Kristina's Guidebook
Sightseeing
Rome is too big a subject to cover in this guide. We hope you have your own guide book, or you can borrow the ones in the house. Suffice to say that Rome is compact enough to be able to see most of the famous sights in one day – but there is also enough of interest to fill weeks!
It is difficult to drive and park in Rome. A very good way to get there is by train from Anagni-Fiuggi station. The station is actually outside of Anagni city, on the other side of the A1 motorway. From the house, take the road down to the motorway. Pass the tollbooths (they’re on your left). Just after you pass under the motorway, the road forks. Take the right-hand fork. Follow this road for a few kilometres and, at the next fork, turn left. This takes you into the station car park. The journey takes about 15 minutes.
If the ticket counter is closed, you can also buy tickets in the bar (outside the station). Get a BIRG (Roma andata e ritorno BIRG) as this is also valid for buses and the Metro in Rome (it is only 9.30 euros!). Make sure you stamp (compostare) the ticket in the machine on the platform before boarding the train.
Google Maps works fine for looking up train time - select departure Anagni Fiuggi station and destination Roma Termini.
You can also travel to central Rome direct by bus and metro from the bus stop right next to the house. This takes longer, as the bus winds it's way along the ancient Via Prenestina, stopping at all the towns and villages along the way. It's a lovely way to travel, if you're not in a hurry. The bus stops at Rome Anagnina Metro Station, from where you can get into central Rome in around 20 minutes.
513 locals recommend
Rome
Rome is too big a subject to cover in this guide. We hope you have your own guide book, or you can borrow the ones in the house. Suffice to say that Rome is compact enough to be able to see most of the famous sights in one day – but there is also enough of interest to fill weeks!
It is difficult to drive and park in Rome. A very good way to get there is by train from Anagni-Fiuggi station. The station is actually outside of Anagni city, on the other side of the A1 motorway. From the house, take the road down to the motorway. Pass the tollbooths (they’re on your left). Just after you pass under the motorway, the road forks. Take the right-hand fork. Follow this road for a few kilometres and, at the next fork, turn left. This takes you into the station car park. The journey takes about 15 minutes.
If the ticket counter is closed, you can also buy tickets in the bar (outside the station). Get a BIRG (Roma andata e ritorno BIRG) as this is also valid for buses and the Metro in Rome (it is only 9.30 euros!). Make sure you stamp (compostare) the ticket in the machine on the platform before boarding the train.
Google Maps works fine for looking up train time - select departure Anagni Fiuggi station and destination Roma Termini.
You can also travel to central Rome direct by bus and metro from the bus stop right next to the house. This takes longer, as the bus winds it's way along the ancient Via Prenestina, stopping at all the towns and villages along the way. It's a lovely way to travel, if you're not in a hurry. The bus stops at Rome Anagnina Metro Station, from where you can get into central Rome in around 20 minutes.
Anagni is famous for its connections with the papacy and for its unspoiled historical center. Legend, history, and tradition have accompanied the fame of Anagni, the historical center of Ciociaria, through the millenniums.
Anagni today is a small medieval town, on the ridge of a hill, with twisting streets and steep lanes everywhere. It is built inside powerful Roman boundary walls which preserve its innumerable treasures of art and history.
HISTORY
The first human settlements date back to more than 700,000 years, according to the dating of some paleolithic hand-made fragments recently recovered; while the historical sources (Livy, Virgil, Servius, Silius Italicus) mention Anagni only once, the city had already been introduced into the Roman orbit.
The people who lived in those places were of Ernican ancestry, migrated from the Aniene valley and probably descendant from the Marsi (Marsians) (or from the Sabines), at least according to the ethnical term deriving from the Marsian herna, "stone", that is: "Those who live on the stony hills".
The importance of Anagni as a holy city and spiritual centre of the Hernici ( Er-Nee-Chee: Ernici in Italian) is outstanding. The city was the seat of temples and sanctuaries, where in the second century A.D., many linen codices containing sacred Etruscan writings were still well conserved, according to the testimony of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Of these writings there is a sole survivor which is the Liber Linteus.
Probably, at the foot of the hill on which the city stands, there was the so-called Maritime Circle, where the Erniche ethnies of Alatri, Piglio, Veroli, and Ferentino, confederated under the aegis of Anagni, until the Romans attacked and defeated Anagni, and dissolved the Confederation in 306 BC.
In Imperial times, many emperors used to spend their summers in Anagni to escape the heat of Rome, most notably Marcus Aurelius, Septimius Severus, Commodus, and Caracalla. By the end of the Roman Empire a deep political and economic crisis caused the demographic collapse of Anagni's population. In the 10th century, an inner zone of Anagni was marked by the name Civitas Vetus (Old Town).
Since the fifth century Anagni was the seat of an important diocese. In the ninth century the first Cathedral was built on the ruins of the temple dedicated to the Goddess Ceres. The ecclesiastic power favoured a new economic and demographic growth.
