Lazio is one of Italy’s top wine-producing regions. The zones that are most suited to viticulture are the hills of volcanic origin, whose soil, composed of lava and tufa, provides high-quality nourishment to the vines. Back in the times of the Romans the Castelli Romani hill area was already used to grow grapes, and the wines they produced were sought after in the banquets and festivities of Rome’s leading citizens. White wines are more prevalent but there are also interesting reds, like those made from Cesanese grapes.
The countryside between Rieti and Terni
Claudio Giovanni Colombo/SHUTTERSTOCK
The terroir 
Historically a white wine producer, most of Lazio’s viticulture is concentrated in the Castelli Romani and the provinces of Viterbo, Frosinone and Latina. The most commonly grown white-skinned grapes are Trebbiano, Malvasia, Bellone, Bombino Bianco, Grechetto and Moscato di Terracina. The most widespread black-skinned grapes, on the other hand, are Cesanese, Ciliegiolo, Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Cabernet and Merlot. Today Lazio can boast 27 DOC zones of which one, Moscato di Terracina, was only recently established.
Though white wines predominate, it should be pointed out that very enjoyable and well structured red wines are made from the Cesanese variety in the area that straddles the border between the provinces of Frosinone and Roma. And a DOCG zone has recently been defined for just this cultivar: Cesanese del Piglio or Piglio DOCG.
The Colli della Sabina wines are produced in Rieti in tandem with other municipalities around Rome.
Itineraries
Locations with a winery are indicated by the symbol g; for the addresses of the wineries, see p. 371.
1. THE PROVINCE OF ROMA 
A very productive area enologically, the province of Roma is home to many appellations: Cerveteri, Tarquinia, Bianco Capena, Aprilia, Castelli Romani, Colli Albani, Colli Lanuvini, Frascati (with the two 2011 DOCGs Cannellino di Frascati and Frascati Superiore), Genazzano, Marino, Montecompatri Colonna, Zagarolo, Cesanese di Olevano Romano, Cesanese di Affile and Cesanese di Nettuno.
Castelli Romani and Colli Albaniaa
Itinerary of 90 km from Frascati to Marino.
The Castelli lie in the region of the Alban Hills, a circular mountainous chain of quiescent volcanoes whose perimeter formed the ancient crest of an immense crater. The interior of the crater is in turn dotted with secondary craters in which lakes formed. The hilltops are covered with grassland and chestnut groves whereas the slopes are generally used to cultivate vines and olive trees. In the beds of the dried-up lakes the volcanic terrain is ideal for growing high-quality firstlings, such as the strawberries from Nemi.
The Alban Hills were the site of the country houses of Cicero and the emperors Tiberius, Nero and Galba. During the Middle Ages 13 villages were transformed into “castelli” (a sort of stronghold) by a number of noble families, who took refuge there during Rome’s anarchic period. These castelli were Albano, Ariccia, Castel Gandolfo, Colonna, Frascati, Genzano, Grottaferrata, Marino, Nemi, Montecompatri, Monte Porzio Catone, Rocca di Papa and Rocca Priora. From the 17th c. on, the Alban Hills lost their defensive nature and were visited for purposes of relaxation and pleasure, and to escape the city. Splendid residences were built, which are still a feature of the Alban countryside.
Frascati g
Famous for its white wine and superb Tuscolana Villas built in the 16th and 17th c., the town of Frascati has sweeping views over the countryside as far as Rome and onto Villa Aldobrandini. To the right of the villa lies the Municipal Park that was once part of the land belonging to Villa Torlonia (destroyed). The Aldobrandini Stables at 6 Piazza Marconi have been transformed into a versatile space by architect Massimiliano Fuksas that now houses temporary exhibitions and the Tuscolano Museum (archaeological finds and models of the Tuscolana Villas). Open 10-18 (Sat. and Sun. 19), closed Mon., t 06 94 17 195. Villa Aldobrandinia was constructed at the end of the 16th c. It has a lovely park featuring terraces, avenues, grottoes and fountains (for visits contact the Tourist Office at 1 Piazza Marconi, t 06 94 20 331).
Take the road that leads to the Tuscolana Villas and Monte Porzio Catone.
The road offers views of Monte Porzio Catone, where the Wine Museum can be visited. Open Fri.-Sun. 9-13 and 15-19, t 06 89 68 65 03.
