Santa Vittoria sits on Monte Matenano, at an altitude of 650 metres , between the valleys of the Aso, the Tenna and the Ete Vivo, in a central position between the Adriatic Sea and the Sibylline Mountains National Park. It was founded in the year 890 by Abbot Peter I of the Benedictine monastery of Farfa, south of Rome, when the Abbey there was besieged and eventually captured by Saracen marauders. It became the centre of monastic power and of the 'Farfense’ territory in the Marches. In 924 the Abbot Ratfredo ordered the body of the 3^rd-century Roman Virgin and Martyr Victoria to be brought here, and the village was given her name. Her remains are still preserved in a marble urn in the crypt of the large Collegiate church at the top of the town. The travertine sarcophagus is an elegant example of 14th-century sculpture. The sides of the lid tell the story of the martyrdom of the Saint and her fight with a dragon in the castle of Trebula.

The power of the ‘Farfensi’ – the monks from Farfa – led to continual economic growth, above all in agriculture and craft trades, but also to the development of culture. Santa Vittoria became a literary and artistic centre, as shown by the books and codices of its Abbey, one of which, preserved in the library in Ascoli Piceno , contains the oldest vulgate document in the Marches (the Monastic-Miscellany codex, part 1, the "10th-century Benedictine Rule"). The same library also holds the codex of the ‘Ritmo di Sant’Alessio’, another product of the scriptorium of Santa Vittoria; this is a poetic narration in Italian originating in the 13^th century, considered one of the first examples of the Italian language. The status of ‘Comune’ (Borough) was granted in the 13th century and in 1406 a statute was drawn up, the original of which is preserved in the town archive together with numerous 13^th-century manuscripts and other old official documents from the period between 1481 and 1791.

The old town centre has always preserved its ancient mediaeval layout, with the addition of many houses from the period of the Risorgimento and other interesting monuments. The monastery and the castle were demolished in 1771, but at the woody summit of Mount Matenane there remains a beautiful smaller chapel, the Chiesa della Resurrezione or "Cappellone", with valuable 15th-century frescoes. The bricks of the old monastery were used to build the vast neo-classical edifice of the ‘Collegiata’, a solid construction with three naves in a Latin cross format (1783-93). Santa Vittoria acquired the suffix ‘in Matenano’ (‘on the Matenane’) in the 19th century, when the unity of Italy made it necessary to distinguish between towns of the same name scattered around Italy.

Unlike most towns and villages in the area, which are gathered around a main square, Santa Vittoria has a ‘high street’: Corso Matteotti, which runs from one end to the other of the lower town, with many fine buildings on either side, notably Palazzo Monti, which once belonged to local landowners and has no been converted by the Town Council into a convention centre. At one end of the long Corso is the high Torre di Palazzo, built in the 13th century by Abbot Oderisio, a remarkable example of a fortified gate tower, but also a clock tower perfectly integrated into the urban setting. The Town Hall is itself a converted monastery, with a beautiful 14-century cloister. Next door is the Church of Saint Augustine (13^th century), completely rebuilt in the neo-classical style.

Among the many events organised in the town every year it is worth mentioning La Sfilata delle Canestrelle, the Basket Procession, held in August, a charming re-evocation of rural life in costumes from the late nineteenth century.

Santa Vittoria in Matenano is a trove of many treasures, telling of the succession of events from the 9th century onwards. History, art and the strong living tradition of local folklore together with a wonderful position and good sporting and recreational facilities, make it an ideal place for excursions and holidays.

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