Sabine Hills or other destination near Rome?

the Castelli Romani area, in Lazio, to the south of Rome, is a wonderful locale --

the Pope's summer retreat at Castel Gandolfo, the village of Marino where there is a festival each October in honor of Marc Antonio Colonna, the great admiral at the Battle of Lepanto, Lago di Nemi a holy place to the Ancient Romans,and famous for its strawberries,yes strawberrieds, the museum housing the remains from a Roman pleasure barge from the time of Nero [regretably destroyed by the Nazis ], Frascati where the wine comes and the Villa of Hadrian. You will loe the Castelli Romani.

Judge for yourself on our Castelli Romani Channel of our website

The Castelli Romani are an easy drive to the airport

While I appreciate your response, even if its seems a bit canned (are you cutting and pasting from a script someplace?) I resent having my post used as a vehicle for advertising your website. But thanks just the same.

Here is one place I found that looks nice and Vicenzo has mentioned others on the related thread:


http://www.villavallerosa.it/

..interesting article about rural accommodation in inland Lazio:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/italy/734294/Guide-to-Italy.html

When we talk about Sabina we are talking about the area North East of Rome, most of it in the province of Rieti.
When we talk about Castelli Romani, we are talking apples and oranges with Sabina, because Castelli Romani in at the South of Rome, still in its province.
The truth is also that the whole Lazio is a wonderful region and, so to speak, its weakness is that Rome is so great, so lovely, so unique in the world that the rest of the region seems nothing and a nowhere.
As I know Sabina well enough, I enjoy that smart tourists want to explore this area and discover its small hidden treasures.

Have a lovely trip, ciao.

Vincenzo

Thanks,Vicenzo! I am still deciding whether or not to do the combination of Gaeta/Sperlonga and another destination in Lazio, or perhaps to visit Ischia for the first time. This would be in September of this year and we would have only 7 days/7nights.

I thought of adding the second Lazio destination because I was not sure if Gaeta would keep us occupied for a week. (We do not want to spend all day at the beach since we are traveling so far!)

So I was trying to find a place near Gaeta but also not far from the Rome airport. Pretty scenery, great food and good walks are enough for a couple of days so it sounds as if Sabina would fit the bill. Except that it takes 3 hours to drive from Gaeta to Rieti. I also thought of Bracciano--there is so little here on any of these destinations! And not much in the English-language guidebooks!

If we decide that 3 hours is too far to drive to the Sabina area, can you recommend another place (perhaps in Abruzzo, that might be a bit closer?
I do remember reading about some lovely agriturismi/hotels with great food in the L'Aquila area...



You are so very helpful here and I thank you again.

Hi Eks - Have you considered the Colli Albani hilltowns south of Rome? A relatively short drive from Gaeta/Sperlonga - and not too far from the airport ...

Castel Gandolfo - overlooking Lake Albano - is very attractive IMO. Lovely walk around the lake -
http://tinyurl.com/9y56r8

Steve

Thanks, Steve! I seem to be all over the places with ideas. I will do some further reading about these towns; I am afraid I rather brushed off the person who suggested them in the first response above..


And we still have not discounted Ischia from the running!

Hi eks ! We quite enjoyed Frascati for one night, but I thought you were looking for somewhere on the coast ?

I didn't find Bracciano a particularly interesting destination.

Tarquinia is terrific. And were I headed in the direction of Rieti, I would stop by Amatrice just to eat.

Most of the time I've spent in Lazio has been around the Montefiascone region, which is all terrific and undertouristed, but I'm not sure you want to drive that far just to poke around.

By the way, eks, if you still have Piemonte in your other plans, I spent some time the other day with the Cadogan guide to the Italian Riviera and Piemonte, and I think the detailed descriptions of the towns in there make it a very valuable book to have for visitors to that region.

Do you have any feeling at all for spending part of your possible Sperlonga/Gaeta trip doing things in Roma that you've never done? Maybe a trip to the Pontine Islands instead of Ischia? (I've never been to either, but the Grand Hotel Chiaia di Luna has some appeal.

http://www.icastelli.net/hotels-1-7-lazio.html

When it comes to destination hotels, you have to be careful not get into the wedding hotels, I think.

well, all travel writers should probably be shot, but here you go anyway:

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/ponza-italys-secret-409042.html

Good luck making up your mind! (It doesn't get any easier when you actually live here.)

