A land blessed by the Gods. An area called Campo della Pieve kept an archaeological pearl which was discovered, by mere chance, at the end of the Nineties of last Century and is a treasure unique of its kind: it is the Domus of Myth, a Roman noble residence dating from the First Century AD. The original floor that emerged depicts scenes from the classical mythology, and that is why it was called “the Domus of Myth”. According to a legend, the Domus was a present of the gods meant to celebrate the contrasted but indissoluble love between Menennius, a rich Roman, and Nicia, a poor Celtic girl. The divinities’ mark inside the Domus are the mosaics, representing scenes from the classic mythology and, into the largest room, the portrait of a man holding in his hand a truffle, the typical product of this territory. Further to offering the Domus to the young couple, the gods decided to make sure that a tangible mark of this love would remain through the centuries, by means of the presence of both the white and black truffle, bearing opposed colours just as antipodal were the two lovers, who yet never got divided. That is why Sant’Angelo in Vado loves defining itself “A land blessed by the gods”. And that is why it is visited by so many tourists who come and entrust the Domus with their love pains, as they are sure that even nowadays someone, from high above, can grant their wishes as he granted Mennenius’ and Nicia’s Precious treasures are kept also into the Civic Art Gallery. A special mention deserves the XVII Century drawing of the Christ, whose beautiful perspective charms the visitor, and the evocative XVI Century painting by Federico Zucari that depicts the members of a family in a quite new and peculiar pose.

The artistic tour ends at Palazzo Mercuri, a building dating from the XIX Century. In its cool caves the ancient medieval jobs come back to life: here the Museum of Ancient Crafts was created, where objects and equipment from such important local traditions as cabinet-making, goldsmithing and woodworking. The first floor of the historic building is fully frescoed, and in its banquet hall the very essence of Sant’Angelo in Vado is shown by one of the paintings, representing the love story of a young couple that gets to its climax in the bucolic and peaceful scenario of the town. The Cascata del Sasso is probably the one represented in the fresco, and the exquisite truffles of its woods appear in a basket. On the second floor the Tifernum Mataurense Archaeological Museum can be visited. It collects the findings from the homonymous Roman city.