You next come to Rocca Priora, perched on the northern edge of the largest crater in the Alban Hills at an altitude of 768 m.
Drive down to Via Latina (S 215). After about 4 km turn right to Tuscolo (Tusculum). A winding road climbs up to the ruins.
Tusculum
Founded in the 9th c. BC, in the Roman era Tusculum became an exclusive holiday resort for city dwellers, as is demonstrated by the remains of a 2nd-c. amphitheatre (able to seat 3000 spectators) and the ruins of Tiberius’s villa. It was also the birthplace of Cato the Censor (243-149 BC). During the Middle Ages Tusculum became the feud of the Conti family (known as the Counts of Tuscolo), who were so powerful they rivalled Rome, however, in 1191 the city’s army destroyed the town and overthrew its dynastic ruling family. Amongst the ruins are the remains of a small theatre and a cistern.
Return to the Via Latina and turn right. When you arrive in Grottaferrata g walk down the central Corso del Popolo.
DOCG
Cannellino di Frascati
Cesanese del Piglio or Piglio
Frascati Superiore
DOC
Aleatico di Gradoli
Aprilia
Atina
Bianco Capena
Castelli Romani
Cerveteri
Cesanese di Affile or Affile
Cesanese di Olevano Romano or Olevano Romano
Circeo
Colli Albani
Colli della Sabina
Colli Etruschi Viterbesi or Tuscia
Colli Lanuvini
Cori
Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone
Frascati
Genazzano
Marino
Montecompatri Colonna
Nettuno
Orvieto (with Umbria)
Roma
Tarquinia
Terracina or Moscato di Terracina
Velletri
Vignanello
Zagarolo
Grottaferrata Abbeya
In 1004 a community of Greek monks from Rossano Calabro under the guidance of St Nilus the Younger founded a monastery on the ruins of an ancient Roman villa that may have belonged to Cicero.
The abbey, which received the protection of princes and popes, continues today in the Byzantine rite. The construction, which appears like a fort ringed by bastions and dikes, was commissioned from Giuliano da Sangallo in the 15th c. by Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere (the future pope Julius II).
Passing through the entrance you find yourself in a lovely courtyard with the Church of Santa Maria on one side and a portico designed by Sangallo. The museum in the rooms that belonged to the commendatory cardinals exhibits Roman and Greek objects and frescoes from the church.
Santa Maria di Grottaferrataa – 2nd courtyard. Pass by the beautiful 12th-c. bell tower and through the entrance porch to the narthex where the 10th-c. font can be seen on the left. The lovely 11th-c. portal is decorated with images of animals and plants and still has its original carved wooden doors. Above it is an 11th-c. mosaic. The interior of the church was remodelled in the 18th c. The triumphal arch is lined with a large Pentecostal mosaic from the late 12th c. The right aisle gives entry to the Chapel of San Nilo e San Bartolomeo, which is decorated with a 17th-c. lacunar ceiling and frescoes of the lives of the two saints (1608) painted by Domenichino. The Crypta Ferrata is a room in the ancient Roman villa that was transformed into a place of Christian worship in the 5th c. from which the village and church took their names.
When you leave the abbey, drive down Viale San Nilo on the left. At the traffic light turn right into Via Roma and follow the directions to Rocca di Papa.
Rocca di Papa
Magnificently situateda, Rocca di Papa is spread in a fan-shape across the slopes of Monte Cavo. Surrounded by countryside rich with game, the town is famous for its rabbit and hare dishes “alla cacciatora”.
