Side Trips from Rome
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1. Palazzo Chigi
This is a true rarity: a Baroque residence whose original furniture, paintings, drapes, and decorations are largely intact. The Italian film director Luchino Visconti used the villa, which sits just at the end of Ariccia's famous bridge, for most of the interior scenes in his 1963 film The Leopard. The rooms of the piano nobile (main floor)—which, unlike Rome's Palazzo Chigi, are open to the public, but only on guided tours—contain intricately carved pieces of 17th-century furniture, as well as textiles and costumes from the 16th to the 20th century. The Room of Beauties is lined with paintings of the loveliest ladies of the day, and the Nuns' Room showcases portraits of 10 Chigi sisters, all of whom took the veil. You can get a close look (with a guide) at Le Stanze del Cardinale (Cardinal's Rooms), the suites occupied by the pleasure-loving Cardinal Flavio Chigi.
Piazza di Corte 14, Ariccia, Latium, 00072, Italy06-9330053Sight Details
€12 guided visit to piano nobile, Cardinal\'s Rooms, and Baroque Museum; €10 for self-visit; €2 park Rate Includes: Palazzo closed Mon. Park closed Oct.–Mar. -
2. Palazzo Farnese
When Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, Pope Paul III's grandson, retired to Caprarola, he intended to build a residence that would reflect the family's grandeur. In 1559, he entrusted the task to the leading architect Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola, who came up with some innovative ideas. A magnificent spiral staircase, lavishly decorated with allegorical figures, mythical landscapes, and grotesques by Antonio Tempesta, connected the main entrance with the cardinal's apartments on the main floor. The staircase was gently inclined, with very deep but low steps, so that the cardinal could ride his horse right up to his bedchamber. A tour of the five-sided palatial villa includes the Hall of Farnese Triumphs, the Hercules Room, and the Antechamber of the Council of Trent, all painted by the Zuccari brothers. Of special interest is the Hall of the Maps, with the ceiling depicting the zodiac and the walls frescoed with maps of the world as known to 16th-century cartographers. The palace is surrounded by a formal Renaissance garden.
View Tours and ActivitiesPiazza Farnese 1, Caprarola, Latium, 01032, Italy0761-646052Sight Details
Rate Includes: €5, includes garden, Closed Mon. -
3. Poggio Le Volpi
Lazio's wines may not be as famous as those of Tuscany or Piedmont, but this award-winning family-run winery is leading the way for the region. The family's wine-making roots stretch back to 1920, but it was third-generation winemaker Felice Mergè who turned the winery into a destination with two restaurants: the casual Epos bistro and the fine-dining Barrique, where a tasting menu is served in the barrel aging room. Tours are available by appointment only, which means the best way to experience this place is to book a table at one of the restaurants and request a tour.
Via Fontana Candida 3/C, Monte Porzio Catone, Latium, 00078, Italy06-9426980Sight Details
Rate Includes: Tours available by appointment, Closed Mon. No dinner Sun. -
4. Pontifical Gardens Villa Barberini
In 2016, Pope Francis opened the 136-acre pontifical estate and its glorious gardens to the public. A 60-minute garden tour in an eco-friendly electric minibus takes in landscaped areas as well as the archaeological remains of the palace of the Roman Emperor Domitian (dating from the 1st century AD) and the home farm, which supplies the Vatican with fresh dairy products and eggs. Multilingual audio guides are included in the price.
Via Massimo D'Azeglio (entrance gate), Castel Gandolfo, Latium, 00073, ItalySight Details
Rate Includes: €12 gardens only; €19 gardens and Apostolic Palace; €20 gardens with minibus tour., Closed Sun. in Apr.–Nov., Reservations required -
5. Scavi di Ostia Antica
At its peak, the ancient port town at this site was home to a cosmopolitan population of rich businessmen, wily merchants, sailors, slaves, and their respective families. Great warehouses were built here in the 2nd century AD to handle goods that passed through, notably huge shipments of grain from Africa. Indeed, the port did so much business that it necessitated the construction of insulae (apartment buildings) to provide housing for the city's growing population. The increasing importance of nearby Portus and the inexorable decline of the Roman Empire eventually led to the port's abandonment. In addition, the coastline retreated over the millennia, and a 16th-century flood diverted the course of the Tiber. Tidal mud and windblown sand buried the ancient port town until the 19th century, when it was extensively excavated. You can wander through the massive archaeological site and explore its curious corners, mosaic floors, fallen columns, and huge Roman amphitheater. The on-site Museo Ostiense displays sculptures, mosaics, and objects of daily use found here. There's also an on-site cafeteria. The recently excavated ports of Tiberius and Claudius are nearby and also well worth visiting.