During the tenth and the eleventh centuries the city strengthened its link with the papal court: in fact the popes began to consider it a safer and healthier spot compared to Rome. For this reason, Anagni remained one of the most favourite residences of the popes, in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
The thirteenth century represented the real golden period of the city: in one hundred years, Anagni gave four popes to the Christianity, all members of the Conti family. Gregory IX (Ugolino Conti 1227-1241) on the 29th of September 1227 in Anagni's Cathedral excommunicated Emperor Frederik II who had abandoned the Crusade. In September 1230 Gregory IX received in Anagni Frederik of Svevia who had been able to conquer, by means of his great diplomatic ability, both Jerusalem and Nazareth.
The name of Anagni is particularly connected to the events of Boniface VIII, the fourth Pope of the city, a member of the powerful Caetani Family. His election, which occurred after the abdication of Celestine V, was opposed by French Cardinals and by the powerful Colonna Family. In 1302 Boniface VIII emanated the famous Bull Unam Sanctam, which arrogated to the Pope's absolute supremacy over earthly power, against the king. Philip the Fair king of France organized an expedition to arrest the Pope, with the purpose of removing Boniface from his office by the help of a general council. The Pope was captured in his palace at Anagni in September 1303, by the French and Italian soldiers led by Guglielmo di Nogaret and Sciarra Colonna. A legend tells us that in such circumstances the Pope was slapped by Sciarra Colonna. The outrageous imprisonment of the Pope inspired Dante Alighieri in a famous passage of his Divine Comedy (Purgatory, XX, vv. 85-93), the new Pilate has imprisoned the Vicar of Christ. The people of Anagni rose against the invaders and released Boniface, but the old pontiff, already suffering, died in Rome about a month later.
The transfer of the papal court to Avignon marks for Anagni the beginning of a long period of decline which lasted through the entire XV century. Sacked by the troops of Duke Guarnieri (Werner) von Verslingen in 1348, ruined and depopulated, the city became a battlefield. The Spanish army, led by the Duke of Alba sieged Anagni in 1556 bombarding it and horribly sacking it as soon as the papal troops abandoned their defenses and escaped. Around 1579 a short period of refluorishing begins, thanks to Cardinal Benedetto Lomellino, bishop and governor of the city.
Toward the end of the XIX century the cultural level of the city rose again, thanks to the institutions of various schools: in 1890, in the presence of the Queen, the Queen Margaret's National Boarding-house for the education of the orphan-girls of grammar schools teachers was opened, and in 1897 the Collegio Leoniano, entitled to the pontiff Leone XIII. In 1930, the Prince of Piedmont's Boarding-house was built for the sons of local body personnel.
Since the second post-war period the territory of Anagni has become a prominent industrial settlement in Central-Southern Italy.
The Cathedral, dedicated to Santa Maria, is a great Romanesque monument. It was constructed during the years 1071-1105 A.D. on the site of the former Roman acropolis. It is remarkably well-preserved, complete with free-standing campanile and its original interior. The floor inside the church is covered by a fine Cosmati pavement dating from 1227, while the main apse holds the original Romanesque ciborium. There is also a fine candle holder and an Episcopal throne, which was designed by P. Vassalleto in 1260. The most spectacular part of the Cathedral is its cript, which contains the tomb of Saint Magno, the patron saint of Anagni, and Saint Secondina of Anagni. The frescos on the walls and ceiling are some of the most spectacular works of Byzantine art all over Italy. The frescoes were painted by Benedictine masters and depict saints, men of science (including Galen and Hippocrates), as well as scenes from the Old Testament, and show the influence of both Byzantine and Romanesque art.
Heading west from the cathedral along Via Vittorio Emmanuele, Palazzo Bonifacio VIII (1295) contains a small archaeological collection of locally excavated finds. Continuing down Via Vittorio Emanuele, the narrow street is lined with 14th century houses. One of the finest is Casa Barnekow, named after a Swedish painter who lived there in the late 19th century.
24 locals recommend
Anagni
Anagni is famous for its connections with the papacy and for its unspoiled historical center. Legend, history, and tradition have accompanied the fame of Anagni, the historical center of Ciociaria, through the millenniums.
Anagni today is a small medieval town, on the ridge of a hill, with twisting streets and steep lanes everywhere. It is built inside powerful Roman boundary walls which preserve its innumerable treasures of art and history.
HISTORY
The first human settlements date back to more than 700,000 years, according to the dating of some paleolithic hand-made fragments recently recovered; while the historical sources (Livy, Virgil, Servius, Silius Italicus) mention Anagni only once, the city had already been introduced into the Roman orbit.
The people who lived in those places were of Ernican ancestry, migrated from the Aniene valley and probably descendant from the Marsi (Marsians) (or from the Sabines), at least according to the ethnical term deriving from the Marsian herna, "stone", that is: "Those who live on the stony hills".
The importance of Anagni as a holy city and spiritual centre of the Hernici ( Er-Nee-Chee: Ernici in Italian) is outstanding. The city was the seat of temples and sanctuaries, where in the second century A.D., many linen codices containing sacred Etruscan writings were still well conserved, according to the testimony of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Of these writings there is a sole survivor which is the Liber Linteus.
Probably, at the foot of the hill on which the city stands, there was the so-called Maritime Circle, where the Erniche ethnies of Alatri, Piglio, Veroli, and Ferentino, confederated under the aegis of Anagni, until the Romans attacked and defeated Anagni, and dissolved the Confederation in 306 BC.