PRINCIPAL VARIETIES CULTIVATED
WHITE GRAPES
Bellone
Bombino Bianco
Canaiolo Bianco
Chardonnay
Falanghina
Grechetto
Greco
Greco Bianco
Malvasia Bianca di Candia
Malvasia Bianca Lunga
Malvasia del Lazio
Manzoni Bianco
Moscato Bianco
Moscato di Terracina
Mostosa
Passerina
Pecorino
Pinot Bianco
Riesling
Riesling Italico
Sauvignon
Tocai Friulano
Trebbiano di Soave
Trebbiano Giallo
Trebbiano Toscano
Verdello
Verdicchio Bianco
Vernaccia di San Gimignano
GREY GRAPES
Pinot Grigio
BLACK GRAPES
Abbuoto
Aleatico
Alicante
Barbera
Bombino Nero
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Sauvignon
Canaiolo Nero
Carignano
Cesanese Comune
Cesanese di Affile
Ciliegiolo
Grechetto Rosso
Greco Nero
Merlot
Montepulciano
Nero Buono
Olivella Nera
Petit Verdot
Pinot Nero
Primitivo
Sangiovese
Sciascinoso
Syrah
Nemi
G. Bludzin/MICHELIN
Reach the S 217 and turn left towards Velletri. The beautiful Via dei Laghia passes through woods of oak and chestnut trees. After 3.5 km, turn right to Nemi.
Nemi
Nemi (from the Latin word nemus, meaning wood) stands in an amphitheatre on the rocky slopes of a volcanic crater in an enchanting positionaa. The crater is now filled with a lake that lies about 200 m below the town. All that remains of Nemi’s architectural heritage is a single tower of the old Ruspoli Castle. The town is famous for its delicious wild strawberries, which are celebrated in the Sagra delle Fragole (Strawberry Fair) in June.
Lake Nemi
The road down to the lake passes through open countryside. The lake is known as “Diana’s mirror” as the sacred wood, which stands close to the temple dedicated to the goddess, is reflected in its water.
Roman Ship Museum
Open 9-18.30, closed Sun. pm, t 06 93 98 040. Between 1929 and 1931 the level of the lake was lowered by 9 m to allow two luxurious boats from the reign of Caligula (37-41 ad) to be removed from the water. They were used in ceremonies held in honour of the goddess Diana. The museum was built in 1935 to hold the remains of the boats but these were both destroyed in 1944 by a fire. Today the museum holds reconstructions of the boats on a 1:5 scale. The museum also displays part of the ancient Roman road that led to the Temple of Diana.
Follow the S 7 to Velletri passing through Genzano di Roma.
Velletri
The largest city in the Castelli Romani was founded before the 6th c. BC. It was visited by Augustus, who spent his childhood here as his family were from the area. Lying on the south slope of the crater in the Alban Hills and surrounded by vineyards, the town has retained its medieval centre. This stretches from Piazza Cairoli (site of the 14th-c. Trivio Tower) to Piazza del Comune, the site of the stern palazzo designed by Vignola in the 16th c. (which houses the Civic Archaeological Museum) and the Church of Santa Maria del Sangue. The square gives fine, wide-ranging views over the countrysidea.
Take the S 7 Via Appia to Ariccia.
Ariccia
The Via Appia passes through the impressive Piazza di Corteaa designed by Bernini. On the left stands the palace that belonged to the Chigi family of bankers originally from Siena, who became the owners of this area in the 17th c. On the right is the Church of Santa Maria dell’Assunzione (also by Bernini), which is embraced by two elegant lateral porches. In addition to its Baroque monuments, Ariccia is known for its traditional dish of whole roasted pig, which is celebrated at the Sagra della Porchetta (Roasted Pig Fair) on the first Sunday of September.
Palazzo Chigia – Open Sat., Sun. and hols. 10-13 and 15.30-19, t 06 93 30 053, www.palazzochigiariccia.it Built in the 16th c., the palace owes its current appearance to Carlo Fontana, who redesigned it in the 18th c. Its attractive interior, featuring leather wall hangings, Baroque furniture and a series of beautiful paintings, was used by Luchino Visconti to film some of the interior scenes in his film The Leopard, as the photographs in the rooms show. The outstanding pieces in the collections are the 17th-c. Pharmacy designed by Fontana, and Bernini’s sanguine drawing of St Joseph and the Child. A large park of 28 hectares lies behind the palace.
Continuing along the S 7 towards Albano you pass over the monumental Ariccia Bridge, built originally by Pope Pius IX in 1854.
Albano Lazialea
This town stands on the land of the famous Alba Longa, which was destroyed by the Romans in the 7th c. BC. During the republican and imperial ages the area became a retreat from Rome for important individuals, while the large military camp built in 192 BC, the Castra Albana, which housed 6000 of Septimus Severus’s legionaries, gave a large boost to the town.
