Lake-complex of Bracciano and Martignano

It’s the typical volcanic landscape that stretches on most of the hilly region at north of Rome. The lakes lay at the bottom of a basin bound to the activity of the ancient volcano Sabatino, that reached its top about 40,000 years ago.

Places to visit:

Anguillara - Bassano Romano: the medieval village, Odescalchi Palace, the church of St. Vincent (17th century).

Bracciano: the Orsini-Odescalchi Palace that keeps meaningful works from the Etruscan, Medieval and Renaissance ages; the Parish church of St. Stephen that keeps a painting made by Guercino.

Campagnano Romano: the medieval village, the urbanistic witness from the 17th century, the Parish Church.

Manziana: Tittoni Palace, built around 1500, that keeps the remains of St. Pupa Fort.

Monterosi: the Cardinal’s Palace from the 17th-18th century, on the hill above the town, Frederick the 2nd of Swabia’s Fort (13th century).

Sutri: the Amphitheatre, the Mitreo, the Church of Our Holy Lady of the Lawn, many Etruscan witnesses.

Trevignano: the interesting well kept medieval village, surrounded by remains of towers and forts, the Tower of the Clock of the 1500s, the Cathedral that keeps frescoes from the 16th century and a small Mercy in marble from the same period.

Excursions and guided tours:

In summer, the motorship “Sabazia” makes tours of one and a half hour on the lake, with stops in Bracciano, Anguillara and Trevignano. For information: Bracciano Lake Association – Tel +39 6 67661; ex hydroport – Bracciano – Tel +39 6 99805462.

Boats renting, tours by sailing boat:

Sailing Center 3V – Tel +39 6 9997204;

Sail Bay Club – Tel +39 6 9997223;

Sail Club – Tel +39 6 99855065;

Water color Sail Club – Sailing Point – Tel +39 6 9987477 – Web: www.sailingpoint.it ;

Sailing Association Bracciano – Tel +39 6 99805042;

A.S. Planet Sail – Tel +39 6 99805489 – email: planetsail@edl.it

Horse excursions:

Great Small Maquis Coop. – 23, della Macchia Street – Bracciano – Tel +39 6 9986392;

St. Barbara Farm – 8, Poderale del Sambuco Street – Tel +39 6 99800111

How to get to the park:

From Rome SS 2 Cassia Street until exit to Trevignano Romano or Claudia Braccianese Street;

Sun Highway A1, exit Magliano Sabino, then go towards Civita Castellana, then Nepi, then SS 2 Cassia Street towards Rome, exit Settevene/Bracciano/Trevignano.

 

Information and useful numbers:

Park Company: Tel +39 6 9991201

Included communes:

Anguillara Sabazia (RM), Bracciano (RM), Trevignano Romano (RM), Campagnano di Roma (RM), Manziana (RM), Roma, Bassano Romano (RM), Monterosi (RM), Oriolo Romano (RM), Sutri (RM).

 Vejo Park

The Park’s borders are Cassia Street at west, Flaminia Street at East and Campagnanese Street at North. The landscape of the protected area is typical of Etruscan Latium. Some thermo-mineral sources, wide tufaceous plateaus are the signs of the ancient activity of volcano Sabatino.

Places to visit:

The area keeps very important witnesses of the Etruscan culture and civilization. In fact the park owes its name to the powerful Etruscan City of Veio, of which we have very enchanting witnesses: one of the entrance doors to the city, the one of Ponte Sodo (5th century b.C.). Many Necropolis, among which it was found the Tomb of Ducks (7th century b.C.), the most anciente Tomb painted in Italy. Still from the Etruscan age, the Temple of Apollo (6th century b.C.); while from the Roman age we have Livia’s Villa close to Prima Porta (1st century b.C.); Lucio Vero’s Villa at Nerone’s Tomb (8th km of Cassia Street); Casale Ghella’s Villa (11th km of Cassia Street) and Celsa’s Tombs (12.7th km of Old Flaminia Street), of Nasoni and of Favilla (2nd century a.D.). Very esteemed the Castle and the Village of Farnese Island (10th-11th century a.D.), the Sanctuary of Sorbo, the Mola Paradisi, the Malborghetto House (19.2nd km of Flaminia Sreet).

Horse excursions:

C.P.R. Quarterhorses – Formello – Tel +39 6 9075336;

Sacrofano Horse Club – Montecucco Street – Morlupo – Tel +39 6 9071672;

Maiorchini – Sacrofano – F. Loc. Pineto – Tel +39 6 9084374;

Stefanelli – Sacrofano – B. Pineto Street – Tel +39 6 9084311.