In Imperial times, many emperors used to spend their summers in Anagni to escape the heat of Rome, most notably Marcus Aurelius, Septimius Severus, Commodus, and Caracalla. By the end of the Roman Empire a deep political and economic crisis caused the demographic collapse of Anagni's population. In the 10th century, an inner zone of Anagni was marked by the name Civitas Vetus (Old Town).
Since the fifth century Anagni was the seat of an important diocese. In the ninth century the first Cathedral was built on the ruins of the temple dedicated to the Goddess Ceres. The ecclesiastic power favoured a new economic and demographic growth.
During the tenth and the eleventh centuries the city strengthened its link with the papal court: in fact the popes began to consider it a safer and healthier spot compared to Rome. For this reason, Anagni remained one of the most favourite residences of the popes, in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
The thirteenth century represented the real golden period of the city: in one hundred years, Anagni gave four popes to the Christianity, all members of the Conti family. Gregory IX (Ugolino Conti 1227-1241) on the 29th of September 1227 in Anagni's Cathedral excommunicated Emperor Frederik II who had abandoned the Crusade. In September 1230 Gregory IX received in Anagni Frederik of Svevia who had been able to conquer, by means of his great diplomatic ability, both Jerusalem and Nazareth.
The name of Anagni is particularly connected to the events of Boniface VIII, the fourth Pope of the city, a member of the powerful Caetani Family. His election, which occurred after the abdication of Celestine V, was opposed by French Cardinals and by the powerful Colonna Family. In 1302 Boniface VIII emanated the famous Bull Unam Sanctam, which arrogated to the Pope's absolute supremacy over earthly power, against the king. Philip the Fair king of France organized an expedition to arrest the Pope, with the purpose of removing Boniface from his office by the help of a general council. The Pope was captured in his palace at Anagni in September 1303, by the French and Italian soldiers led by Guglielmo di Nogaret and Sciarra Colonna. A legend tells us that in such circumstances the Pope was slapped by Sciarra Colonna. The outrageous imprisonment of the Pope inspired Dante Alighieri in a famous passage of his Divine Comedy (Purgatory, XX, vv. 85-93), the new Pilate has imprisoned the Vicar of Christ. The people of Anagni rose against the invaders and released Boniface, but the old pontiff, already suffering, died in Rome about a month later.
The transfer of the papal court to Avignon marks for Anagni the beginning of a long period of decline which lasted through the entire XV century. Sacked by the troops of Duke Guarnieri (Werner) von Verslingen in 1348, ruined and depopulated, the city became a battlefield. The Spanish army, led by the Duke of Alba sieged Anagni in 1556 bombarding it and horribly sacking it as soon as the papal troops abandoned their defenses and escaped. Around 1579 a short period of refluorishing begins, thanks to Cardinal Benedetto Lomellino, bishop and governor of the city.
Toward the end of the XIX century the cultural level of the city rose again, thanks to the institutions of various schools: in 1890, in the presence of the Queen, the Queen Margaret's National Boarding-house for the education of the orphan-girls of grammar schools teachers was opened, and in 1897 the Collegio Leoniano, entitled to the pontiff Leone XIII. In 1930, the Prince of Piedmont's Boarding-house was built for the sons of local body personnel.
Since the second post-war period the territory of Anagni has become a prominent industrial settlement in Central-Southern Italy.
The Cathedral, dedicated to Santa Maria, is a great Romanesque monument. It was constructed during the years 1071-1105 A.D. on the site of the former Roman acropolis. It is remarkably well-preserved, complete with free-standing campanile and its original interior. The floor inside the church is covered by a fine Cosmati pavement dating from 1227, while the main apse holds the original Romanesque ciborium. There is also a fine candle holder and an Episcopal throne, which was designed by P. Vassalleto in 1260. The most spectacular part of the Cathedral is its cript, which contains the tomb of Saint Magno, the patron saint of Anagni, and Saint Secondina of Anagni. The frescos on the walls and ceiling are some of the most spectacular works of Byzantine art all over Italy. The frescoes were painted by Benedictine masters and depict saints, men of science (including Galen and Hippocrates), as well as scenes from the Old Testament, and show the influence of both Byzantine and Romanesque art.
Heading west from the cathedral along Via Vittorio Emmanuele, Palazzo Bonifacio VIII (1295) contains a small archaeological collection of locally excavated finds. Continuing down Via Vittorio Emanuele, the narrow street is lined with 14th century houses. One of the finest is Casa Barnekow, named after a Swedish painter who lived there in the late 19th century.
Beautiful place to visit close by for a picnic or barbecue. Good for walking.
12 locals recommend
Lago di Canterno
Beautiful place to visit close by for a picnic or barbecue. Good for walking.
Originally called Anticoli di Campagna, the obscure conglomerate of stone buildings gained renown as early as the 1300s, when Pope Boniface VIII claimed his kidney stones had been healed by the mineral waters that gushed forth from the nearby Fiuggi spring. Two centuries later they relieved Michelangelo of what he called "the only kind of stone I couldn't love." Soon the miraculous acqua di Fiuggi was being sent in bottles to all of Europe's royalty. Not until the turn of this century did it become fashionable to make pilgrimages to spa towns, and it was around that time that the King of Italy renamed Anticoli in honor of its most celebrated attraction.