Tomb of the Horatii and Curatiia – As you arrive from Ariccia, at the start of Borgo Garibaldi on the edge of the town, turn left into the road going downhill. This tomb built of huge blocks of peperino stone dates from the republican period.
To the right of Borgo Garibaldi stands Villa Ferraioli (19th c.), where you can visit the Albano Civic Museum. It contains archaeological remains from prehistory to the Middle Ages. Open 8-12.30 (Wed. and Thu. also 16-19), t 06 93 23 490.
The Romanesque Church of San Pietro stands on the left of Corso Matteotti (the continuation of Borgo Garibaldi). On the right, behind the Town Hall, lie the remains of Porta Pretoriaa, the principal entrance to the military camp built by Septimius Severus. The gateway was discovered after wartime bombardments in 1944.
THE TERROIR
Area: 17,227 km2, of which 26,935 hectares are planted to vine
Production 2011: 1,205,117 hectolitres, of which approximately 438,592 VQPRD
Geography: 54% hilly, 26% mountainous, 20% flat. The soil is sandy, marly, calcareous and partly of volcanic origin. A temperate climate
THE PROTECTION CONSORTIA
Consorzio Tutela Denominazione Frascati – t 06 94 01 52 12, www.consorziofrascati.it
Consorzio Tutela Vini Colli Lanuvini – t 06 31 05 64 35, www.consorziocollilanuvini.it
WINE AND FOOD ROUTES
Strada dei Vini dei Castelli Romani – www.stradadeivinideicastelliromani.it
Strada del Vino del Cesanese Doc e dell’Olio Rosciola – t 0775 50 15 78, www.stradadelvinocesanese.com
Strada del Vino della Teverina – t 0761 78 07 81
Strada dell’Olio e dei prodotti tipici della Sabina – t 06 69 79 24 01, www.stradadelloliodellasabina.com
Castel Gandolfo
Francesco Dazzi/SHUTTERSTOCK
Walk down Via Saffi behind the gate. A street on the left leads to the Church of Santa Maria della Rotonda. This was created out of the nymphaeum of a 1st-c. ad villa and given a bell tower in the 13th c.
Further down Via Saffi you come to the huge five-aisle water cisterna built by Septimius Severus for his legions and still used today to supply water to Albano. For visits to the cistern, ask in the Civic Museum.
Return to Corso Matteotti and walk down to Piazza Mazzini. Here lies the vast public gardena that incorporates the ruins of a villa said to have belonged to Pompey (1st c. BC).
Continue to Castel Gandolfo.
Castel Gandolfoa
Set on a rise on the edge of the same crater as Albano, and also overlooking the same lake, Castel Gandolfo is the pope’s summer residence. As you walk down Corso della Repubblica, you come to the gracious Piazza della Libertaa, at the centre of which stands a lovely fountain designed by Bernini. This architect also designed the Church of San Tommaso da Villanova (on the right), featuring a large dome. The square is closed off solidly by the Papal Palace (closed to the public). The Holy See became the owner of Castello Gandolfo at the end of the 16th c. and in 1628 Urban VIII had a palace designed and constructed by Maderno on the site of Domitian’s villa (emperor 81-96 ad). The Roman remains lie within the palace’s large park, which stretches as far as Albano Laziale. Since the papacy of Pius XI the palace has included the astronomic observatory known as the Specola Vaticana.
To the right of the Church of San Tommaso an alley leads to a panoramic lookout point over Lake Albano. This can be reached by a road that leaves the town just outside of the historic centre.
Marino
Built on a ridge that slopes down towards the Roman countryside on the outside of the crater, Marino is known for its white wine. Historically the town has been ruled over by the following families: the Conti of Tuscolo, the Frangipane, the Orsini and the Colonna. A fountain in Piazza Matteotti is in the form of four Turkish slaves tied to a column to commemorate the victory of Marcantonio Colonna over the Ottoman navy at Lepanto in 1571. Continue down the main street to the square lined by the 17th-c. Church of San Barnaba. Shortly after on the left you find Palazzo Colonna, designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, which faces onto Piazza della Repubblica.
The Prenestini Mountains
Itinerary of 35 km from Palestrina to Olèvano Romano.
