Roseto Valfortore, known in the past also as Rosito, earns its name for the rich presence throughout its lands of wild "canina" roses and the fact that it was built near to the source of the river Fortore, which runs through its whole valley.
The town is settled on a slope of the Fortore valley and its antique city center is well preserved. The aspect is typical of the Middle Ages with a central square which is accessed by many alleys. At the end of each alley there is a large gate, that used to be closed at each sunset, to protect the settlement.
In the surrounding woods there is an abundance of flowers and black truffles. The town is also famous as the "city of honey and truffles".
From the historic documents the first time the name "Rosito" appears is in 752. Since the retrieval of a Roman funeral stone of I century A.D., there are now traces that the anthropological presence is to be dated much earlier. During the Norman dominion the town was part of the county controlled by the Duke of Apulia, Guglielmo il Guiscardo. Different feudal lords acclaimed the possession of this territory, such as Bartolomeo III, who gained the feudal rights to govern the town in 1497 and brought it to its maximum glory. Bartolomeo Di Capua, his full name, had the Mother Church built, which is located majestically in the town center near the Old Square with the Marquis mansion nearby.
Even after a quick visit, it is impossible to miss the master handwork, over the centuries, of the local stonemasons on the archways, the columns and the bas-reliefs. The stone comes from a local quarry situated towards South of the town.