THE ROUTE
MONUMENTSN OF THE APPIA ANTICA REGIONAL PARK 1 ARCH OF DRUSUS 2 PORTA SAN SEBASTIANO AND THE MUSEUM OF THE WALLS 3 CHURCH OF THE DOMINE QUO VADIS 4 CATACOMBS OF ST CALLIXTUS 5 BASILICA AND CATACOMBS OF ST SEBASTIAN 6 MAUSOLEUM OF ROMULUS 7 VILLA OF MAXENTIUS 8 MAUSOLEUM OF CECILIA METELLA 9 CHURCH OF SAN NICOLA 10 CAPO DI BOVE COMPLEX 11 TOMB OF HILARUS FUSCUS 12 TOMB OF TIBERIUS CLAUDIUS THE SECOND 13 SEPULCHRE OF THE FESTOONS AND THE FRONTISPIECE 14 VILLA DEI QUINTILI AND SANTA MARIA NOVA 15 TOMB OF THE HORATII AND CURIATII 16 CASAL ROTONDO MUSEUM 17 MAUSOLEUM OF POMPEY THE GREAT ROME ➜ CASTEL GANDOLFO1
N MONUMENTS OF THE APPIA ANTICA REGIONAL PARK 18 MAUSOLEUM OF GALLIENUS 1ROME ➜ CASTEL GANDOLFO
B&B La Perla di Roma, Via Giorgio Scalia 33, t. +39 335-78.63.670, info@ laperladiroma.it, www.laperladiroma.it, 11 b., €25–40. Casa per ferie Domus Getsemani, Viale Vaticano 56, t. +39 340-88.74.403, 25 b., €25–30. Centro Pellegrini Santa Teresa Coudrec, Via Vincenzo Ambrosio 9, t. +39 06-35.40.11.42, groups@centropellegrini.it, 90 b., €30–45, breakfast. B&B San Pietro, Via Angelo Emo 162, t. +39 347-62.34.082, info@sanpietro-bb.it, www.sanpietro-bb.it, 4 b., €20–75, (WM).
PLACES TO STAY ROME: Spedale della Divina Provvidenza, Via Genovesi 11/B, t. +39 353-42.86.139, 12 b. for sleeping bags, (D), possibility of dinner and breakfast. Ostello Marello, Via Urbana 50, t. +39 06-48.82.120 / 06-48.25.361, 30 b., €25–40.
30 1 LENGTH: 26.1km ALTITUDE DIFFERENCE ASCENT: 434m ALTITUDE DIFFERENCE DESCENT: 18m DIFFICULTY: demanding SURFACE: 35% DIRT ROAD 65% ASPHALT PUBLIC TRANSPORT Railway station in Castel Gandolfo; Cotral Buses in all locations, t. +39 06-72.05.72.05, www.cotralspa.it. FACILITIES CASTEL GANDOLFO: Tourist Office, Via Massimo d’Azeglio, t. +39 06-93.60.113. Basic services, restaurants and chemists.
FRATTOCCHIE: B&B Gli ulivi, Via Pietro di San Giuseppe di Betancour 6, t. +39 340-64.74.261, 24 b., €25, no breakfast, (WM).
From Rome to Castel Gandolfo 0 80206040m0000 0 km 5 10 15 20 25 3530 ROME VADISQUODOMINETHEOFCHURCH ANTICAAPPIA FRATTOCCHIEMOLEDELLEMARIASANTA GANDOLFOCASTEL
MARINO: B&B I glicini, Via dei Glicini 25, t. +39 328-22.05.776, 6 b., €20–30. CASTEL GANDOLFO: Alloggio turistico Centro Maria Poli, Via San Giovanni Battista de la Salle, no street number, t. +39 0693.59.091 / 331-94.29.694 (whatsapp), infocmi@centromariapoli.org,www.centromariapoli.org,100 b., €20–30, breakfast, (WM), dinner €8–11. Casa per ferie Istituto Maddalena Aulina, Via delle Mole 3/C, t. +39 06-93.20.209, villaulina2@gmail.com, www.villaulina.net, 45 b., €30–40, dinner €17. B&B Atlantis Inn, Via Santa Lucia Filippini 11, t. +39 345-21.21.521, info@atlantisinn.it, www.atlantisinn.it, 30 b., €20–40, breakfast €3, (K), (WM). B&B Il raduno, Corso della Repubblica 31, t. +39 info@ilradunocastelgandolfo.it,338-73.51.803, 6 b., €25–40, (K), (WM). Istituto San Giuseppe Casa Mennesiana, Via Appia Nuova 4, t. +39 06-93.54.80.06 / 349-30.23.467 / 333-74.92.024, 3 b. for sleeping bags, (D).