"well, all travel writers should probably be shot, ..."

zeppole, an interesting, even daring, thing to say on a travel writer's site!

Thanks to you both.

Caroline:

I am kind of all over the place here. I was thinking that a whole week might be too much in Gaeta/Sperlonga, and so I thought of adding another easy destination. But I still have not given up on Ischia, so I have to choose between Lazio and the island. I think I know which one of these you would choose! If only Ischia were not so invconvenient for us!
I will read some more about Frascati and the immediate area..

Zeppole: I used that book for our recent trip and agree that it is excellent. I have many of their guides and am currently reading their Central Italy book which covers Lazio, Abruzzo, Molise, etc.

We are planning to visit Piemonte in April; we will spend 3-4 nights near Alba and then proceed to Turin..I will be looking into flights this week.

Did you go to Campania?

I have Roman friends who love Ponza, Eks. Might be a nice option for a few days.

Here's a slideshow -
http://tinyurl.com/8a5v9p

Steve

Steve, thanks. I looked at Ponza but if you take a look at hotels there, most of them get rather poor reviews...maybe I did I not do enough of a search. (Highly possible since I seem to be bouncing in one day from the mountains of Abruzzo to the sands of Gaeta and on to the Roman wine towns!)

Ponza certainly sounds appealing..I wonder if anyone else here can comment?

Ok..back to the wine towns for a moment. (I apologize for jumping all over the place). I took at look at Frascati and Grottaferrata; both have a couple of lovely looking hotels in the high-moderate range. Both towns are about the same size in population. Any reason for choosing one over the other? (We would probably be there on a weekend, so keep that in mind; isn't Frascati the most popular daytrip from Rome?)

Or, as Steve suggested, would Castelgandolfo be a better base? (I am sure these are all lovely; it is difficult for some of us to narrow things down!) I see that the scenery is glorious, but is it also lively with great eating?

We are most interested in walking around, looking at people, eating local foods..

Also, does any of these towns have an advantage over the others as far as access to the FCO airport? Do they each have easy train connections to Rome, just in case?

..Sorry but I just have to share this Frascati hotel review from TA:



“typical of the area”
Villa Tuscolana. Frascati

4 of 5 stars
mrRadiant
Horsham, west sussex UK
Sep 4, 2008

I stayed here with a girlfriend a couple of years ago. I was looking to impress so apart from the first room we were given being completely unacceptable I did the Italian thing and kicked up a fuss and we were moved to a much better room.
The food was great and the menu extensive, the gardens lovely and there were loads of towns nearby that were worth a visit too. We didn't bother with Rome as I find big cities rather dull and the bedroom held more appealing entertainment. Unfortunately she is no longer part of my life but the hotel always will be.

* This TripAdvisor Member:
o Liked — the overall experience and the restaurant
o Disliked — having to fight for what I paid for

eks

no, we didn't go to Campania. Weather along the Mediterranean was frequently tumultuous until just a few weeks ago, and there never seemed to be a weather forecast that included enough dry weather for Campania, especially since the motive was to revisit Pompeii and see Paestum, and possibly some of the islands. I even wanted to spend most of my time in Napoli walking outdoors.

April should be a better time for Piemonte than earlier. I want to go to Dogliani and Cortemilia. I want to go at the optimum hazlenut moment, and I don't know when that is!

Z:

End of August in the Langhe?? (see link)

http://www.saporidilanga.com/prodottitipici/nocciola/indexen.htm

thanks! I'll have to see if I can pull myself away from the cool sea breezes, but it would be fun to taste them very fresh.

We stayed in the Hotel Flora in Frascati which was very nice, but as I said it was only one night.

If you do end up in the hills around Rome, bear in mind Subiaco where we visited the monasteries last year - not worth staying over but extremely interesting to visit.

It is so wonderful that you have a chance to live in a place as beautiful as the Ligurian coast!

yup

hi ek,

what a lovely dilemma to be in. sometimes there's just too much choice, isn't there?

sadly I am unable to assist in your decision making process as I've never been to any of these places, just Rome itself.

as my italian teacher comes from Ischia, I have a hankering to go there, but that doesn't help you, does it?

regards, ann

Eks - Some views of Castel Gandolfo - if you're still considering it -

http://tinyurl.com/c2y82v

Steve

Ann: Yes, so many choices--not a bad dilemma, right? I know that we will enjoy wherever we go..that much is almost guaranteed!

