Small houses clinging to the side of a hill, in the heart of luxuriant countryside and woods: this is the village of Maenza.
Maenza rises at a height of 300 metres, which can be reached by a few steep climbs. Once you arrive in the central square of the village, a sort of crossroads, as soon as you leave the car you immediately understand that ‘the beauty’ is even higher. The landscape changes (again) and so begins a long and pleasant walk – uphill – through a beautifully preserved medieval village. Continuing and immersing more and more in the historical centre of the Pontine village we find the Loggia dei Mercanti a covered square used as a market in the Middle Ages, still today you can see some flagged doors that testify to the ancient shops; after its restructuring it is used for meetings and events.
At the side of the Loggia we find the Porta Maggiore an ancient gateway to Maenza overlooked by a Ghibelline tower, the current symbol of the city.
Palazzo-Pecci-what-to-see-Maenza-latinamipiaceNearby we find Palazzo Pecci, an ancient palace of the counts Pecci, belonging to the family of Pope Leo XIII, which is currently half private and half of the municipality.
We now head in the direction of Piazza Bouffemont dedicated to the French town with which Maenza is twinned since 1991, and finally arrive in Piazza del Duomo where we find the church of Santa Maria Assunta in Cielo and the baronial castle.