Palestrinaa
Palestrina is an elegant town of medieval appearance perched on the Prenestini mountains. It enjoys extraordinary views but above all boasts the ruins of the magnificent Temple of the Dea Fortuna. This construction is a jewel of Hellenistic mosaic art that in itself is worthy of a visit. Due to its strategic position due to the passage of goods and transhumant flocks, many attempts were made to conquer the town over the centuries. Subjected by the Romans in the 4th c. BC, it became a place of relaxation for emperors and patricians. During the imperial age, both Tiberius and Hadrian had a residence built there.
Palazzo Barberinia – Piazza della Cortina. The Colonna family were the first to build over the sanctuary dedicated to the Dea Fortuna in the 11th c. Remodelled in the 15th, their palace passed to the Barberini in 1630, who altered it to its current appearance. The semicircular form is the result of keeping the structure of the sanctuary’s ancient open gallery (the remains of the columns are visible inside) and the cavea of the theatre. Several rooms inside are decorated with high-quality frescoes painted by artists in the Zuccari circle. The front terrace gives fine viewsa over the town and valley. Today the palace houses the Archaeological Museum, which has some exceptional pieces. One is the splendid Nile mosaicaa, an extraordinary geographical map of Egypt depicted during the annual flooding of the Nile. It was made by artists from Alexandria in the 2nd c. ad but it was taken to pieces and recomposed wrongly in the 17th c. The large model of the Sanctuary della Fortuna Primigenia provides a preparation for the visit to the archaeological zone.
Sanctuary della Fortuna Primigeniaa – This magnificent sanctuary dates from the 2nd and 1st c. BC. It covered almost the entire area occupied by the town today and stood on a series of 6 terraces connected by ramps and flights of steps. The upper terrace, called the Terrace della Cortina, was a vast plaza closed on three sides by an open gallery and crowned by a cavea enclosed by a colonnade (incorporated today in the Palazzo Barberini). Above this stood the circular temple. The goddess Fortuna was an oracular divinity associated, naturally, with fortune but also fertility. This dual aspect of her nature was reflected in the layout of the sanctuary, which had two separate places of worship: the east part of the Terrace of Hemicycles was where the goddess was worshiped for her powers related to fertility, while the faithful had to climb to the circular sanctuary (visible on the second floor of the museum) to invoke the oracle.
Lying 9 km to the south, Valmontone is the setting for the 17th-c. Palazzo Doria, a superb building with its original frescoes, and the coeval Collegiate Church dell’Assunta.
Another ancient town on the slopes of the Prenestini mountains is Genazzano, which has also managed to keep its constructions from the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Genazzano was a feud of the Colonna, who, from their castle, controlled the transits between Rome and Naples. The most important buildings were constructed along Corso Vannuttelli, such as the Church of San Nicòla, the Colonna Castle, and Casa Apolloni, a Gothic house where Pope Martin V was born. The Sanctuary of the Madonna del Buon Consiglio was founded in the Middle Ages but later remodelled. It is visited by pilgrims who come to view the fresco of the Madonna del Buon Consiglio.
On the slopes of Monte Celeste 12 km north-east, Olèvano Romano was built on the foundations of ancient cyclopean walls and is dominated by the 13th-c. Colonna Castle.
Norman Pogson/SHUTTERSTOCK
2. CERVETERI DOC
From Cerveteri to Tarquinia
Itinerary of 60 km.
Cerveteri appellation touches on the municipalities of Cerveteri, Ladispoli, Santa Marinella, Civitavecchia, Rome, Allumiere and Tolfa in the province of Roma, and that of Tarquinia in the province of Viterbo. White, red and rosé wines are produced from Trebbiano Toscano, Giallo, Malvasia Bianca and Lazio varieties for the whites, and Sangiovese, Montepulciano and Cesanese for the reds and rosés.
When you arrive in Cerveteri from Rome, you pass through the village of Torrimpietra g, which is famous for the model estate founded by Luigi Albertini (journalist and politician) in 1925.
