ROMA
Obviously, the Grand Tour starts in Rome, the Eternal City with its monuments, churches, squares, villas, gardens, thermae, great expositions and important events that represent countless opportunities for an encounter with the traces of history and the spectacle of the people. The spell of millenarian history and Christianity this city offers attracts many visitors from all over the world, and they are increasing in number since the new Pontiff has been elected, thanks to the great popularity of Pope Francis among people. The extraordinary riches of the artistic, historical and religious heritage of Rome make the city one of the most important international tourist destinations worldwide. Among the inestimable monumental treasures through which Rome has always been famous throughout the world, may it last to mention the Coliseum, the Forum Romanum, the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain, St. Peter’s and the Vatican Museums with the Sistine Chapel, the Capitol Hill and the National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II. More recently the Eternal City has been endowed with avantgarde cultural facilities such as the Auditorium Parco della Musica, designed by Renzo Piano, in which the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia operates; the Opera House; the Maxxi, designed by Zaha Hadid, which holds the National Museum of 21st-century Art.
The vast range of accommodation options offers the possibility to stay overnight choosing from economical B&B offers or housing with families up to high-end luxury hotels and historical dwellings. Furthermore we should not forget the traditional Roman cuisine, based on rural and peasant ingredients which are prepared following homemade recipes. Over the centuries this cooking has created tasty dishes which are famous all around the world, such as Bucatini amatriciana, Spaghetti carbonara and Penne arrabbiata. Near Rome, on the slopes of the Alban Hills, are the Castles of Rome, small towns set out in a horseshoe shape with two volcanic craters occupied by the Lakes of Albano and Nemi. Tivoli with Villa d’Este, renowned for its water garden and fountains, and with Villa Gregoriana and Villa Adriana, Frascati with the villas of the cardinals Aldobrandini and Falconieri, Subiaco
with the characteristic and magnificent Benedictine abbeys, and the Lake of Bracciano are essential stops to explore the territory of the province of Rome.
Latina
The tour continues south of the capital, in the lower Lazio, towards the province of Latina which is characterized by a rich seaside called Riviera of Ulysses. The hills descending towards the sea, towards the coast of myths and the towns of white houses with sky-blue shutters, are a hymn to the mare nostrum, its richness and vitality.
From the medieval village of Fossanova with its beautiful abbey, by the enchanting Landscape Garden of Ninfa and the medieval villages of Latina, we arrive at the long sand beaches, the salt lakes, at Sabaudia with its dunes, along which lies the natural reserve Parco Nazionale del Circeo, and finally at the Temple of Jupiter Anxur in Terracina. From here onwards, cliffs alternate with amazing bays, from the Grotta del Turco until Gaeta, a sea, culture and art town with the famous Montagna Spaccata. The Gulf of Gaeta continues and from Formia, seaside residence of the Romans where the Tomb of Cicero lies, we leave for the “Pearls of the Mediterranean”, the Pontine Islands (Ponza, Ventotene, Palmarola, Zannone and Santo Stefano). Then come Minturno, with the Roman amphitheatre, and the Baths of Suio.
On one side the Cape Circeo, Sabaudia and Terracina, on the other the Imperial Coast which showcases the most beautiful seaside resorts down to the Gulf of Gaeta, Formia and Minturno, and the Pontian Islands in front, which as early as in Roman times were chosen by emperors for their vacation. But the province of Latina also consists of that area called Terra imperiale which lies inland and develops along itineraries going back to the ancient pilgrim route Via Francigena, up to the reserves and natural oases, the Monti Lepini, from Campodimele to the charming town Sermoneta along the itinerary of the towns of Latina, Aprilia, Pontinia and Sabaudia. And along the Route of wines, olive oil and tastes, the territory also offers an itinerary which discovers the ancient local ingredients, today remote and almost forgotten, mixed with great knowledge to create traditional dishes such as the Tiella. Worth mentioning are, among many others, the Gaeta olives, celery of Sperlonga, lentils of Ventotene, the DOC wines which Romans already appreciated and which are today represented by wineries that are internationally renown and have won international awards, and last not least the extra-virgin olive oil DOP from the Pontine Hills.