A final look at St Peter’s Basilica and the journey begins on Via della Conciliazione, which leads to Castel Sant’Angelo and its bridge of the same name. After crossing the Tiber, continue along Via del Banco di Santo Spirito and on to Largo Tassoni; turn left to take Corso Vittorio Emanuele II for 1.2km; then, at the church of the Gesù, continue on Via del Plebiscito. This soon leads to Piazza Venezia, where you turn right and, after the Victor Emmanuel II Monument, take the Via dei Fori Imperiali; continue straight up to the Colosseum, then turn right, and after passing the arch of Constantine, take Via di San Gregorio. At the intersection [1.1], turn left and proceed along the unpaved road that runs parallel to Via di Valle delle Camene. At the end of the road, continue on Via delle Terme di Caracalla, and in Piazzale Numa Pompilio, take Via di Porta San Sebastiano. Follow it and, after passing the arch of Drusus and Porta San Sebastiano, you will find the first milestone column (a copy) on the Via Appia Antica, on which you continue for 800m, up to the crossroads at the church of the Domine Quo Vadis [1.2]: this is where the APPIA ANTICA REGIONAL PARK begins. The main and shorter route now visits the area of the catacombs of St Callixtus, accessed via an avenue of cypresses; should the catacombs be closed, at the crossroads keep left and then decide whether to continue along the Via Appia Antica, which has no pavements and has a lot of traffic, or opt for the Caffarella alternative route. After passing the entrance to the catacombs, follow the avenue which, after 1.5km, comes out on the Via Appia Antica where you turn right; continue straight on, admiring the churches, remains of Roman buildings and funerary monuments along the road. After the mausoleum of Cecilia Metella and the church of San Nicola di Capo di Bove, alongside the sanpietrini (typical Roman cobblestones), the original basoli paving of the ancient Roman road emerges.
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Arriving at the intersection [1.3], the main route and the alternative meet up and then continue together on the paving stones of the Regina Viarum which occasionally disappears again under the more modern cob blestones. After a few metres, just beyond the Capo di Bove tower, there is a drinking water fountain on the left. At this point begins a stretch of almost 9km immersed in a historical-naturalistic context of enormous beauty: the road, flanked by pines and cypresses, is dotted with funerary monuments from the Roman era. The ease of the route allows you to enjoy it to the full: in fact, you go straight on, crossing a series of asphalted roads (at the first intersection there is a drinking fountain), and then passing the hamlets
A really exciting stage begins a Way that will prove to be full of similar emotions. You cross the Eternal City to the church of the Domine Quo Vadis, where you can visit the catacombs of St Callixtus. The Via Appia Antica, the Regina Viarum, begins here, and in part preserves its original basoli paving. Some extraordinary monuments from the Roman era accompany us along the first road in the world. The last few kilometres rise up towards Castel Gandolfo, the heart of the Castelli Romani. If the catacombs are closed, an alternative route is suggested that helps avoid the traffic.
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of Santa Maria delle Mole (where you can take a break if you want) and Frattocchie, until you reach a large intersection with a traffic light [1.4]. Cross here, keeping to the left and following the signs for Marino and Frascati.