Information and useful numbers:

Park Company: Tel +39 6 9042774 – Fax +39 6 90154548 – email: info@parcodiveio.it

Included communes:

Campagnano di Roma, Castel Nuovo di Porto, Formello, Magliano Romano, Mazzano Romano, Morlupo, Riano, Roma (20th municipality), Sacrofano.

How to get to the park:

Sun Highway A1 exit Fiano Romano. Signs to Capena and then to Morlupo.

From south: GRA exit 6 (Flaminia street) or exit 3 (Cassia Street) or exit 5 (Cassia Veientana Street). All these streets go through the park.

Mounts Lucretili are the south sub-group of Mounts Sabini between Rome and Rieti. Long ago these mount were already popular: Orazio Flacco the poet, came here to rest in a Farm, as a gift of his friend Mecenate. The remains of his Villa are at the borders of a wood and are united to other historical and artistic witnesses of the territory.

Communes to visit:

Scandriglia: Anguillara’s Palace, from the 1400s, the Parish Church of Our Holy Lady of the Assumption from the 18th century, the Church of St. Nicholas and the Cloister of Our Holy Lady of the Assumption;

Orvinio: the church of St. Nicholas dated back 1536;

Poggio Moiano: Massaci’s Cave, tomb from the Sabine-Roman Ages;

Moricone: Savelli’s Palace from the 1500s and the Parish Church of the Assumption;

Palombara Sabina: the baroque Church of the Annunciation; the Church of St. Biagio that keeps “Our Holy Lady with Child” by Antonio from Viterbo; the medieval Castle Savelli Torlinia; the Church of St. John in Argentella from the 8th century rebuilt in the 1200s that has on the façade a Byzantine fresco and a Roman bell tower;

St. Polo of the Kinights: the medieval Orsini’s Fort;

Vicovaro: the church of St. James from the 15th century.

Licenza: the remains of Orazio’s Villa.

Excursions and guided tours:

At the visiting centers and the siege of the Park Company it’s available a six months schedule of the activities, the guide and the chart of the excursions.

Useful information:

Park Company: Tel +39 774 637027 – Fax +39 774 637060 – email: parco@uni.net or website: www.montilucretili.it

How to get to the park:

SS Tiburtina until Tivoli, then follow the street in the towns of the park;

SS Salaria until exit to Poggio Moiano;

Highway A24 Rome-L’Aquila, exit Tivoli to SS 636;

Highway A1 exit Fiano Romano, towards Salaria Street.

It’s hilly region of volcanic origin, made of the crater-belt of the ancient Latial volcano, with the basins filled by lakes Albano and Nemi. Pleasant walks lead without effort in the woods that cover the slopes of the craters with all the surprises that the nature of the Park gives to the visitors.

Places to visit:

By the name “Roman Castles” we mean the towns, often of very ancient origin, where the roman patrician families, and later the Popes, used to build Palaces and Castles for holidays.

Albano: the Cathedral risen on an ancient one from the 4th century; the roman remains of Domiziano’s Villa and of Pretoria Door;

Ariccia: important architectural works by Bernini as Republic Square, Chigi Palace and the plant of Our Holy Lady of the Assumption;

Castel Gandolfo: the Papal Palace, summer residence of the Pope; the village from the 1600s made by Maderno and Bernini;

Frascati: the Cathedral and the Medieval Holy Lady; Aldobrandini’s Villa surrounded by the huge park that keeps the “Theatre of waters”, the fountain of Atlas; in the Park of the communal Villa, already Torlonia Villa, it’s kept untouched the small house where Annibal Caro lived.

Grottaferrata: the fortified Abbey (10th-11th century) totally baroque, that keeps the ancient Byzantine Door decorated as a mosaic; the Chapel of St. Nile with frescoes by Domenichino and the Cloister with interventions of Giuliano from S. Gallo;

Lanuvio: important and well kept remains of the roman ages;

Marino: baroque church from the 1600s (St. Barnaba) that keeps works by the Berninian school;

Nemi: Ruspali Palace from the renaissance ages; the museum of roman ships that keeps the remains of the ships wanted by Caligola;

Velletri: the communal Palace designed by Vignola in the second half of the 16th century, siege of the Civic Museum that keeps Greek and Roman remains; the cathedral of St. Clement built in the 4th century on the remains of a temple and rebuilt in the 13th and 14th century; the Capitulary Museum with interesting medieval paintings.

Excursions:

Inside the park paths are signed, both with natural characteristics and with historical archaeological features.

Information and useful numbers:

Park Company: Tel +39 6 9495253/9495255 – Fax +39 6 9495254 – email: parco.castelliromani@tiscali.it - www.parks.it/parco.castelli.romani.

Included communes:

Albano, Ariccia, Gandolfo Castle, Frascati, Genzano, Grottaferrata, Lanuvio, Lariano, Marino, Montecompatri, Monteporzio Catone, Nemi, Rocca di Papa, Rocca Priora, Velletri.

