VALLEPIETRA, SANTUARIO DELLA SANTISSIMA TRINITÀ of. — It is situated in the valley of the Simbivio, near the Tagliata pass, which abuts against the southern side of Monte Autore (diocese of Anagni). Here, on a small ledge, a cave penetrates into the bowels of the mountain; the Sanctuary is located within it (the Most Holy Trinity is represented there in the likeness of three human persons).
The most important pilgrimages of the year take place on the feast of the Most Holy Trinity and that of s. Anna. Their origin is very ancient; visitors’ graffiti date back as far as the 15th century. In 1850 the number of pilgrims was around ten thousand; today it is approximately one hundred thousand, 70,000 for the feast of the Most Holy Trinity and 30,000 for the feast of s. Anna. On this occasion the pilgrims sing of the miracle performed by s. Anna for the three orphans. A representation of the Passion of the Lord, called the “lament of the unmarried girls,” is performed on the occasion of the feast of the Most Holy Trinity, on the Sanctuary’s loggia, by several women from V.
The origins and earliest history of this Sanctuary are unknown. It is probable that the cave was a pagan shrine dedicated to nymphs or river deities: figuli ex-voto have been found near the cave. After combating pagan worship, Christianity replaced it with its own rites. When this occurred is not known. Some maintain that the replacement was the work of pre-Benedictine Greek monks. An Eastern influence is supported by the Eastern names of some of the surrounding localities and by the cult of s. Anna. Another hypothesis is that the Basilian monks of Grottaferrata, who took refuge in Subiaco in 1183, built a monastery near the cave, whose existence is attested by ruins and various indications. The church of the Most Holy Trinity of V. is mentioned for the first time in a document of 1119, which speaks of a donation made by a trebane to the said church. In 1294 Pietro, bishop of Anagni, united the church of the Trinity with the Chapter of Anagni Cathedral in order to increase the canons’ revenues. In 1658 Orazio Caetani, lord of Vallepicea, elevated the said church to the status of an abbey, reserving for himself the right to appoint the abbot. At present the Sanctuary is administered by the episcopal curia of Anagni.