Walking along the ancient Via Amerina, which in Roman times played a major role as a fast communication route, mainly for commercial purposes: the itinerary in Alto Lazio, where Fabrica di Roma and Civita Castellana are now standing winds through this ancient road from San Lorenzo to Falerii Novi, and to the Romanesque church of Santa Maria di Falleri.
Falerii Novi is a Roman city that was erected following the destruction of Falerii in 241 BC: the city circuit was 2108 meters long, its shape resembles that of a triangle and the walls constitute an excellent example of Roman military architecture. In defense of the city there were about 80 towers, 50 of which are still well preserved.
Little or nothing has been visible of the buildings inside the walls: the most preserved structure is the Cistercian abbey church of Santa Maria di Falleri, built at the end of the twelfth century by the initiative of monks from Savoia: to the portal they also worked on some “cosmati” marbles that probably inspired ancient monuments already in the area. On the other hand, Via Amerina, which is the lesser known among the great Roman roads, during the Middle Ages was of strategic importance, allowing the direct link between the Duchy of Rome and the Esarcato di Ravenna, constantly threatened by Lombardy pressure. The road, along with the dozens of rocky tombs in the southern necropolis of the nearby town of Falerii Novi, form an extensive archaeological area, and is one of the most important historical records of the area formerly inhabited by Falisci.