Leonessa is a town andcomune in the far northeastern part of theProvince of Rieti in theLazio region of centralItaly. Its population in 2008 was around 2,700.
Situated in a small plain at the foot of Mt.Terminillo, one of the highest mountains of the Apennine range, in the winter Leonessa is known mostly as a low-key staging center for the ski slopes of the Terminillo, and in the summer as a weekend vacation town frequented for the most part byRomans with local roots.
Historically, the town is known mostly as the birthplace ofSt. Giuseppe di Leonessa. Until 1927 it was part of theprovince of L'Aquila. The town suffered one of the worstGerman reprisals during World War II when the Wehrmacht and the SS killed 51 inhabitants in early April 1944. A monument dedicated to the dead was erected in 1959.Typical food production include the local variety ofpotato, known aspatata di Leonessa.
Leonessa is twinned with the French town ofGonesse.
Albaneto, Casanova, Fontenova, Leonessa Colleverde, Cumulata, Sala, San Clemente, San Vito, Vallimpuni, Viesci, Vindoli, Volciano, Casale dei Frati, Villa Alesse, Villa Berti, Villa Bigioni, Villa Bradde, Villa Carmine, Villa Ciavatta, Villa Climinti, Villa Colapietro, Villa Cordisco, Villa Gizzi, Villa Lucci, Villa Massi, Villa Pulcini, Villa Zunna, Albaneto, Piedelpoggio, Villa Immagine, Corvatello, Sant'Angelo, Terzone, Casa Buccioli, Capodacqua, Ocre, Pianezza, San Giovenale, Vallunga
