SEVEN HILLTOP TOWNS TO DISCOVER IN THE LAZIO REGION

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SEVEN HILLTOP TOWNS TO DISCOVER IN THE LAZIO REGION

A SHORT GUIDE TO SEVEN LAZIO DESTINATIONS AND HOW TO REACH THEM FROM ROME

BOMARZO

This charming mediaeval town in north Lazio is best known for its fantastical Parco dei Mostri or “park of monsters”. Designed by Renaissance architect Pirro Ligorio with the aim of astonishing visitors, this wondrous park features grotesque mythological sculptures and fountains, including the gaping Orcus, Hannibal’s elephant, Pegasus the winged horse and a disorientating leaning house.

How to get to Bomarzo from Rome

By train: Trains from Roma Termini to AttiglianoBomarzo station take around 55 minutes. Trains from Rome also reach nearby Orte and Viterbo, with Cotral buses to Bomarzo operating from both towns. By car: 93 km north from Rome to Bomarzo via A1 / E35. The drive takes about an hour and a half.

BOMARZO

CAPRAROLA

Located on the southern slope of the densely-wooded Cimini mountains, Caprarola is a town in the Viterbo province, about 50km north-west of Rome. It is best known for its magnificent Palazzo Farnese, a five-sided Renaissance palace dating to the late 16th century, and the formal gardens. The pentagonal palace, also known as Villa Farnese, is famous for its Mannerist frescoes and spectacular staircase.

How to get to Caprarola from Rome

By train: There is no direct service but trains run from

Roma Termini to Orte (approx 40 mins). From Orte, you can take a taxi but be warned that the roughly halfhour trip will cost between €50 and €65. By bus: From Piazzale Flaminio take a bus to Saxa Rubra (13 mins) before transferring to a Cotral bus to Caprarola (approx 1 hour and 10 mins). By car: Approximately 60 km north from Rome to Caprarola via SR2. The drive takes about one hour and 20 mins.

CALCATA

This craggy hamlet north of Rome was condemned in the 1930s over fears of its impending collapse, and its residents were relocated to the newly-built “Calcata Nuova”. In the 1960s however old Calcata slowly came back to life with the arrival of artists who squatted in its abandoned houses and caves. The hippy atmosphere prevails, with The New York Times describing Calcata as “the grooviest village in Italy”. There are numerous restaurants and craft shops, and the Monte Gelato waterfalls are nearby.

How to get to Calcata from Rome

By train/bus: There are no direct trains from Rome. Take the 20-minute journey on the light-rail train service from Via Flaminia in Rome to Saxa Rubra, then hop aboard one of the blue Cotral buses to Calcata Vecchia. Buses leave regularly, and the trip takes a little over an hour, however it is best to consult all connections before making the journey. By car: Approx 53 km north from Rome to Calcata via SS2, exit Settevene and follow signs for Calcata. The drive takes about one hour.

CALCATA CAPRAROLA

CIVITA DI BAGNOREGIO

Regarded by many as the jewel in the crown of Lazio’s hilltop villages, Civita surges out of the Calanchi valley, in the northern Viterbo province. The tiny hamlet is “the dying town” due to the erosion and landslides that have chipped away at its fragile base over the centuries, from the Etruscan era to the modern day. Only about a dozen residents live in Civita which is reached by a steep pedestrian bridge, and is seeking World Heritage recognition from UNESCO.

How to get to Civita di Bagnoregio from Rome

By train/ bus: Trains leave from Roma Termini to Orvieto whose station is connected to nearby Bagnoregio by Cotral bus. It is also possible to reach Bagnoregio by Cotral bus from Viterbo Porta Fiorentina (trains from Roma Ostiense) but the Orvieto option is less complicated. The coaches do not run regularly so check times before travelling. Orvieto is 20km away from Bagnoregio, Viterbo 30km, both bus trips take about an hour.

By car: Approximately 120 km north from Rome to Bagnoregio, taking the Orvieto exit off the A1 motorway. The drive takes about one hour and 50 mins.

CIVITA DI BAGNOREGIO

CERVARA DI ROMA

Located about 70 km from Rome in the Simbruini regional park, Lazio’s largest nature reserve, Cervara offers sweeping views of the Aniene valley. With origins dating back to the eighth century, for 200 years the natural beauty surrounding Cervara has attracted artists from all over Europe, traces of whom can still be seen carved into the mountainside. The film director Sergio Leone, of Spaghetti Western fame, filmed several movies in the village, and composer Ennio Morricone dedicated compositions to Cervara which thanked him with honourary citizenship.

How to get to Cervara from Rome

By bus/train: Take the Subiaco bus from the Ponte Mammolo station on the Metro B line. From Subiaco take connecting bus to Cervara. For times tel. 800/150008. Trains from Rome (Roma-Pescara line) go as far as Arsoli. From there take a taxi to Cervara. By car: Take the Autostrada A24 Roma-L’Aquila, exit Vicovaro-Mandela, follow Via Tiburtina-Valeria (SS5) as far as Arsoli, then take the Strada Panoramica provinciale per Cervara. The drive takes about one hour.

SUBIACO

How to get to Subiaco from Rome

By bus: Take a direct Cotral bus from Roma Tiburtina to Subiaco (1.5 hours). By car: Rome to Subiaco via A24. The drive takes about one hour and 20 mins.

TIVOLI

Located about an hour outside of Rome, Tivoli is home to two major cultural landmarks, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Hadrian’s Villa and Villa d’Este. Dating to the second century AD, Villa Adriana was once the imperial residence of emperor Hadrian. The remains of this vast villa include statue-lined pools and a maritime theatre, while the landscaped Renaissance gardens of Villa d’Este are celebrated internationally for their multitude of magnificent fountains. Also worth visiting is Villa Gregoriana, a beautiful natural park on the outskirts of the town.

How to get to Tivoli from Rome

By train: Direct trains between Roma Termini and Tivoli take about half an hour. A more circuitous route involves taking a Cotral bus to Tivoli from the Metro B station of Ponte Mammolo. By car: Approximately 35 km east from Rome via A24. The drive takes about one hour.

CERVARA DI ROMA

SUBIACO

Located about 70 km east of Rome, Subiaco is best known as the home of St Benedict’s monastery and the Sacro Speco, a hermitage where the saint lived alone for three years. Both of these areas house 13th-century frescoes and can be visited by the public. The history of Subiaco dates back to the Aequi, an ancient Italic people, who were conquered by the Romans in 304 BC.

TIVOLI

TUSCANIA

Not far from Viterbo and Lake Bolsena is the small mediaeval town of Tuscania. Its origins however date back to the Etruscans – see the town’s Etruscan Museum – and later the Romans. Tuscania’s main tourist sites include the Lombard-Romanesque Church of S. Pietro, with its large rose window, and the Etruscan necropolises. It is also known for its annual harvests of porcini mushroooms and snails, and its surrounding nature reserve.

How to get to Tuscania from Rome

By train/bus: Take a train from Roma Termini to Civitavecchia (approximately 1 hour). Transfer to a bus from Civitavecchia on the Cotral line and get off at the Tuscania stop (approx 1 hour and 10 mins). By car: Approximately 95 km north-west from Rome to Tuscania via SR2. The drive takes about one hour and 50 mins.