Cerveteriaa g
The powerful Etruscan city of Cerveteri was built on a rise to the east of the modern town. Its period of greatest splendour was achieved in the 7th-6th c. BC due to its busy cultural and religious activities. The superb Banditaccia necropolis (some of the materials of which are exhibited in the Villa Giulia Etruscan museum in Rome) is like a real town: it has a main street lined on each side by tombs (mostly mound tombs dating from the 7th c. BC) arranged serenely yet mysteriously in a setting of natural vegetation. The primary interest of the tombs at Cerveteri is architectural as, with respect to those at Tarquinia, they have little pictorial decoration. One of the most interesting is the Tomb of the Reliefsaa, which features polychrome stuccoes and paintings that illustrate many aspects of daily life. The necropolis lies 2 km north of the town. Open 8.30-1 h before sunset, closed Mon., t 06 99 40 001.
Continue north along the Via Aurelia.
Civitavecchia
During Trajan’s reign, Centumcellae became Rome’s leading port. Today, under the name of Civitavecchia, it provides the mainland’s sea connections with Sardinia. The port is defended by the Michelangelo fort, a solid Renaissance construction begun by Bramante, continued by the younger Sangallo and Bernini, and completed by Michelangelo in 1557. Trajan’s Baths (or the Taurin Baths, 3 km north-east) consist of two sets of buildings: the first (on the west side) date to the republican era and the second, better preserved, were built by Hadrian, Trajan’s successor. Open 9-13 and 15-sunset, closed Mon., t 0766 20 299, www.civitavecchiaproloco.it
Tarquiniaa
Ringed by a crown of medieval walls and towers, Tarquinia stands on a rocky rise facing the sea, in a landscape of olive groves and fields of barley and wheat. The historic centre of the town is strung out along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, onto which the two principal squares face: Piazza Cavour, where the Palazzo Vitelleschia (15th c.) stands, and, further up, Piazza Matteotti, the setting for the Town Hall. The National Museum of Tarquiniaa in Palazzo Vitelleschi has a notable collection of Etruscan works: 6th-c. sarcophaguses, ceramics, furnishings, Attic vases and frescoesaa removed from certain tombs. The pride of the museum is the winged horsesaaa made of terracotta, which have become the symbol of Tarquinia. Open 8.30-19.30, closed Mon., t 0766 85 60 36, www.etruriameridionale.beniculturali.it
The small medieval districta lies on the north side of the Corso, and features such fine buildings as the Palazzo dei Priori and the Church of San Martino. The fortified citadel that protected the ancient city lay in the north-west section of the walls. It is an attractive medieval corner of the town, beyond which you will find the Church of Santa Maria in Castelloa. Built in the 12th-13th c., it has an elegant entrance with Cosmatesque decorations and a majestic interior, including a Cosmatesque pavement.
Decorative architectural motifs in the Palazzo del Podestà in Viterbo
Claudio Giovanni Colombo/SHUTTERSTOCK
Monterozzi Necropolisaa
4 km south-east of Tarquinia. Open Apr.-Oct. 8.30-19.30, rest of the year 8.30-1 h before sunset, closed Mon., t 0766 85 63 08, www.etruriameridionale.beniculturali.it Covering an area 5 km long by 1 km wide, the necropolis contains about 600 tombs dug between the 6th and 1st c. BC. No architecture is visible from the outside (unlike Cerveteri) but the walls of the funeral chambers are decorated with superb, colourful and dynamic paintingsaaa. The paintings often recreate the deceased’s earthly existence and are therefore of extreme interest to scholars of the Etruscan civilisation.
3. FROM VITERBO TO LAKE BOLSENA
Itinerary of 150 km.
In the province of Viterbo the most renowned wines are the white Orvieto (an appellation that lies partly in Umbria), Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone and Aleatico di Gradoli, but there are many more designated zones, including Vignanello, Colli Etruschi Viterbesi and – in the province of Roma – Cerveteri and Tarquinia. Deserving of special mention is Aleatico di Gradoli, a red liqueur wine with a powerful fruity nose that recalls the port made from the Aleatico grape.
Viterboa
The ancient city walls (which partly collapsed in January 1997) still ring the lovely historic centre of the chief town of Roman Tuscia. Squares, palaces, churches and fountains are all demonstrative of the city’s important past, which from the 13th to 15th c. was a papal seat and the setting for a number of conclaves.
The focus of the city’s religious buildings is Piazza San Lorenzoaa, the site of the ancient Etruscan acropolis. The cathedral (12th c.) has a fine 14th-c. bell tower and some excellent works of art, including the panel of the Madonna della Carbonara (12th c.). On the right, the elegant Papal Palaceaa was constructed in the 13th c. It is one of the most interesting examples of medieval civil architecture in Lazio. A number of conclaves were held here, including the important one of 1271 that 33 months later led to the election of Gregory X as pope. Excellent views are to be had from the loggia.