Today Fiuggi is a classic Italian hill town, beginning with its layout as two separate towns. Blanketing the slopes at 2500 feet above sea level is the medieval old town, called Fiuggi Città. At its feet is the 20th-century spa town, called Fiuggi Fonte, where you can test the waters for yourself and admire many beautiful façades painted with the delicate Liberty style that was so popular in Italy from 1910 to 1930. The spa building itself is typical of the large, ornate palaces that were erected all over this mineral-rich country to make the hoi polloi feel like the aristocrats who had always ordered their water to go, thank you very much. If you come here now during holidays, or in June and July, you will rub shoulders with many government employees, whose mandatory health benefits include free spa health treatments.
During other months you will have many of the streets and squares to yourself, especially in Fiuggi Città, which you can enter through the picture perfect Portella, the only remaining gate to the medieval burg. One lucky family has made an immaculate home for themselves inside the creamy ochre structure, which includes a panoramic round tower joined to the main building by a passageway suspended over the arched gateway. No need to worry about noisy traffic: most of the old town is for pedestrians only.
In olden times, local residents reached their homes by climbing hundreds of stairs, most of which are still intact. Few towns have more steps than Fiuggi, which offers you the option of ascending by following the impeccably cobbled streets around and around the hill top or by clambering straight up. Either way you are liable to encounter friendly natives, whose sweet dispositions and famed hospitality may be at least partially due to their town's wonderful mild climate.
As you stroll through the lanes, pay a visit to the tiny church of Santa Maria del Colle, and to the church of S. Biagio, which was entirely rebuilt in the 17th century. Ironically, the rather unusual cast iron fountain in Piazza Piave was erected only in 1907, to celebrate the arrival of running water in this town that owes its very existence to the abundant springs running below the hill. At the center of the ancient town is the ornate Palazzo Falconi, surpassed in splendor only by the former Grand Hotel, now the municipal theatre.
An interesting process is afoot these days in Fiuggi Città. You see, in the centuries between 1500 and 1800, this and many nearby hill towns were part of the Papal States. Unlike its neighbors, Anticoli di Campagna provided an excellent source of revenue through the sales of its miraculous waters, and so it was often "bestowed" upon noble families in payment for services rendered. Sometimes these ungrateful aristocrats didn't even bother to visit their tiny fiefdom, but they always sent a delegate to make sure none or few of the profits stayed in town. These upper-class outsiders slowly covered the original medieval walls with the painted plaster we admire so much in the Eternal City, and so they changed almost the entire appearance of the town. Today a very active group of local residents is slowly restoring the stone façades; every one you see represents a small victory of the locals against their former absentee landlords.
Like all Italian spa towns, Fiuggi has loads of great shopping, and plenty of good restaurants serving hearty local food. The most illustrious hotel in town is the Grand Hotel Palazzo della Fonte, one of Europe's best-known grand hotels, with over three hundred spacious rooms, a covered and an outdoor pool, a fitness club, tennis courts and a first-rate restaurant.
28 locals recommend
Fiuggi
Originally called Anticoli di Campagna, the obscure conglomerate of stone buildings gained renown as early as the 1300s, when Pope Boniface VIII claimed his kidney stones had been healed by the mineral waters that gushed forth from the nearby Fiuggi spring. Two centuries later they relieved Michelangelo of what he called "the only kind of stone I couldn't love." Soon the miraculous acqua di Fiuggi was being sent in bottles to all of Europe's royalty. Not until the turn of this century did it become fashionable to make pilgrimages to spa towns, and it was around that time that the King of Italy renamed Anticoli in honor of its most celebrated attraction.
Today Fiuggi is a classic Italian hill town, beginning with its layout as two separate towns. Blanketing the slopes at 2500 feet above sea level is the medieval old town, called Fiuggi Città. At its feet is the 20th-century spa town, called Fiuggi Fonte, where you can test the waters for yourself and admire many beautiful façades painted with the delicate Liberty style that was so popular in Italy from 1910 to 1930. The spa building itself is typical of the large, ornate palaces that were erected all over this mineral-rich country to make the hoi polloi feel like the aristocrats who had always ordered their water to go, thank you very much. If you come here now during holidays, or in June and July, you will rub shoulders with many government employees, whose mandatory health benefits include free spa health treatments.
During other months you will have many of the streets and squares to yourself, especially in Fiuggi Città, which you can enter through the picture perfect Portella, the only remaining gate to the medieval burg. One lucky family has made an immaculate home for themselves inside the creamy ochre structure, which includes a panoramic round tower joined to the main building by a passageway suspended over the arched gateway. No need to worry about noisy traffic: most of the old town is for pedestrians only.
In olden times, local residents reached their homes by climbing hundreds of stairs, most of which are still intact. Few towns have more steps than Fiuggi, which offers you the option of ascending by following the impeccably cobbled streets around and around the hill top or by clambering straight up. Either way you are liable to encounter friendly natives, whose sweet dispositions and famed hospitality may be at least partially due to their town's wonderful mild climate.