FROSINONE
From here we head to Ciociaria, land of myths, legends, art and culture, archaeological sites, majestic circles of fortification walls, Roman arches, churches and abbeys, medieval villages, grottoes, lakes and rivers, wonderful baths, excellent
cooking and wine, breathtaking panoramas and a green and luxuriant nature. The Itinerary of Taste begins with the Cesanese del Piglio which was the first wine in Lazio to receive the DOCG label, and the Cabernet di Atina DOC. And then there are the bread and cheese varieties, buffalo mozzarella, extra-virgin olive oil, truffles, Cannellino beans, Pontecorvo sweet peppers and home-made pasta. These are only some of the most delicious, unique and typical products of this authentic empire of taste.
You must not miss the Roman amphitheatre in Frosinone; the religious tour with the Abbeys of Montecassino, Trisulti and Casamari; the Springs of Fiuggi; Anagni, the town of Boniface VIII, the Pope of the first Jubilee, and the other fortified towns Alatri, Atina, Arpino and Ferentino, which are completely surrounded by preRoman polygonal walls and called Cyclopean cities by popular tradition; the Castle of Fumone where Pope Celestin V died; the subterraneous Ciociaria with the Pastena Caves (one of the most remarkable cave systems in Italy), the Collepardo Caves (fascinating calcareous formations showing human features) and the Pozzo d’Antullo (a sinkhole in the Monti Ernici which is 60 meters deep); the reserve Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo; the national reserve of the Lake of Posta Fibreno with an amazing biodiversity and a floating island; the Lake of San Giovanni Incarico and the Lake of Monteleone Sabino (RI), Santuario di Santa Vittoria Canterno (both regional reserves). Last not least, the Monti Ernici, Monti Lepini, Monti Ausoni and Monti Aurunci and the Amaseno Valley. But you cannot leave Ciociaria without visiting the places of St. Thomas Aquinas’ youth: Roccasecca, Aquino and Monte San Giovanni Campano.
RIETI
From the province of Frosinone we move towards the Reatino area, the geographical center of Italy, to admire the beauty of the Abbey of Farfa and above all to make a stop in the Land of Sanctuaries with the four Franciscan monasteries along the “Path of Saint Francis”: Poggio Bustone, Greccio, Fonte Colombo and La Foresta. In Rieti, Umbilicus Italiae (the exact centre of Italy), do not miss a visit of the Flavio Vespasiano Theater, and do not forget the castles of the region. The medieval villages of Fara in Sabina, Cittaducale and Poggio Mirteto with the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta are also very interesting. The intact nature with green hills, freckled with dark spots of forests, the majestic snow-clad summits such as Monte Terminillo, the limpid Velino river, the charming Lakes Lungo and Ripasottile, Salto and Turano, and the thermal springs make Reatino a territory where environment mixes with the mystic atmospheres of the Franciscan monasteries and the ancient traditions and cultures of the medieval villages and castles alternated by endless olive groves. This is where the most important product of the region is born, the extra-virgin olive oil DOP Sabina.
VITERBO
Our discovery tour of Lazio ends with the province of Viterbo, in a region called Tuscia. Its history has been written by Etruscans, Romans, popes and artists, and it is known as a pleasant and manycolored area which extends from the coast to the Maremma region, from hills to chestnut woods, from the slopes of the Monti Cimini to the Tiber Valley, including two lakes of volcanic origin. A real oasis of tranquil life, where biodiversity is a value that is actively promoted and safeguarded.
In the city of Viterbo you can find historical evidence of different periods (especially in the medieval quarter San Pellegrino and the Papal Palace), and two thousand years of Etruscan civilization pop up in every corner of the province. A must are the Renaissance Palazzi and Villas: Villa Lante in Bagnaia, the Orsini Castle in Vignanello and Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola; the Sacred Woods of Bomarzo and the tiny medieval village Civita di Bagnoregio, the “dying city” atop a plateau of friable volcanic tuff in constant danger of destruction as its edges fall off.
From an archaeological point of view the impressive remains of the Etruscan culture are very important. They are particularly evident in Tarquinia, Tuscania, Vulci, Castel d’Asso and Blera. Other remarkable destinations are the village and the Cistercian Abbey of San Martino al Cimino, furthermore Montefiascone and the Lakes of Bolsena and Vico. The magic of the Etruscan world can be experienced in a stop in Tarquinia for its fascinating museum which shows archaeological finds from this ancient and rich civilization. A few kilometers (entering the province of Rome now), and we reach Civitavecchia with its lively port and the Monti della Tolfa in the background. At short distance there are Santa Marinella and the charming castle of Santa Severa. Now we are at the gates of Rome, which is the ideal departure and return point for the Grand Tour of Lazio.
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