Perched on a cliff, Ripalimosani presents itself as an evocative nativity scene with its network of narrow streets that develop around the ducal palace and the main church, offering panoramic views of the valley.
The origins of the village date back to over two thousand years ago, when it was inhabited by the Samnites. The current settlement developed around the year 1000, the era to which the construction of the ducal palace also dates back. The town retains its characteristic spindle shape, with the historic Via di Mezzo, from which transversal alleys branch off.
Dominating the village is the church of Santa Maria Vergine Assunta, built in 1560 on a previous 13th-century structure. Renovated between 1772 and 1780, it preserves a bell tower from 1463 and valuable works of art, including the sixteenth-century choir, a canvas of the Adoration of the Magi (17th century), the organ and the statues of San Michele and the Assumption (18th century). Inside there is a copy of the Holy Shroud.
Opposite stands the marquis’ palace, known as “the castle”. This building still preserves the pulleys of the drawbridge and has medieval and Renaissance elements. Inside there are the ancient prisons, a hanging garden and reception rooms. A curious detail is an altar hidden behind a wall cupboard, which transforms the room into a chapel.
Outside the village, the Church of S. Antonio di Padova, known as “S. Antonio in Piazza”, stands where Porta Grande once stood. Next to it is the open-air municipal theater and a stationary cross from 1562. At the entrance to the town is the Convent of San Piero Celestino, built in the 10th century and renamed in 1313 in honor of Pope Celestine V. Of note are the wooden choir from 1646 and the canvas of the Madonna of Constantinople.
Other places of interest include Porta Iannucci (11th-12th century), the Church of Santa Lucia and the Chapel of the Madonna della Neve (1651).
Among the traditions, the “A Meskuerate” stand out, carnival performances in dialect, the Simposio Ripa and the Palio delle Quercigliole with jockeys who ride “bareback” along a path built along the sheep track. The winner enters the church together with the horse.
Once known as the “town of rope makers” for the processing of hemp, the village also boasts a historic musical tradition, kept alive by the mandolin orchestra of the Circolo Musicale “Pietro Mascagni”.