Continue past the Piazza della Morte towards the district of San Pellegrinoaa, a 13th-c. quarter set out along the length of Via San Pellegrino. It features tiny squares, towers, alleyways, arches and old houses in a timeless setting.
Return to Piazza della Morte and turn right into Via San Lorenzo, which connects the religious quarter of the city to the political centre in Piazza del Plebiscito. Roughly halfway along the street, on the right hand side, you will see the Romanesque Church of Santa Maria Nuova, which still has the pulpit, to the left of the façade, from which Thomas Aquinas preached. Inside, the church has a superb wooden ceiling and a unique San Salvatore Triptych on leather (13th c.) and frescoes by local artists from the 14th to 16th c. The exquisite Lombard cloister is reached from the left side of the church.
Piazza del Plebiscitoa is lined by the Palazzo del Podestà (medieval but later rebuilt), the Clock Tower, the Palazzo dei Priori (15th c.) and the Palazzo della Prefettura. The symbol of the city, a lion, stands at the foot of the Clock Tower. Views over the Faul valley are given from the courtyard of Palazzo dei Priori.
Vignanello
Vignanello is where Ottavia Orsini built the Ruspoli Castle in 1610, with its superb Italian gardena laid out in flowerbeds lined with geometric and alphabetic motifs of boxwood. Open Sun. 10.30-18 in Apr.-Oct., www.castelloruspoli.com
The municipality lies at the centre of the Vignanello DOC wine zone, which produces white, red, rosé and Greco versions. The appellation covers a series of municipalities in the Monte Cimino hills in the province of Viterbo.
Lake Vicoa
Entrance to the Reserve on Via Cimina. This enchanting lake of volcanic origin fills a crater in the Cimini mountains. Its banks are lined with woods of beech, chestnut, oak and hazel trees, and are an integral part of the Lake Vico Nature Reserve.
Palazzo Farnese in Caprarolaaa
Caprarola lies on the eastern edge of Lake Vico Reserve. For information on visits t 0761 64 79 41. This imposing building dominates the little town of Caprarola. It was constructed in the late 16th c. by Cardinal Alessandro Farnese from a design by Vignola. It is pentagonal in plan around a circular courtyard. The magnificent spiral staircaseaa is decorated with grotesques and landscapes painted by Antonio Tempesta. The rooms are embellished with sumptuous and highly refined frescoes by the Mannerist school of Taddeo and Federico Zuccari and Bertoja, but the two most outstanding are the Room of the Deeds of the Farnese and the Map Room. A huge park with terraces and fountains lies behind the palace.
Lake Bolsenaa
Bolsena is Italy’s largest volcanic lake, and its water level is continually altered by telluric tremors. Set in a hollow in the Volsini mountains, it has a beautiful lakeside promenade, particularly on the west bank. There is a great deal of aquatic wildlife, eels especially. Excursions to the two islands of Bisentina and Martana (themselves probably residues of volcanic craters) leave from Bolsena and the elegant little port of Capricciolo.
Olive groves near Lake Bolsena
Claudio Giovanni Colombo/SHUTTERSTOCK
During a trip to Rome, the German bishop Johannes Fugger, a lover of good wine, sent his servant on ahead to scout the villages for inns that served the best wine. When he found one he was supposed to write “Est” (Vinum est bonum). on the door in chalk. When Fugger arrived in Montefiascone, he found Est! Est!! Est!!! written on one door.
Montefiascone
The vineyards around Montefiascone produce the acclaimed wine Est! Est!! Est!!!. The town has a fine view over the lake at its height of 560 m. The panoramic Rocca dei Papi (Popes’ Fort, founded in the 12th c. and remodelled in the 16th) stands in the upper part of the town, its garden looking towards the Duomo’s cupola built in the 17th c. by Carlo Fontana. In the lower section, the unusual Romanesque Church of San Flavioa is formed by two superposed buildings; its façade has a Renaissance loggia from which the popes used to bless the faithful.