Right now I am still wavering--I have to do more reading when I get a bit of free time. This will include Caroline's report with Subaico..

Steve: Those pics are beautiful! Many thanks, once again!

Here's some grist for your mill

If you go through the list of towns in Lazio, the include some in the Sabine Hills that look quite fascinating:

http://www.borghitalia.it/html/borghi_centro_en.php

PS: Don't use the interactive map or you'll only get Italian. Use the regional list that has hot links for each town

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/familyholidays/2180146/Italy-Letting-time-slip-by-in-the-Sabine-hills.html

in case you didn't have it already

That villa is gorgeous! By did you see the price??


Look at this one, in Ischia:


http://www.villa-beatrice.com/

I am adding this Chowhound tip to my original post in case anyone is looking for a daytrip from Rome, or an overnight and cooking class or wine/olive oil tasting. The town is accessible by an hour-long train/bus ride from Rome and the owners pick guests up at the station:

http://www.latorrettabandb.com/oliveoil.html

Here is an article about the area, which is accessible by train from FCO as well:


http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2005/jan/08/italy.guardiansaturdaytravelsection

Hi ek, sorry I didn't notice this post earlier. Are your plans already set in the meantime, or are you still looking for advice on Lazio? I know the region quite well, and I think its best parts have not been mentioned on this thread yet.

Ciao Franco!!!

I decided upon Ischia for September, so will not be visiting these parts for the immediate future. But I am DELIGHTED that you have returned here....we had such excellent "conversations!" in the past.

I know that I could plan a terrific Lazio adventure relying on all of your tips..

Why is this area so ignored on this forum? And so close to Rome, too??

Lazio is ignored not just on this forum - it's ignored by tourism in reality, as well! And it's indeed a "difficult" region for more than one reason. But sights are certainly terrific!

Franco: You have left me hanging! Why is Lazio difficult? My guess is a less-than comprehensive network of public transportation(??)

No, ek. It's difficult because it's an artificial region without any naturally grown ties or historic tradition - a fancy creation by the Fascist government. Formerly, just the part south and east of Rome and the immediated surrounding north of the city formed "Rome's region" (I don't even know what it was called then - shame on me). The north, however, was a part of Umbria, and that's where it still belongs, culturally. However, ties with Umbria have been cut in certain respects - economically, for instance, northern Lazio didn't absolutely take part in Umbria's economic boom over the last few decades.
Much of the region is a typical backwater, both with regard to Rome and (as far as the north) to Umbria. Just the southern part along the coast, and eastern inland Lazio (the Ciociaria, as this area is called) seem quite prosperous, particularly the coast.
And it's still Italy's most fascist region, they actually seem kind of indebted to Mussolini there (who also drained the infamous Pontinian swamps, thus creating the Pontinian plain). The two most radical right-wing parties of Italy have their homebase almost exclusively in Lazio (even Rome has currently an ultra-fascist mayor, though for Rome, this is an exception). Well, and does fascism seem like positive, joyful thinking? Not exactly, and actually, large parts of Lazio (not the southern coast, once again) are ill-kept, neglected, run-down. No dolce vita, there. Crumbling palazzi. The landscape along the roads so littered that it's really hard to imagine; nobody seems to have cleaned for years. Incredible eyesores of brutalist modern architecture in the most panoramic positions. Plus: it's almost impossible, in northern Lazio, to get a decent meal! Just imagine! All this in the heart of Italy! (In the southern/eastern part, on the contrary, food is particularly delicious.)
I'm perfectly aware that all of this sounds pretty negative, and yet I absolutely recommend travelling the region. There are many sights of rare quality and beauty, and you'll always be the one and only tourist. For me, difficulties notwithstanding, it was one of the great Italian experiences. I wouldn't recommend it for somebody who doesn't know Italy at all. But for experts like you, I think it's a must. We can discuss single destinations another time, as soon as you really decide to travel there...

Franco this is fascinating. I had no idea! I always associated modern Italian fascism with the Lega Nord, so that goes to show you how inept I am in any kind of political discussion.

Would you count the area discussed above, around the Sabine Hills, as part of this neglected landscape?

Hopefully I will have many trips to Italy in my future. The problem at the present time is that my usual travel partner is limited to one-week jaunts which does not leave us nearly the amount of meandering time as I would like.. But with many trips to come, I will point myself in this direction sometime.

