Bassiano

The village Bassiano has medieval origins, as shown by the majestic castle walls built by the Caetani family in the 13th century, and by the settlement's distinctive spiral structure. A series of stairways create countless routes amongst the alleys and hidden passages, leading up the hill dominated by the church of Sant’Erasmo and the square with the Civic Tower. The three gates to the village are not simply openings in the walls, but a point of contact between two worlds: rural and urban, interior and exterior. Entering the village through the Porta Nuova arch and looking out from the belvedere terrace, you find yourself immersed in a sea of green made up of oaks, holm oaks and beech trees. The medieval village comprises ancient homes known as “Case Torri” (Tower Houses) interlinked by a series of fascinating alleys.
In addition to the evocative hilly panorama, in Bassiano you can admire the Church of Sant'Erasmo, the Santuario del Crocifisso, and the Santuario della Santissima Trinità (Shrine of the Holy Trinity). The Museo delle Scritture Aldo Manuzio (Aldus Manutius Museum of Writing) – built in honour of the village's most famous citizen – which is a centre for research, preservation and promotion of textual works is very interesting.