Campodimele, the Middle Ages hidden on the gentle hills

We are in Lazio, in a small village that almost seems to live a life of its own, far from the capital, from mass tourism, from the frenzy. We are in a small oasis of peace, made of flavors and aromas of the past, welcoming, we are in Campodimele. Located on a hill at 647 meters in the valley that borders the Monti Ausoni and Monti Aurunci in the south of the province of Latina. Its origins are distant and linked to the Latin city of Apiola, it became an inhabited center with the Lombards, in the 6th century AD. C. The name changed from Apiola, that is bees, to Campus melis. Its center, the heart of the village, preserves interesting historical testimonies such as the 11th century Monastery of Sant'Onofrio. Continuing we find the church of San Michele Arcangelo, on the highest peak of the village, reachable with a walk. When the town was built, there was a pagan temple there. Inside there is a beautiful painting by Gabriele da Feltre from 1578. The walk along the medieval walls, with its twelve towers, makes us relive history. Campodimele is also surrounded by the Natural Park of the Aurunci Mountains, a protected area of great value. Its fame, however, is due to the fact that it has the longest-lived population in all of Italy, which is still the subject of scientific studies today.