Castel Gandolfo Chosen as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy by the organisation “I borghi più belli d’Italia”, Castel Gandolfo is to be
The Caffarella alternative route (3.6km) At the crossroads [1.2] proceed left on Via Appia Antica and after 100m, passing to the left of a low wall, take Via della Caffarella which you follow until you reach the en trance of the Appia Antica Regional Park. You cross it, continuing on a dirt road, between dense woodland vegetation and wide-open spaces, farmed or left to pasture. Once you pass the Annia Regilla mausoleum and the Egeria nymphaeum, you arrive at the intersection [1.2.1], where you keep to the right; then, at the height of the Roman cistern, turn left. The dirt road ends at a very busy junction; here it is necessary to take the road opposite (Via di Cecilia Metella) which after just over 400m meets the Via Appia Antica [1.3], rejoining the main route. What to see Appia Antica Regional Park This extraordinary open-air museum of cultural and environmental artefacts was established in 1988 by the councils of Rome, Ciampino and Marino, and is the largest urban park in Europe. Its 4,580 hectares include the Via Appia Antica (a stretch of over 16km!) and its surroundings, the archaeological area of the Via Latina, the PARK OF THE AQUEDUCTS and the CAFFARELLA VALLEY , an important testimony of the ancient agricultural landscape very close to the city.
After 200m, having passed the entrance to the abbey of Nostra Signora del Santissimo Sacramento, turn right, taking the SP 77b and proceeding along Via Costa Rotonda; at the first crossroads, continue to the right again, on to Via Castagnole di Sotto; at the next fork, turn left and then proceed slightly uphill until you cross the SP 75 [1.5], where you turn right. Continue on and at the second street turn left into Via dei Glicini. The road, uphill, leads to a junction, where you turn left into Via Due Santi Pascolari which, again uphill, intersects the SP 140 and then turns into a narrow road on the other side of the main road. After 250m, when the road forks, keep to the right, continuing to climb until you come out on Via Montecrescenzio. Follow this to the right for a little less than 300m, and on reaching the intersection, take a sharp left, before soon meeting Viale Bruno Buozzi where you turn right: you are now at the gates of CASTEL GANDOLFO . After 600m, at the intersection [1.6], turn left, following the signs for the lake and taking Via Palazzo Pontificio. The narrow road, paved with cobblestones, climbs up to the Belvedere, from which you can admire a splendid view of Lake Albano; from here, turning right, you come to Piazza della Libertà, in front of the Palazzo Papale, the Papal Palace, the end point of this first stage.
found on Lake Albano, in the splendid naturalistic setting of the Castelli Romani Regional Park. In this territory, inhabited since the Neolithic pe riod, around the 13th century BC the mythical city of Alba Longa arose.
According to legend, this was founded by Ascanius, the son of Aeneas, and was the birthplace of Romulus and Remus. The city, the capital of the Latin League, was destroyed by Rome in the 7th century BC, and on its ruins were built, both in the Republican and Imperial age, countless luxurious pa trician villas: the oldest is that of Publius Clodius Pulcher, which today is part of Villa Santa Caterina, while the most majestic is that of the emperor Domitian, today inside VILLA BARBERINI
After centuries of oblivion, the city was reborn in the early 1200s around the castle built by the noble Gandolfi family from which it will take its name. In 1604 Pope Clement VII annexed the castle, making it an inal ienable asset of the Church, and a few years later the Popes made it their summer residence: thus the Palazzo Papale and the COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SAN TOMMASO DA VILLANOVA were built, designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini no less, followed by Villa Cybo and Villa Torlonia. A little curiosity: Piazza della Libertà is home to the first letterbox in the world, dating back to 1820. Even today the alleys of the historic centre are teeming with shops and fraschette (wine shops), where you can taste typical Roman dishes and the wine of the Castelli Romani. At the beginning of September, the feast of the patron San Sebastiano is not to be missed, celebrated with fireworks on the waters of the lake, amidst music and gastronomic delights.
APPIA ANTICA. Aedicule sepulchral monument from the 2nd century AD.
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N CASTEL GANDOLFO ➜ VELLETRI2
VELLETRI: Istituto Don Orione, Via Carlo Angeloni 12, t. +39 06-96.38.623 / 348-49.44.018, 30 b., (D), breakfast and dinner available.
From Castel
B&B Casa Ponte Corvi, Via Vecchia di Napoli 22, t. +39 www.casapontecorvi.com,328-84.69.313,5b.,€40–60.