As you stroll through the lanes, pay a visit to the tiny church of Santa Maria del Colle, and to the church of S. Biagio, which was entirely rebuilt in the 17th century. Ironically, the rather unusual cast iron fountain in Piazza Piave was erected only in 1907, to celebrate the arrival of running water in this town that owes its very existence to the abundant springs running below the hill. At the center of the ancient town is the ornate Palazzo Falconi, surpassed in splendor only by the former Grand Hotel, now the municipal theatre.
An interesting process is afoot these days in Fiuggi Città. You see, in the centuries between 1500 and 1800, this and many nearby hill towns were part of the Papal States. Unlike its neighbors, Anticoli di Campagna provided an excellent source of revenue through the sales of its miraculous waters, and so it was often "bestowed" upon noble families in payment for services rendered. Sometimes these ungrateful aristocrats didn't even bother to visit their tiny fiefdom, but they always sent a delegate to make sure none or few of the profits stayed in town. These upper-class outsiders slowly covered the original medieval walls with the painted plaster we admire so much in the Eternal City, and so they changed almost the entire appearance of the town. Today a very active group of local residents is slowly restoring the stone façades; every one you see represents a small victory of the locals against their former absentee landlords.
Like all Italian spa towns, Fiuggi has loads of great shopping, and plenty of good restaurants serving hearty local food. The most illustrious hotel in town is the Grand Hotel Palazzo della Fonte, one of Europe's best-known grand hotels, with over three hundred spacious rooms, a covered and an outdoor pool, a fitness club, tennis courts and a first-rate restaurant.
Ferentino is another of Lazio’s attractive, medieval hill-towns built on top of Roman remains. Park outside the town’s ancient, cyclopean walls, which date from the fifth century BC, and head up to the site of the ancient acropolis at the top of the hill.
It was here that the Hernici (indigenous, pre-Roman tribe) built their sturdy fortress in the fourth century BC. Its foundations and the remnants of later Roman additions still remain, but the major building on the site of the acropolis now is the 11th century duomo. Its simple Romanesque façade belies an attractive interior, which is complete with a fine, Cosmati paved floor and, in the main apse, a Romanesque ciborium, paschal candelabra and bishop’s throne, which are also inlaid with Cosmati mosaic.
Most of Roman Ferentinum has been dismantled and incorporated into the medieval buildings in the town, but the Mercato Romano, a vaulted, covered market, on Via Don Morosini, which dates from the first century BC is well preserved. The original town gates, in particular Porta Maggiore and Porta Sanguiniaria, are in good condition. Near the latter is Santa Maria Maggiore, a 13th century Gothic-Cistercian church with a fine rose window and an attractive prortal carved from Roman marble.
8 locals recommend
Ferentino
Ferentino is another of Lazio’s attractive, medieval hill-towns built on top of Roman remains. Park outside the town’s ancient, cyclopean walls, which date from the fifth century BC, and head up to the site of the ancient acropolis at the top of the hill.
It was here that the Hernici (indigenous, pre-Roman tribe) built their sturdy fortress in the fourth century BC. Its foundations and the remnants of later Roman additions still remain, but the major building on the site of the acropolis now is the 11th century duomo. Its simple Romanesque façade belies an attractive interior, which is complete with a fine, Cosmati paved floor and, in the main apse, a Romanesque ciborium, paschal candelabra and bishop’s throne, which are also inlaid with Cosmati mosaic.
Most of Roman Ferentinum has been dismantled and incorporated into the medieval buildings in the town, but the Mercato Romano, a vaulted, covered market, on Via Don Morosini, which dates from the first century BC is well preserved. The original town gates, in particular Porta Maggiore and Porta Sanguiniaria, are in good condition. Near the latter is Santa Maria Maggiore, a 13th century Gothic-Cistercian church with a fine rose window and an attractive prortal carved from Roman marble.
Alatri was founded by the Hernici in the sixth century BC as Aletrium, but had become a Roman colony by the fourth century when the magnificent, polygonal wall that rings the acropolis was constructed. Built of finely-cut, white stone, the wall - 2km long and standing to a height of 3m – has two well-defended gates, making it the best-preserved, fortifies acropolis in Italy. The large, flat area inside the walls contains the seventeenth-century duomo, and a pleasant park with a children’s playground. Footpaths lead around the tops of the walls from where there are fine views across the bleached roofs of the town and of the surrounding countryside. The walls themselves are best seen from the small road that runs around their base.
Other than the acropolis, Alatri also has a lovely medieval quarter, surrounding a large central piazza which contains the Romanesque-Gothic church of Santa Maria Maggiore. The church was built on the foundations of the ancient Temple of Jove in the 13th century and has a fine rose window set into its plain façade. Inside, the first chapel on the left holds a wooden sculpture of the Madonna of Constantinople, which dates from the 12th century. The Franciscan church, San Francesco, which is a short walk to the east, has a similar façade to that of Santa Maria Maggiore and dates from the 13th century.