Viale dei Romagnoli 717, Ostia Antica, Latium, 00119, Italy06-56358099Sight Details
Rate Includes: €12, includes Museo Ostiense (small increase if there is an exhibition); free 1st Sun. of month, Closed Mon. -
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6. Terme dei Papi
Viterbo has been a spa town for centuries, and this excellent complex not far removed continues the tradition, providing health and beauty treatments with an Etruscan twist: try a facial with local volcanic mud or a steam bath in an ancient cave. The main draw, however, is the 21,000-square-foot outdoor limestone pool, into which Viterbo's famous 59°C (138°F) mineral water pours—and gives a jolt with its sulfurous odor. You can rent floats and deck chairs, but bring you'll need your own bathrobe and towel unless you're staying at the hotel. Tickets tend to sell out but can be booked online up to five days ahead of your visit. Shuttle buses operate between Rome's Piazza del Popolo and the terme on weekends and holidays. Round-trip tickets cost €12.
Strada Bagni 12, Viterbo, Latium, 01100, Italy0761-3501Sight Details
Rate Includes: Pool €18 weekdays, €25 weekends, Closed Tues. -
7. Villa Adriana
Set below the ancient settlement of Tibur, this astonishingly grand 2nd-century villa was an exclusive retreat, where the marvels of the classical world were reproduced for a ruler's pleasure. Hadrian, who succeeded Trajan as emperor in AD 117, was a man of genius and intellectual curiosity, fascinated by the accomplishments of the Hellenistic world. From AD 125 to 134, architects, laborers, and artists worked on his dreamy villa, re-creating some of the monuments and sights that the emperor had seen on his travels in Egypt, Asia Minor, and Greece. During the Middle Ages, the site was sacked by barbarians and Romans alike, and many of the statues and architectural features ended up in the Vatican Museums. Nonetheless, the colossal remains are impressive: the ruins rise in a garden setting of green lawns framed with oleanders, pines, and cypresses. Not surprisingly, Villa Adriana is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it's one that has not yielded up all its secrets. Archaeologists recently discovered the site of the Temple of Isis, complete with several sculptures, including one of the falcon-headed god Horus. A visit to the villa, which sits outside town, takes at least two hours (carry water on hot days); maps dispensed at the ticket office will help you get your bearings.
View Tours and ActivitiesLargo Margherite Yourcenar 1, Tivoli, Latium, 00019, Italy0774-19804Sight Details
Rate Includes: €10; free 1st Sun. of month Oct.–Mar. -
8. Villa d'Este
One of Italy's UNESCO World Heritage sites, Villa d'Este was created by Cardinal Ippolito d'Este in the 16th century. This villa in the center of Tivoli was the most amazing pleasure garden of its day, and it still stuns modern visitors with its beauty. Cardinal d'Este (1509–72), a devotee of the Renaissance celebration of human ingenuity over nature, was inspired by the excavation of nearby Villa Adriana. He paid architect Pirro Ligorrio an astronomical sum to create an extraordinary garden filled with nymphs and grottoes. In addition, the Aniene River was diverted to water the garden and feed the several hundred fountains that cascade, shoot skyward, imitate birdsong, and simulate rain. Note especially the musical Fontana dell'Organo, whose water dances to an organ tune every two hours starting at 10:30 am. Romantics will love the night tour of the gardens and floodlit fountains that takes place on Friday and Saturday in summer. Allow at least an hour for a visit, which involves steep inclines and many stairs. There are vending machines for refreshments by the bookshop.