35 2 LENGTH: 21.2km ALTITUDE DIFFERENCE ASCENT: 445m ALTITUDE DIFFERENCE DESCENT: 553m DIFFICULTY: demanding SURFACE: 60% DIRT ROAD 40% ASPHALT PUBLIC TRANSPORT Railway stations in Albano, Nemi and Velletri; Cotral Buses in all locations, t. +39 06-72.05.72.05, www.cotralspa.it. FACILITIES NEMI: Tourist Office, Piazza Roma, t. +39 06-93.68.819. VELLETRI: Emergency Medical Service, Via San Biagio 13, t. +39 06-58.52.68.11, from 8pm. Tourist Office, Piazza Garibaldi, t. +39 389-52.92.12. All useful services. PLACES TO STAY ALBANO LAZIALE: Seminario Diocesano, Piazza San Paolo 5, t. +39 breakfastseminario@diocesidialbano.it,06-93.20.021,6b.,(D),anddinneronrequest.
B&B Chez Raz, Via della Caranella 41 (1.5km from Velletri, shuttle service), t. +39 347-71.09.886, Mar–Dec.sleepingbagwww.chezraz.com,paola.chezraz@gmail.com,8b.,€15forsleepinginyurt(Apr–Oct),€20inB&Bforbag,sheets/towels€5,(WM)€2,
1.0006008000m200400 0 km 5 10 15 20 25 GANDOLFOCASTEL LAZIALEALBANO NEMI VELLETRI
Agriturismo I sapori dei castelli romani, Via Crocefissi 1 (3km from Velletri, along the next stage), t. +39 338-94.58.646, 14 b., €30 with breakfast, on Saturday dinner is available.
The stage, largely unpaved, is not long, but is challenging due to the differences in height: after the initial descent towards Albano Laziale, the route climbs up into the Alban hills. A series of paths, immersed in the woods and rich in panoramic views of the lakes, lead gently downhill to the gates of the picturesque village of Nemi; then they go up into the woods before descending to Velletri: the beauty of its landscape is renowned, and celebrated by the German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Gandolfo to Velletri
NEMI: Albergo diffuso Lo specchio di Diana, Corso Vittorio Emanuele 11, t. +39 06-93.68.714, www.albergodiffusonemi.it, 20 b., €30–55, no breakfast.
The staircase leads to Piazza Don Morosini where you turn right on to the SP 71b, then at the crossroads you take the cycle/pedestrian path on the left which you follow for 1km before continuing on Viale Giovanni Paolo II. When you reach the roundabout, turn left into Via Cairoli; this comes out in the square where, on the right, is the cathedral of San Pancrazio. Keep left, along Via Anfiteatro Romano which proceeds uphill, and after passing the sanctuary of San Gaspare del Bufalo and the Severian amphitheatre, at the intersection (drinking fountain nearby) follow the signs for Rome and Lake Albano then take the SP 71b [2.2], where the main route and the alternative meet up again.
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From the Palazzo Papale, cross Piazza della Libertà to take Corso della Repubblica, then at the small square [2.1] you can choose between two pos sible routes: the main one turns right, going down the steps, and leads to ALBANO LAZIALE ; while the alternative, only 1.6km long, avoids the town centre, continuing first on Via Carlo Rosselli and then on the SP 71b (Via Galleria di Sopra).