17 locals recommend
Alatri
Alatri was founded by the Hernici in the sixth century BC as Aletrium, but had become a Roman colony by the fourth century when the magnificent, polygonal wall that rings the acropolis was constructed. Built of finely-cut, white stone, the wall - 2km long and standing to a height of 3m – has two well-defended gates, making it the best-preserved, fortifies acropolis in Italy. The large, flat area inside the walls contains the seventeenth-century duomo, and a pleasant park with a children’s playground. Footpaths lead around the tops of the walls from where there are fine views across the bleached roofs of the town and of the surrounding countryside. The walls themselves are best seen from the small road that runs around their base.
Other than the acropolis, Alatri also has a lovely medieval quarter, surrounding a large central piazza which contains the Romanesque-Gothic church of Santa Maria Maggiore. The church was built on the foundations of the ancient Temple of Jove in the 13th century and has a fine rose window set into its plain façade. Inside, the first chapel on the left holds a wooden sculpture of the Madonna of Constantinople, which dates from the 12th century. The Franciscan church, San Francesco, which is a short walk to the east, has a similar façade to that of Santa Maria Maggiore and dates from the 13th century.
Grotte di Collepardo is also called Grotte dei Bambocci (Cave of the Children), because of the characteristic shape of its stalagtites. It has been well-known for a very long time, because of its enormous size. The cave has been visited since the 19th century, and explorations during the 20th century have not uncovered any new parts.
The limestone around Collepardo is heavy karstified (lack of surface drainage – drainage is through vertical cracks, underground channels and planes of weakness in the rock). There are numerous sink holes, the ruins of caves with collapsed roofs, with high and steep walls and flat bottom. Typical examples are Pozzo Santullo, Fossa della Volpe, and Fossa di Monte Capezzoi.
Grotte di Collepardo consits of two enormous chambers, divided by a wall of limestone formations. The entrance is from the valley through a rather low portal. After a short passage the path leads up into a huge hall with numerous pillars and stalagmites. The path, constructed mostly as an iron bridge, leads visitors through this huge cavern in a figure of eight.
6 locals recommend
Grotte di Collepardo
Via della CroceGrotte di Collepardo is also called Grotte dei Bambocci (Cave of the Children), because of the characteristic shape of its stalagtites. It has been well-known for a very long time, because of its enormous size. The cave has been visited since the 19th century, and explorations during the 20th century have not uncovered any new parts.
The limestone around Collepardo is heavy karstified (lack of surface drainage – drainage is through vertical cracks, underground channels and planes of weakness in the rock). There are numerous sink holes, the ruins of caves with collapsed roofs, with high and steep walls and flat bottom. Typical examples are Pozzo Santullo, Fossa della Volpe, and Fossa di Monte Capezzoi.
Grotte di Collepardo consits of two enormous chambers, divided by a wall of limestone formations. The entrance is from the valley through a rather low portal. After a short passage the path leads up into a huge hall with numerous pillars and stalagmites. The path, constructed mostly as an iron bridge, leads visitors through this huge cavern in a figure of eight.
Subiaco derives its name from the Latin Sublaqueum (below the lakes) a reference to the fact that the town was located after three artificial lakes created in the first century A.D. as fishing ponds for a nearby villa built by the Emperor Nero (the lakes do not exist any longer).
The town of Subiaco has a medieval origin and it developed around a castle built by the Benedictine abbots as an advanced defence of the monasteries.
The following are key dates in the history of the Benedictine abbeys and of Subiaco:
497 (ca.) Benedict begins to live as a hermit in a remote cavern located in a gorge formed by the River Aniene: later on he is followed by other young men and women (including Scolastica, twin sister of Benedict) and they develop a community organized in twelve monasteries. Benedict founds a monastic order having strict links with the Bishop of Rome, in contrast with the then prevailing Basilian order which had strong ties with the Eastern Roman Empire (the Western Roman Empire had ended in 473). In 529 Benedict leaves Subiaco to found a new monastery in Montecassino.
590-604 Pope Gregorius I the Great writes an account of the life of St. Benedict and he is supposed to have granted the first possessions to the monasteries of Subiaco.
XIth century: the abbots of the monastery of S. Scolastica gradually become the masters of the upper Aniene valley.
XIVth century: during the absence of the popes from Rome, the abbots of Subiaco expand their possessions by defeating the troops of the bishops of Tivoli.
1455: Pope Callistus III appoints a cardinal to rule over the Abbey and its possessions. In 1467 Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia (Pope Alexander VI) strengthens the castle of Subiaco where he sets his residence.
XVIth century: the cardinals ruling the Abbey are generally members of the Colonna family.
XVIIth century: the cardinals ruling the Abbey are generally members of the Borghese or Barberini family.
1753: Pope Benedictus XIV abolishes the feudal rights of the Abbey over Subiaco: the town falls under the direct jurisdiction of the papal state.
1773: Cardinal Gianangelo Braschi (Pope Pius VI) promotes the development of Subiaco and the opening of a new road linking the town with Tivoli.
The bridge was built in 1358 by the Prince-Abbot Ademar to celebrate his victory over the troops of the Bishop of Tivoli. As the bridge provided an easier access to Subiaco, Ademar thought better to protect it with a tower. The simple monastery of S. Francesco is located on the other side of the river and it was built in 1327 on a previous oratory donated by the abbots to St. Francis, when he visited Subiaco.