Piazza Trento 5, Tivoli, Latium, 00019, Italy0774-332920Sight Details
Rate Includes: €10; free 1st Sun. of month Oct.–Mar. -
9. Abbey of San Nilo Grottaferrata
In Grottaferrata, a busy village a couple of miles from Frascati, the main attraction is a walled citadel founded by St. Nilo, who brought his group of Basilian monks here in 1004, when he was 90. The order is unique in that it's Roman Catholic but observes Greek Orthodox rites. It is the last surviving Byzantine-Greek monastery in Italy, and has a distinctive blend of art and architecture. The fortified abbey with its soaring bell tower, considered a masterpiece of martial architecture, was restructured in the 15th century by Antonio da Sangallo for the future Pope Julius II. The abbey church, inside the second courtyard, has glittering Byzantine mosaics and a revered icon of Mary with child set into a marble tabernacle designed by Bernini. The Farnese chapel, leading from the right nave, contains a series of frescoes by Domenichino. If you make arrangements in advance, you can visit the library, which is one of the oldest in Italy. The abbey also has a famous laboratory for the restoration of antique books and manuscripts, where Leonardo's Codex Atlanticus was restored in 1962 and more than a thousand precious volumes were saved after the disastrous Florence flood in 1966.
Corso del Popolo 128, Grottaferrata, Latium, 00046, Italy06-9459309Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
10. Castello di Giulio II
The distinctive castle, easily spotted as you come off the footbridge from the train station and part of the medieval borgo (old town), was built in 1483 by the future Pope Julius II when he was the cardinal bishop of Ostia. The structure's triangular form is unusual for military architecture, but it was strategically placed for defense when the Tiber River still flowed below its walls. After crossing a drawbridge to gain access the castle's interior, you'll find a small exhibit of historical sketches on the second floor.
Piazza della Rocca 13, Ostia Antica, Latium, 00119, ItalySight Details
Rate Includes: €5, Closed Mon. -
11. Cattedrale di San Lorenzo
Viterbo's Romanesque cathedral was built over the ruins of the ancient Roman Temple of Hercules. During World War II, the roof and the vault of the central nave were destroyed, and you can still see the mark the shrapnel left on the columns closest to the pulpit. Subsequently, the church was rebuilt to reflect its medieval design, and it still has many original details, including a beautiful Cosmati floor that dates from the 13th century. Three popes are buried here, including Pope Alexander IV (1254–61), whose body was hidden so well by the canons, out of fear that it would be desecrated, that it has never been found. The adjoining Museo del Colle del Duomo has a collection of 18th-century reliquaries, Etruscan sarcophagi, and a painting of the Crucifixion that has been attributed to Michelangelo. The ticket to the museum also grants you entrance to the Palazzo Papale, located on the same square.
Piazza San Lorenzo, Viterbo, Latium, 01100, Italy320-7911328Sight Details
Rate Includes: €10, includes tour of Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, Palazzo dei Papi, and Museo del Colle del Duomo, Closed Tues. -
12. Lakeside Lido
This waterside promenade below the pretty town is lined with restaurants, ice-cream parlors, and cafés and is a favorite spot for Roman families to relax on summer days. No motorized craft are allowed on the lake, but you can rent paddleboats and kayaks. In summer, you can also take a short guided boat trip to learn about the geology and history of the lake, which lies at the bottom of an extinct volcanic crater. The deep sapphire waters are full of swans, herons, and other birds, and there is a nature trail along the wooded end of the shore for those who want to get away from the crowds. Deck chairs are available for rent on the small beach, and you can stop for a plate of freshly prepared pasta or a gigantic Roman sandwich at one of the little snack bars under the oak and alder trees. There's also a small permanent fairground for children, and local vendors often set up temporary shops selling crafts, toys, and snacks on the warmer weekends.
Lake Albano, Castel Gandolfo, Latium, 00073, ItalySight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
13. Museo delle Navi Romane
In the 1930s, the Italian government drained Nemi's lake to recover two magnificent ceremonial ships, loaded with sculptures, bronzes, and art treasures, that were submerged for 2,000 years. The Museo delle Navi Romane, on the lakeshore, was built to house the ships, but they were burned during World War II. Inside are scale models, finds from the Bronze Age Diana sanctuary and the area nearby, and an excellent video exhibit explaining the history of the ships. There's also a colossal statue of the infamous and extravagant Roman emperor Caligula, who had the massive barges built on the pretty lake. Italian police once snatched the marble sculpture back from tomb robbers just as they were about to smuggle it out of the country.
Via del Tempio di Diana 13, Nemi, Latium, 00074, Italy06-9398040Sight Details
Rate Includes: €5, Closed Mon. -
14. Palazzo Apostolico di Castel Gandolfo
For centuries, the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo was the summer retreat of popes, who kept the papal villa and extensive grounds completely private. Luckily for tourists, Pope Francis decided that he was too busy to use it and had it opened to the public. Inside you can view the Gallery of Pontifical Portraits, ceremonial garments, and the imposing papal throne in the Sala degli Svizzeri. The private area of the palace with the pope's bedchamber, his library, study, and offices are also open to visitors.
