Ten villages to visit in Lazio

1. Caprarola

The village of Caprarola, clinging to a tufa spur in the environs of Viterbo, was anciently a fief of the Farnese family, who have left a vivid testimony of their presence here, the spectacular Palazzo Farnese di Caprarola, a 16th-century building famous throughout the world for its pentagonal shape: it was built between 1559 and 1575 to a design by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger (who was originally entrusted with the project), who was later succeeded by Jacopo Barozzi, known as the Vignola (to whom we owe the celebrated spiral staircase) and Baldassarre Peruzzi. The interior, in addition to Vignola’s famous staircase, holds frescoes by great artists of the second half of the 16th century such as Taddeo Zuccari, Jacopo Zanguidi called the Bertoja, Raffaellino da Reggio and others. The quaint hamlet unravels along a main street that leads directly to the palace.

View of Caprarola with, in the foreground, the mole of Palazzo Farnese

2. Greccio

Situated in the province of Rieti, on a hill more than seven hundred meters above sea level, Greccio is a place dear to Franciscan religiosity: here, in fact, is a shrine founded by St. Francis of Assisi, and here the saint, according to tradition, invented the nativity scene (recall the famous scene painted by Giotto in the Upper Basilica of Assisi). Even today, the hermitage of Greccio (one of the four erected by the saint in the Sacred Valley: the others are those of Fonte Colombo, della Foresta and Poggio Bustone) is a pilgrimage destination: visit the medieval church, with a 13th-century painting depicting the institution of the nativity scene. The 13th-century church of Santa Maria houses the International Nativity Museum, which traces the centuries-old history of one of the most widespread Christian traditions. Near the village, it is possible to visit the imposing Cistercian Abbey of St. Shepherd, and to go on nature hikes among the area’s many forests.

The sanctuary of Greccio. Ph. Credit

3. Canino

Canino, another feud of the Farnese family (Alessandro Farnese, who became pope under the name of Paul III, was born there), is a place rich in Etruscan charm: from here you can leave to visit the archaeological park of Vulci, one of the most important cities of the Etruscans, near the present town of Canino. The Abbadia Castle, which stands near the village beyond an ancient Etruscan-Roman bridge from the 3rd century BC, is home to the National Archaeological Museum. Also worth seeing is the collegiate church of Canino, which tells another story, that of Lucien Bonaparte, Napoleon’s brother and prince of Canino, who is buried in the church.

Canino, the castle of the Abbadia. Ph. Credit Walter Gams

4. Isola del Liri

Isola del Liri, in the province of Frosinone, is a town that stands out for a bizarre peculiarity: the two waterfalls within the historic center. In fact, the town is located on an island formed by the Liri River, which at the height of the Boncompagni-Viscogliosi Castle, Isola del Liri’s main monument, forms two jumps of about thirty meters each, the “Cascata Grande” and the “Cascata del Valcatoio.” Given the uniqueness of the place, Isola del Liri has been depicted several times by painters in the history of art. It is one of the main centers of Ciociaria: worth seeing, in addition to the aforementioned Boncompagni-Viscogliosi Palace, which can be visited, are the many churches in the historic center, many of which are medieval in origin but were remodeled between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

The historic center of Isola del Liri

5. Bolsena

A very ancient center, which gives its name to the lake of the same name, Bolsena has a millennia-old history dating back to Etruscan times: ancient Velzna was an important Etruscan center (although there are historians who believe that Etruscan Velzna was not the present Bolsena), which later became Roman Volsinii (an archaeological site can be visited near the village). In the Middle Ages, the center was the scene of the celebrated miracle of the Mass of Bolsena: it was 1263 when, during a Eucharistic celebration in the church of Santa Cristina (which still retains much of its Romanesque appearance and houses important works of art, including a polyptych by Sano di Pietro), a host bled (the episode is celebrated by Raphael in the Vatican Rooms). Today, Bolsena as well as a village rich in history and art is also a place for pleasant stays on the lake. Don’t miss a visit to the Territorial Museum of Lake Bolsena, housed in the Rocca Monaldeschi della Cervara (recounts the long history of the village, with many artifacts), the medieval core of the village with numerous ancient remains, and the modern lakefront.