Notwithstanding damage suffered during WWII, Subiaco retains most of its medieval atmosphere including a very picturesque sacred image located in the quarter of Pietra Spaccata.
Subiaco does not have significant Renaissance or Baroque buildings, but in the late XVIIIth century Pope Pius VI, who lived in Subiaco when he was a cardinal, did a lot to improve the economy of Subiaco and to embellish the town. An arch in his honour was erected in 1789 to celebrate the completion of a new road. The image used as a background for this page shows his coat of arms at the top of the arch: the arch itself can be seen in a page dedicated to this pope.
S. Andrea is the main church of Subiaco and it was built at the initiative of Pius VI and designed by Antonio Camporese. Also the fountain in the square below the castle belongs to the same period.
The castle, called Rocca Abbaziale, included the residence of the cardinals. Pius VI enlarged and modified it into a stately mansion, but from the outside the Rocca retains its medieval fortified appearance.
While the cavern where Benedict lived as a hermit and upon which in the XIIIth century a monastery was built is located in a gorge not visible from Subiaco, the monastery of S. Scolastica is clearly visible from Subiaco.
In 1688 the access to S. Scolastica and to Sacro Speco (the monastery built on the saint's cavern) was facilitated by the opening of a road flanked by a series of chapels. The road (on the left in the picture above) passes very near the ruins of a building belonging to Nero's villa: what's left is hardly impressive because all the marbles and columns of the villa were taken away to decorate the monasteries and their churches.
23 locals recommend
Subiaco
Subiaco derives its name from the Latin Sublaqueum (below the lakes) a reference to the fact that the town was located after three artificial lakes created in the first century A.D. as fishing ponds for a nearby villa built by the Emperor Nero (the lakes do not exist any longer).
The town of Subiaco has a medieval origin and it developed around a castle built by the Benedictine abbots as an advanced defence of the monasteries.
The following are key dates in the history of the Benedictine abbeys and of Subiaco:
497 (ca.) Benedict begins to live as a hermit in a remote cavern located in a gorge formed by the River Aniene: later on he is followed by other young men and women (including Scolastica, twin sister of Benedict) and they develop a community organized in twelve monasteries. Benedict founds a monastic order having strict links with the Bishop of Rome, in contrast with the then prevailing Basilian order which had strong ties with the Eastern Roman Empire (the Western Roman Empire had ended in 473). In 529 Benedict leaves Subiaco to found a new monastery in Montecassino.
590-604 Pope Gregorius I the Great writes an account of the life of St. Benedict and he is supposed to have granted the first possessions to the monasteries of Subiaco.
XIth century: the abbots of the monastery of S. Scolastica gradually become the masters of the upper Aniene valley.
XIVth century: during the absence of the popes from Rome, the abbots of Subiaco expand their possessions by defeating the troops of the bishops of Tivoli.
1455: Pope Callistus III appoints a cardinal to rule over the Abbey and its possessions. In 1467 Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia (Pope Alexander VI) strengthens the castle of Subiaco where he sets his residence.
XVIth century: the cardinals ruling the Abbey are generally members of the Colonna family.
XVIIth century: the cardinals ruling the Abbey are generally members of the Borghese or Barberini family.
1753: Pope Benedictus XIV abolishes the feudal rights of the Abbey over Subiaco: the town falls under the direct jurisdiction of the papal state.
1773: Cardinal Gianangelo Braschi (Pope Pius VI) promotes the development of Subiaco and the opening of a new road linking the town with Tivoli.
The bridge was built in 1358 by the Prince-Abbot Ademar to celebrate his victory over the troops of the Bishop of Tivoli. As the bridge provided an easier access to Subiaco, Ademar thought better to protect it with a tower. The simple monastery of S. Francesco is located on the other side of the river and it was built in 1327 on a previous oratory donated by the abbots to St. Francis, when he visited Subiaco.
Notwithstanding damage suffered during WWII, Subiaco retains most of its medieval atmosphere including a very picturesque sacred image located in the quarter of Pietra Spaccata.
Subiaco does not have significant Renaissance or Baroque buildings, but in the late XVIIIth century Pope Pius VI, who lived in Subiaco when he was a cardinal, did a lot to improve the economy of Subiaco and to embellish the town. An arch in his honour was erected in 1789 to celebrate the completion of a new road. The image used as a background for this page shows his coat of arms at the top of the arch: the arch itself can be seen in a page dedicated to this pope.
S. Andrea is the main church of Subiaco and it was built at the initiative of Pius VI and designed by Antonio Camporese. Also the fountain in the square below the castle belongs to the same period.
The castle, called Rocca Abbaziale, included the residence of the cardinals. Pius VI enlarged and modified it into a stately mansion, but from the outside the Rocca retains its medieval fortified appearance.
While the cavern where Benedict lived as a hermit and upon which in the XIIIth century a monastery was built is located in a gorge not visible from Subiaco, the monastery of S. Scolastica is clearly visible from Subiaco.
In 1688 the access to S. Scolastica and to Sacro Speco (the monastery built on the saint's cavern) was facilitated by the opening of a road flanked by a series of chapels. The road (on the left in the picture above) passes very near the ruins of a building belonging to Nero's villa: what's left is hardly impressive because all the marbles and columns of the villa were taken away to decorate the monasteries and their churches.