The B&B I linked above, in Casperia, would seem like a good place to dip a toe into that area since it is easy to reach by train from Rome--less than one hour. Maybe I will fit that into a Rome visit sometime soon..

I don't recall the Sabine area (Rieti province) as neglected like, say, the surroundings of Viterbo. It's so sparsely populated that people don't perhaps succeed to litter all the rural roads (ok, that was mean). Among all the backwaters of Lazio, this one is the backest, if you allow this neologism. It's pleasant and calm, and yes there are some hidden treasures, but really just some, and frankly, I think it's Lazio's least interesting part.
And to complete our short survey of Italian right-wing extremism, the Leghisti are of course extremists, but NO fascists - on the contrary, the fascists are their biggest adversaries, not because they are more or less rightist, but because the Lega's raison d'être is federalism, and the fascists (never mind of which party, there are three or four of them) are Italy's fiercest advocates of centralism.

Franco: You can see by my ignorance that politics is not my forte! I don't want to embarrass myself further by commenting!

I will do some reading about the region.

Am I delirious if I remember reading someplace that Frosinone was a gastronomic center?

Bookmarking. For what it's worth, I spent a week rattling around north Lazio last May, based in an old villa offering B&B in La Quercia, between Bagnaia and Viterbo. Within 10-minutes walk was a small local restaurant serving simple, to-die-for food and good local wines.

Say what you will about north Lazio, but the gardens are sublime. Here's Villa Lante in late afternoon: http://gardentouring.fotopic.net/p51177390.html Muscari, alliums and orchids in great variety covered the roadsides.

Here are some more images, if you're interested: http://gardentouring.fotopic.net/c1527506.html

Do people say bad things about northern Lazio? I think it's great fun.

ek, that's perfectly possible about Frosinone. As I said, the food east and south of Rome is particularly good, unusual even for Italian standards.
julia, I completely agree that Villa Lante is one of the great sights of the region, and generally, northern Lazio in particular is full of really excellent sights. However, just a remark on your use of the definite article that will also serve to illustrate the problems of Lazio: there's a reason why the fourth of the great mannerist villas of northern Lazio, the one at Soranzo nel Cimino with the once-famous Papacqua fountain inside its garden, is far less known than Bagnaia, Bomarzo and Caprarola - the whole villa had been declared unaccessible when I tried to visit few years ago, and in fact it showed alarming signs of decay already from outside. So perhaps not "the" gardens are sublime, but at least Bagnaia and Bomarzo are, and Caprarola's garden is certainly in decent shape, too... at least again so: cause also this jewel had been neglected for decades until just recently, and the state of preservation of the palace was a shame. Fortunately, they managed to restore it a few years ago, just in time before damage was really (too) heavy.

Soriano nel Cimino... I'll never-never-never learn to preview... sorry

Franco: Talk about coincidence!

I just took a look at the Mario Batali (NYC chef)website. He has a travel section in which a different region of the country is featured every month or so.

Look what I just found:




Join us each month as a Babbo staff member gives travel tips for a region of Italy.



THIS MONTH'S REGION
EXPLORING LA CIOCIARIA
by Gina DePalma

Have you ever heard of La Ciociaria? I’m betting not, for even the most intrepid of travelers are likely to overlook this deceptively modest area of Lazio. Overshadowed by her majestic neighbors, the Ciociaria is a wide, undefined swath of land bordered by Rome to the north, Naples to the south, the Tyrrhenian Coast to the west and the mountains of Abruzzo to the east. The fact that it is completely off the tourist radar is exactly what makes the Ciociaria so appealing and quite worthy of an overnight visit. Those who do venture beyond the tried and true will find sweeping vistas, hidden historical treasures, lively gastronomic traditions and some of the friendliest welcomes in all of Italy.

The Ciociaria derived its name from ciocie, the primitive, sandal-like shoes made of leather worn by the area’s original inhabitants. Replicas of the original ciocie are still proudly donned during the numerous annual folk festivals of the Ciociaria, celebrating the vivid culture of this corner of Italy.

My own adventure in the Ciociaria came courtesy of my Roman landlord and good friend, Alessandro, and his American wife Shelley. Alessandro’s mother grew up in a small village in the Ciociaria, and Ale spent many a summer exploring the tiny towns that dot the area’s countryside. We began at the northernmost tip, just southwest and about an hour’s ride by car from the hustle and bustle of Rome. First on the itinerary was a visit to the spectacular Abbey of St. Benedict in Subiaco, which clings to the side of rocky cliff and offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding, lush, green valleys and towering peaks. The interior of the abbey is covered in perfectly preserved frescoes, and contains the blessed Sacro Speco, a tiny cave where St. Benedict lived as a hermit before founding the Benedictine order.