Bolsena, the Rocca Monaldeschi della Cervara fortress. Ph. Credit Bjørn Christian Tørrissen

6. Castel Gandolfo

One of the most beautiful villages in the Roman hills, situated on a promontory overlooking Lake Albano, Castel Gandolfo is known worldwide because it houses the summer residence of the popes, the Papal Palace of Castel Gandolfo, which enjoys extraterritoriality. Built between 1623 and 1629 to a design by Carlo Maderno (it was in 1628 that Urban VIII was the first pope to stay here), the Papal Palace today is partly open to visitors. The choice of Castel Gandolfo as a place for the popes to stay gave impetus to the renewal of the village, which in the 17th century was enriched with sumptuous buildings: the most vivid testimonies are the pontifical collegiate church of St. Thomas of Villanova (with its unmistakable dome) and the church of Santa Maria Assunta. Near the village there are also remains of important Roman villas (including that of Domitian): these areas were in fact a place of resort even in ancient times.

View of Castel Gandolfo

7. Sutri

Located among the tuff hills near Viterbo, Sutri is an ancient town of Etruscan origin that still retains many vestiges of antiquity. It is still possible to visit, around the medieval village, the Etruscan necropolis and the Roman amphitheater, which could seat nine thousand people. In the Middle Ages, Sutri was an important bishopric, and there are many fine religious buildings in the town, starting with the co-cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. Also worth seeing is the Museum of Ancient Art and Sacred Art housed in the rooms of Palazzo Doebbing, named after Joseph Bernard Doebbing who was bishop of Nepi and Sutri in the early 20th century: the institute houses many works from the area.

View of Sutri

8. Montalto di Castro

A small seaside resort on the Viterbo coast, the village has an ancient history: the present settlement dates back to the 5th century AD, founded by coastal inhabitants seeking refuge from pirate raids. The historic center is perched on a small hill and partly preserves its medieval appearance, with a maze of flowery alleys that start from the central Piazza Guglielmi, dominated by the imposing bulk of the Castle, which has the peculiarity of having a tower entirely covered in ivy. Moving a little further from the center, to Ischia di Castro, among the woods that occupy the surrounding hills, it is possible to take a nature walk to visit the ruins of Castro, once the splendid capital of an independent duchy, and razed to the ground in 1649 after the Farnese family, dukes of Castro, lost the war against the Papal States. Pope Innocent X, after the hostilities ended, imposed the total destruction of the city: the works of art were taken elsewhere and the inhabitants relocated. Today one can see what little remains entirely covered by vegetation.

Montalto di Castro, the Guglielmi Castle

9. Arpino

Two people are remembered from Arpino: Cicero and Giuseppe Cesari known as Cavalier d’Arpino. The great orator of antiquity is remembered each year by the Certamen Ciceronianum, the world’s leading Latin translation competition, which brings the best students from all over the world to the village. Of the latter, the great painter who was also Caravaggio’s master, remains what was his residence, the Palazzo Cesari, where the fresco cl Carro di Apollo, painted by his son Muzio, can be admired in the central hall. The village of Arpino has a medieval appearance, but the acropolis, an archaeological site of the ancient Roman city, is not to be missed.

View of Arpino

10. Subiaco

Subiaco developed in the Middle Ages around the Benedictine abbey, built on the site of the ancient villa of Nero, who used to reside here. A religious center of considerable importance, it was home to thirteen monasteries founded by St. Benedict, of which only the monastery of St. Scholastica, founded in the year 520, remains today: it is the oldest monastery in Italy, as well as the oldest Benedictine monastery in the world. The sanctuary of the Sacro Speco, dedicated to St. Benedict, was erected in his memory in the 12th century, at the behest of the inhabitants of Subiaco. The medieval hamlet is dominated by the bulk of the Rocca dei Borgia (or Abbey Fortress), built in the 11th century and in the 15th century became the possession of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, who later became Pope Alexander VI. Over the centuries it became a sumptuous noble residence, and today it can be visited.

View of Subiaco

Ten villages to visit in Lazio

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