains monumental. On the way to the neighboring Cantalupo, are visible remains of Roman buildings, in town Paranzano: walls of rustic villas, a piece of road paved in large blocks, while some statue and some entries were taken elsewhere. The fall of the empire of Rome also led to an inevitable collapse of the country, however, during the middle had already taken its vitality albeit on the basis of that great center of power and culture that was the Farfa Abbey . The subsequent decline of ecclesiastical institution freed powerful forces and the ability to organize people Aspra as at the country's name was-that, in fact, in 1189 became a free municipality, on the great movement autonomistico that motivated mainly centers of nearby Umbria. This was the period that gave an impression urban planning, construction and monumental that though accompanies the center Sabine. The municipal era did not last beyond the period of major towns. In 1278 Aspra giurava vassallaggio the Holy See and years after the territory was divided reminds the Silvestrelli-among families in the country, with the understanding that the town had inherited the shares of those families who were extinguished. In the lordships, around fourteenth century, Aspra entered the domain of feudal Nicholas Place of Ranieri, ladies in Perugia was the testimony of the strong propensity towards that this had major centers of political power and military Umbria. In 1376 the town of Rome obtained from Aspra act vassallaggio. The events in the city had to undergo further changes in the period immediately after, when Aspra was entrusted to the first family of Savelli (end Trecento-inizio XV), and later Orsini, to return yet aiSavelli the beginning of the sixteenth century. Shortly before the end of the sixteenth century, specifically in 1592, Aspra back, this time permanently, to the state of the Church, which remained until the unity of Italy.

The medieval town

  The image of the country of Casperia is spectacular, from modest, but svettante and isolated hill on which it was built, the city appears as a compact fifth made of medieval buildings, such as the emerging high and close to four to five buildings floors that once were known houses, made to live and, if necessary, to defend themselves. Dall'agglomerato urban clearly shows the bell tower of the Church of St. John the Baptist. A Casperia not enter by car. And once you enter the door on foot, you immediately recognize the traits of urban medieval ie organization urbanitica depending on defensive needs. Surrounded by walls and towers that constitute the first stage defensive, develops around a road system that rises avvolgendosi, almost snail through small streets and staircases leading to the upper part where the town is located and higher parish church.

RITORNA