Piazza della Libertà, Castel Gandolfo, Latium, 00073, Italy06-69863111Sight Details
Rate Includes: €11, Closed Sun. and on Catholic holidays -
15. Palazzo Barberini
A bomb blast during World War II exposed the remains of the immense Temple of Fortune that covered the entire hillside under the present town. Large arches and terraces are now visible, and you can walk or take a local bus up to the imposing Palazzo Barberini, which crowns the highest point and was built in the 17th century along the semicircular lines of the original Roman temple. The palace now contains the Museo Nazionale Archeologico di Palestrina, with items found on the site that date from throughout the classical period, including Etruscan bronzes, pottery, and terra-cotta statuary as well as Roman artifacts. In addition, a model of the temple as it was in ancient times helps you appreciate its original immensity. The museum highlight, however, is a massive, incredibly preserved, 1st-century BC mosaic that colorfully details a Nile River scene, complete with ancient Egyptian boats, waving palm trees, and animals.
Piazza della Cortina 1, Palestrina, Latium, 00036, Italy06-9538100Sight Details
Rate Includes: €5 -
16. Palazzo dei Papi
This Gothic palace was built in the 13th century as a residence for popes looking to get away from the city. At the time, Rome was notoriously ridden with malaria and the plague, not to mention rampaging factions of rival barons. In 1271 the palace was the scene of a novel type of rebellion. A conclave held that year to elect a new pope dragged on for months. The people of Viterbo were exasperated by the delay, especially as custom decreed that they had to provide for the cardinals' board and lodging for the duration of the conclave. To speed up the deliberations, the townspeople tore the roof off the great hall where the cardinals were meeting, and put them on bread and water. A new pope—Gregory X—was elected in short order. Today, you can visit the great hall, step out on the pretty loggia, and admire the original frescoes in the small adjoining room. An audio guided tour is free with the purchase of a ticket and lasts 45 minutes, starting from Museo del Colle del Duomo.
Piazza San Lorenzo, Viterbo, Latium, 01100, Italy393-0916060Sight Details
Rate Includes: €10, includes tour of Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, Palazzo dei Papi, and Museo del Colle del Duomo, Closed Tues. -
17. San Pellegrino
One of the best-preserved medieval districts in Italy, San Pellegrino has charming vistas of arches, vaults, towers, exterior staircases, worn wooden doors on great iron hinges, and tiny hanging gardens. You pass many antiques shops and craft workshops, as well as numerous restaurants, as you explore the little squares and byways. The Fontana Grande in the piazza of the same name is the largest and most extravagant of Viterbo's Gothic fountains.
Via San Pellegrino, Viterbo, Latium, 01100, Italy -
18. Santa Maria Assunta in Cielo (Church of the Assumption)
Directly across from Palazzo Chigi is the Church of the Assumption, with its distinctive blue dome and round shape designed by none other than Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The artistic architect had his best students execute most of the work of building and decorating the Pantheon-inspired church, creating porticoes outside and an elaborately plastered cupola inside, which steals the show in the otherwise simple interior.
Piazza di Corte, Ariccia, Latium, 00072, ItalySight Details
Rate Includes: Closed noon–4 daily -
19. Villa Lante
The main draw of the sweet but underwhelming village of Bagnaia is the hillside garden and park that surround the two small, identical residences. They were both built in the 16th century but by different owners and more than 30 years apart. The first belonged to Cardinal Gianfrancesco Gambara. Cardinal Alessandro Montalto built the second and commissioned the virtuoso architect Giacomo Barozzi (circa 1507–73)—who was known as Vignola and who later worked with Michelangelo on St. Peter's—to design a stunning garden filled with grottoes, fountains, and immaculately manicured hedges. An adjacent untamed park contrasts with the symmetry of the formal gardens, where the lowest terrace has a centerpiece fountain fed by water channeled down the hillside. On another terrace, water runs through a groove carved in the long stone table where the cardinal entertained his friends, chilling wine in the running water. It's just one of the whimsical water features that were devised for the cardinal.
Via Jacopo Barozzi 71, Bagnaia, Latium, 01100, Italy07-61288008Sight Details
Rate Includes: €5, Closed Mon.
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