How to get to the park:

Highway A1 Florence-Naples exit Highway A2 Fiano-Rome-S. Cesareo, exits Monteporzio, S. Cesareo;

Tuscolana Street until Frascati;

Appia Street until Albano;

Anagnina Street until Grottaferrata.

The territory is placed between the heart of Rome and the regional park of Roman Castles. The park is made of valleys and a longitudinal axis: the Ancient Appia. The most important roman public street, and the first military one, built since 312 b.C. to connect Rome to Capua and later to Brindisi. Interesting the presence of mineral water sources, witnessing an ancient volcanic activity, and of many and important archaeological finds.

Places to visit:

The area groups many archaeological remains from the roman ages, among which: Massenzio’s Circus, Cecilia Metella’s Tomb (50 b.C.), Quintili’s Villa, waterworks like Anio Venus;

Catacombs, Cathedrals and sepulchers

Marino: the 1600s Cathedral of St. Barnaba (17th century), the church of the St. Trinity with a painting by Guido Reni, the Church of St. Lucy.

Excursions and guided tours:

The Ancient Appia Street is a “Traffic Limited Area” on Sundays and holidays from 9 am to 6 pm. It is possible to get guided tours for adults and children, rent bikes and visit historically interesting areas.

Information and useful numbers:

Green number: +39 800 028 000 from Mon to Fri from 3 pm to 6 pm;

Park Company: Tel +39 6 5130682 – Fax +39 6 51883879 – email: info@parcoappiantica.org

How to get to the park:

By public transportation: www.atac.roma.it

Included communes:

Ciampino, Marino, Rome.

The unmistakable structure and its isolated nature, make this mount recognizable from many points of the roman country. Even reaching just 691 meters of altitude, from its top you can have a unique sight, that goes from Terminillo Mount to Amiata Mount to Bracciano lake and beyond to the sea.

The calcareous composition of the rocks generates karts phenomena both on the surface and underground, making caves sometimes connected to each other. The most important is St. Lucy’s Cave. Over the naturalistic interest, the preserve has also a monumental historical interest, for the presence of several hermitages that witness religious installations.

The Hermitage of St. Sylvester: placed on top of the mount. It was built on the remains of a pagan temple, according to Dante’s legend, thanks to the Emperor Constantine, to thank for his recovery from leprosy made in this place by Pope Sylvester the 1st. They’re kept frescoes of the 1300s and 1400s. Our Holy Lady of Graces, rises on the remains of a small chapel from the 1500, widened during the centuries to the present asset dated 1721. Inside it there are two frescoes: the one of the Blessed Virgin, and the one picturing a crucifixion with Profets. The close Monastery was restored to make a welcoming structure out of it. The other Hermitages are: the Hermitage of St. Anthony, of St. Lucy, of St. Romana, and of St. Sebastian.

Places to visit:

St. Oreste.

Excursions:

Track 201 – Route “Our Lady of Graces”

Track 202 – Route “Life”

Track 202/A – Didactic Route “The Carbonaros”

Track 202/B – Route “Bad-house of Thieves”

Information and useful numbers:

Managing Company – Tel +39 6 9049295

How to get to the park:

SS SS Flaminia, SP Tiberina or Sun Highway A1 (exit Ponzano Romano – Soratte)

It’s a tufaceous gorge made by the river-erosion of Treja, characterized by water falls of Mount Gelato and by the tufaceous spur where the town Old Calcata rises.

Places to visit:

The historical centers of Mazzano and Calcata, they’re rich in medieval and renaissance witnesses.

Excursions:

Guided tours organized by the park. Booking: Tel +39 6 9049295; email: valle.treja@parchilazio.it

Horse excursions:

Pallino Horse Club – Sacrofano – Tel +39 6 9086272;

Long Camp Horse Club – Grotta Finocchiara Street – Monterosi – Tel +39 761 699431/699145.

Information and useful numbers:

Managing Company – Tel +39 6 9049295.

Included communes:

Mazzano Romano (RM); Calcata (VT)

How to get to the park:

Flaminia Street until Rignano Flaminio, then follow the signs to Calcata – Mazzano;

Cassia street until Settevene, then turn to Mazzano Romano – Calcata;

Sun Highway A1 Rome-Florence exit Magliano Sabina, then Flaminia street to Rignano Flaminio and then Calcata.

Included in the roman country area among Aniene Valley, Cornicolani Mounts and Tivoli. There are important archaeological remains (here it was found the bas-relief “The Capitoline Triad”, nowadays kept in the archaeological museum of Palestrina).

Excursions:

The park of Inviolata is not active.