The Way continues to the right and after about a hundred metres con tinues on the path to the left that plunges into the holm oak wood, skirting the lake that can be glimpsed through the dense vegetation. After 2.6km, immediately after a curve and a steep climb, you arrive at the fork [2.3], where you turn right; now the path rises in altitude offering a series of panoramic views of the lake. Continue and when the track forks, go left up to the underpass of the SS 218, which you take, and then go straight on along the path. This winds for 1.4km in the shade of a chestnut forest be fore reaching a crossroads where the descent to Fontan Tempesta begins. Just after the spring you come to a double fork [2.4] where you pro ceed, slightly uphill, first to the left, then to the right. Then, at the next crossroads, keep right again and continue downhill through the woods for 1.3km, while you begin to see Lake Nemi. The path comes out on a road paved with cobblestones that leads to the fascinating historic centre of NEMI , where you can break this stage if you wish. After visiting the village, the Way resumes from the austere Palazzo Ruspoli, turning left on to Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Once at the round about, recognisable from the fountain with Cupid, turn right into Via Nemorense (SP 76a). Leaving the town, continue on the SP for 1.8km, until you see the signs for the cemetery which you follow, and then take the dirt road to the left of the cemetery. The cart track goes for a short distance into the woods, then skirts it, reaching the crossroads [2.5], where you turn right and return to thick vegetation. Proceed straight on and after 1km, at the crossroads, keep left, con tinuing downhill; finally, when you reach the clearing at the bottom of the valley [2.6], take the path that climbs to the right. The track climbs up a steep, well-signposted slope, and after 800m it meets a path that takes you to the right [2.7]. From here a gentle descent starts that comes out on an asphalted road, which you enter to the left. After 400m, turn right into Via Colle Caldara which you follow downhill for just under 2km, until you cross the SS 7 [2.8] on which you continue to the left. Thus, after
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Nemi The village, one of the most picturesque of the Castelli Romani, sits on the shore of the lake of the same name, amidst woods full of wild straw berries which feature in a festival in June. But Nemi has also been consid ered a sacred place since ancient times: the TEMPLE OF DIANA NEMORENSIS can still be found here, a religious site for the Latin League. In 1929, two NEMI. The village is one of the most evocative of the Castelli Romani.
500m, you reach the roundabout that marks the entrance to the town of VELLETRI . For the centre, keep left and take Viale Roma, then continue on Corso della Repubblica and, after passing Piazza Mazzini, continue on Via Fabio Filzi, the narrow street that leads to the cathedral of San Clemente, today’s destination. What to see Albano Laziale It might be the legendary Alba Longa, linked to the mythical Aeneas, but opinions are divided: what is certain are the Roman remains that are found there, including Porta Pretoria, the TOMB OF THE HORATII AND CURIATII , the BATHS OF CARACALLA , the Cisternoni (ancient Roman cisterns), the Villa of Pompey the Great, now inside the Villa Doria Pamphilj, and the amphitheatre, visible from the Via Francigena; the Museum of the Legio II Parthica is also worth a visit. The city retained its importance later as well, as evidenced by the CATACOMBS OF SAN SENATORE with their frescoes, under the church of Santa Maria della Stella, or the SANCTUARY OF SANTA MARIA DELLA ROTONDA , built around the year 1000 on a Roman nymphaeum re-adapted as thermal baths for officers. Finally, the CATHEDRAL OF SAN PANCRAZIO is worth a visit, built in the 9th century, but ren ovated in 1913, which preserves an important early Christian sarcophagus. Many finds from the area are now in the Civic Museum of Villa Ferrajoli.
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Velletri On the extreme south of the Alban Hills, a wine-growing centre, it was the scene of the wars between Rome and the Volsci, an Italic people who occupied the southern part of Lazio. Having entered the sphere of influence of Rome, the town gave birth to the gens Octavia, from whom the emperor Octavian Augustus was descended, while in 1088 one of its bishops, Odo of Lagery, was elected Pope under the name of Urban II, the promoter of the First Crusade. In the Renaissance the defensive system was rebuilt, and between 1511 and 1519 the PORTA NAPOLETANA was built on the Via Appia on which stands out the inscription “Pay your taxes”, given its function as customs post. Do not miss the CATHEDRAL OF SAN CLEMENTE : the crypt contains the relics of the martyrs Pontian and Eleutherius. The Trivio tower dates back to 1343. A visit to the Civic Museums, in the 16th-century town hall, and the Diocesan Museum is recommended. VELLETRI. The path through the woods that leads to the town.
large ceremonial ships built by the Roman emperor Caligula were recov ered from the lake; unfortunately destroyed by a fire in 1944, only a few fragments remain in the Museum of Roman Ships. The medieval layout of the city comes from the Cistercian monks who also controlled the castle, today known as PALAZZO RUSPOLI .
