Ofena

The city of Aufinum, of vestine origins, dominated the Tirino valley along the roman street Via Claudia Nova, and it was part of Italic League under the control of Corfinio, the first Italian capital. In medieval times, it was fortified with perimeter walls and with a central bastion in the command position. The town also participated in the Crusades but over the years, it was slowly abandoned in favor of the villages that developed around the valley.
The church of San Nicola di Bari, patron saint of the town, was strongly linked to the transhumance. In the same square is the palace of the barons who ruled the lands, today of Cataldi-Madonna, with stone portals still perfectly preserved. The church of S. Pietro in Cryptis of the XII century takes this name of the underground crypts where they insist on valuable frescoes of the fifteenth century. The convent of San Francesco is an expression of the Romanesque style that ran through the valley, today abandoned but still of great interest. Near the village, it is possible to admire Grotte Delle Marmitte and the Pagliare (straw houses) along the mountain.