After taking in the cool, calming serenity of the abbey and its surrounding gardens, we doubled back to the tiny village of Cervara di Roma, where lunch was waiting at Trattoria Rossi (Via Goito,5 Cervara di Roma RM +39 0774 828728) We were led through the small, rustic dining room to the outside patio; once again finding ourselves perched on a cliff, overlooking a deep valley and winding, swooping hills.

Lunch was a parade of Ciociarian delicacies, starting with handmade ravioli stuffed with ricotta from local sheep in a bright, tangy tomato sauce, and fresh fettuccine smothered in butter and wild asparagus. Next, came another specialty of the Ciociaria, castrato agnello, or castrated lamb, subtly seasoned with herbs and wine and grilled over an open fire. It was served with another locally made cheese, scamorza, smoky and charred from the fire and creamy in the center. The accompanying fried potatoes were a vivid shade of yellow like I had never seen; Ale explained that they are particular to the area and a product of the unique soil composition of the Ciociaria. Dessert was a traditional tart of visciole, the tiny, wild cherries grown in southern Lazio.

We spent the night a in the sweet town of Arcinazzo Romano, only to discover that we had arrived during one of the Ciociaria’s most important religious festivals, the feast of Corpus Christi. All across the region, the faithful of every town mark the occasion by arranging carpets of flower petals in intricate patterns through the medieval streets. The next day, white linens are hung from the windows to honor the solemn procession that follows the carpet of flowers, ending with a special mass at the main church.

After watching the procession file past our front door, we headed out for another epic lunch in the pretty town of Piglio, nestled in a ring of craggy hills jutting straight into the spring sky. At Osteria del Vicolo Fatato, (Vicolo Forno Fatato 11, Piglio, FR, +39 0775503035) the meal echoed nearby Abruzzo, served in the format of a traditional Abruzzese panarda, consisting of course after course of small plates. We marveled at hand-cut, locally-cured prosciutto and rich boar salami, tiny artichoke hearts stuffed with mushrooms and vegetables, delicate fried pastry filled with sautéed bitter greens, feather-light gnocchi laced with the fresh local marzolino cheese, and tender rabbit braised in wine and herbs with more of those incredible yellow-hued potatoes. It was all washed down with an excellent bottle of the local DOC wine, Cesanese del Piglio, with spiced ciambelle al vino for dipping.

From Piglio we took a scenic drive into the heart of Ciociaria, passing through tiny towns and hamlets and green hills dotted with flocks of sheep. Driving excursions can be tailored to allow for visits to producers of the region’s many gastronomic delights; detours from the main road lead to samples of Guarcino’s deep-pink prosciutto and characteristic rustic sausages and salami, and on to the heart of the buffalo mozzarella zone near Amaseno. Olive groves are especially abundant around Piglio, producing the a sage-green, peppery extra-virgin olive oil, and nearby are the steep vineyards that are the source of the region’s DOC Cesanese wines. A visit to the weekend markets will divulge other culinary secrets of the Ciociaria; the cornetto is a curvy, horn-shaped pepper that grows in the Liri River valley and is featured in many traditional dishes, as are the special cannellini beans from Atina and the bottoncino, or button beans of Terelle. The Ciociaria is truffle country too. Prized white truffles are celebrated in the fall, but during spring and summer special dishes are showered with aromatic dark brown or black truffles.

We ended our adventure in the beautiful, petite city of Ferentino. The original ancient walls and gates still stand, enclosing the imposing, fortified Acropolis that dominates the town center. If you enjoy Romanesque architecture as much as I do, Ferentino is sure to please, with three exquisite churches to explore including the Cathedral of Sts. John and Paul, built in the 11 th century, and the monastery of San Antonio Abate, which is the resting place of Pope Celestino V. The beautiful Gothic church of Santa Maria Maggiore, is important for being one of the first examples of the Cistercian style in Italy.

The next time you plan a trip to Rome or Naples, do consider a one or two-day detour through the quiet delights of The Ciociaria, for an unforgettable taste of authentic Italy. You just might run into me!

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