Cassino is a comune south of Rome, at the base of Monte Cairo (elevation 1669 meters) at the confluence of the Liri and Rapido rivers. Before 28 July 1863, the town was called San Germano.
Cassino is most famous for the Abbey of Montecassino and for being the site of the Battle of Monte Cassino during World War II. The town was destroyed during the fighting, and was rebuilt after the war. Today, it is the site of a Fiat auto plant and the University of Cassino.
20 locals recommend
Cassino
Cassino is a comune south of Rome, at the base of Monte Cairo (elevation 1669 meters) at the confluence of the Liri and Rapido rivers. Before 28 July 1863, the town was called San Germano.
Cassino is most famous for the Abbey of Montecassino and for being the site of the Battle of Monte Cassino during World War II. The town was destroyed during the fighting, and was rebuilt after the war. Today, it is the site of a Fiat auto plant and the University of Cassino.
Neighbourhoods
Lazio is the region around Rome. Although not the best-known of tourist areas in Italy, Lazio has lots to offer! Based where you are in our house, you can get to Rome in around an hour and a half, but also go south to Pompeii/Herculaneum and/or Mount Vesuvius for a day-trip, or west to the beach (Terracina, Sabaudia). This guide aims to give you a bit of detail that you might not find in guide books which cover the whole of Italy (and therefore gloss over the places to see in Lazio).
In brief:
The nearest places of interest are Anagni, Alatri and Ferentino - famous for its imposing walls. From here you can follow the religious itinerary among the ancient abbeys of Subiaco, Casamari and Fossanova.
East of Rome is Tivoli with Hadrian’s Villa (Villa Adriana) and the Renaissance Villa D’Este.
Lazio’s coastline has long golden beaches. Avoid Ostia, which is always crowded with Romans (the modern day ones!). Our preferred beach is just north of Sabaudia as it is within the Circeo National Park and therefore not built up (there are only a couple of restaurants/bars). Interesting places to visit on the coast, where there are also beaches, are Terracina, Sperlonga and Gaeta. We recommend you travel as early as possible in the morning to the beach, as parking spaces fill up very quickly during the summer months.
Food and wine
The cuisine in Rome and Lazio is among the most renowned in Italy and is mainly based on products from the land. There are three fundamental elements: olive oil, cheese and wine. Vegetables and pulses are used in abundance. Artichokes are typical of the region and are prepared alla Romana or fried alla Giudia. Try saltimbocca alla romana (literally means ‘leaps into the mouth’ because it’s so delicious!), which is thinly sliced veal wrapped in ham and cooked in a Marsala sauce. Starters include the famous bruschetta, toasted bread seasoned with a variety of ingredients (garlic, olive oil, tomatoes or pesto).
Our area is famous for the Cesanese wine – it comes both dry and sweet. The white ‘Passerina’ is also excellent and very refreshing in the summer. Piglio holds an excellent wine festival every year on the first Sunday in October.
The Association of the Strade Del Vino Cesanese website lists 26 places where you can do wine tasting.
Lazio
Lazio is the region around Rome. Although not the best-known of tourist areas in Italy, Lazio has lots to offer! Based where you are in our house, you can get to Rome in around an hour and a half, but also go south to Pompeii/Herculaneum and/or Mount Vesuvius for a day-trip, or west to the beach (Terracina, Sabaudia). This guide aims to give you a bit of detail that you might not find in guide books which cover the whole of Italy (and therefore gloss over the places to see in Lazio).
In brief:
The nearest places of interest are Anagni, Alatri and Ferentino - famous for its imposing walls. From here you can follow the religious itinerary among the ancient abbeys of Subiaco, Casamari and Fossanova.
East of Rome is Tivoli with Hadrian’s Villa (Villa Adriana) and the Renaissance Villa D’Este.
Lazio’s coastline has long golden beaches. Avoid Ostia, which is always crowded with Romans (the modern day ones!). Our preferred beach is just north of Sabaudia as it is within the Circeo National Park and therefore not built up (there are only a couple of restaurants/bars). Interesting places to visit on the coast, where there are also beaches, are Terracina, Sperlonga and Gaeta. We recommend you travel as early as possible in the morning to the beach, as parking spaces fill up very quickly during the summer months.
Food and wine
The cuisine in Rome and Lazio is among the most renowned in Italy and is mainly based on products from the land. There are three fundamental elements: olive oil, cheese and wine. Vegetables and pulses are used in abundance. Artichokes are typical of the region and are prepared alla Romana or fried alla Giudia. Try saltimbocca alla romana (literally means ‘leaps into the mouth’ because it’s so delicious!), which is thinly sliced veal wrapped in ham and cooked in a Marsala sauce. Starters include the famous bruschetta, toasted bread seasoned with a variety of ingredients (garlic, olive oil, tomatoes or pesto).
Our area is famous for the Cesanese wine – it comes both dry and sweet. The white ‘Passerina’ is also excellent and very refreshing in the summer. Piglio holds an excellent wine festival every year on the first Sunday in October.
The Association of the Strade Del Vino Cesanese website lists 26 places where you can do wine tasting.
Food scene
Piglio