Inside, 14th-c. frescoes illustrate the brevity of life and the vanity of existence (Legend of the Three Dead and Three Live Men), and the tombstone of Giovanni Fugger is conserved in the third chapel on the left.
Bolsena
The ancient Etruscan town of Volsinii has become the lake’s main tourist destination. Centred on Piazza Matteotti, the town castle and its dark medieval houses are set out on a small rise behind the square. There is a good view of the buildings from the ancient Via Cassia (SS 2). The Basilica of Santa Cristinaa is dedicated to the martyr from Bolsena who died during the persecution of Christians carried out by Emperor Diocletian. The building dates to the 11th c. but the light façade is Renaissance and the columns inside are Roman. The floor of the Chapel of the Miracle, reached from the left aisle, is marked with the blood of the Host. You can see the altar of the miracle and statue of St Cristina (carved by Buglioni in the 15th c.) in the grotto and the extended network of catacombs dug in the 3rd and 4th c. Guided visits to the catacombs 9.30-12 and 15.30-18.30, www.basilicasantacristina.it
Civita di Bagnoregioa
The “Dying Village” stands on a tufa hill in a state of continual erosion. An earthquake separated it on a permanent basis from nearby Bagnoregio in 1784 and began the continual flow of its inhabitants away from the village. The pedestrian bridge leads to the medieval Porta Santa Maria which constitutes the entrance to the attractive centre. There is a fine viewa of the ravines that surround the village from the end of the main street.
Gradoli is a medieval village on the north-west side of the lake. The Palazzo Farnese there was built by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger and contains a museum dedicated to clothes worn in the times of the Farnese family. Open Tue. am, Fri., Sat., and Sun. am., t 0761 45 60 82 46. Don’t forget to taste a glass of Aleatico di Gradoli, a liqueur wine similar to port.
4. THE PROVINCES OF LATINA AND FROSINONE
Latina produces the DOC wines Cori, Circeo, Velletri, Moscato di Terracina and, with the province of Roma, also Aprilia and Castelli Romani. The Moscato di Terracina DOC zone was established in 2007 and lies in the municipalities of Monte San Biagio, Terracina and Sonnino, where the Moscato di Terracina cultivar produces dry, sweetish, dried-grape wine and sparkling wines.
The province of Frosinone makes wines that go under the names of Genazzano, Cesanese del Piglio, Affile and Atina.
From Terracina to Cori along the coast
Itinerary of 180 km from Terracina to Sermoneta.
Terracinaa
Terracina lies in a pleasant position at the foot of the Ausoni mountains that separate the Pontine plain from the Fondi plain. Even during the Roman age the town was a place for city-dwellers to retire to for relaxation. The lovely Piazza del Municipio lies over the old Roman forum and has maintained its shape. Looking onto it is the duomoa, consecrated in 1075. The ancient columns of its porch support a 12th-c. mosaic frieze. The bell tower is in Romanesque-Gothic style. Principal features of the interior are a Cosmatesque pulpit and paschal candelabrum (13th c.).
Also facing onto the square is the 14th-c. Palazzo Venditti (to the right of the duomo) and the ruins of the Roman theatre. Pass under the arch beneath Palazzo Venditti to see the remains of the Capitolium (1st c. BC), a temple dedicated to the Capitoline Triad (Jove, Juno and Minerva).
The Temple of Jove Anxur was built in the 1st c. BC on top of Monte Sant’Angelo (3 km east of the historic centre). All that is left today is the base and a cryptoportico but there are superb viewsaa over the town, canals, port, Monte Circeo, Agro Pontino, the plain, the Fondi lakes, and along the coast as far as Gaeta.
Continue along the coast to San Felice Circeo.
Circeo National Parka
For information on visits: Visitors Centre, Via C. Alberto 107, Sabaudia, t 0773 51 13 85, www.parcocirceo.it The park lies in a narrow coastal strip between Anzio and Terracina that incorporates the Circeo promontory, part of the old Pontine marshes, dunes, coastal lakes and Zannone Island. Two of the most beautiful places in the park are Monte Circeo, the legendary refuge of the sorceress Circe, who helped Ulysses and his men on his travels, and Lake Sabaudia, which you can reach by taking the bridge to Sabaudiaa, a holiday resort built in the 1930s on Rationalist principles. The tower of the Town Hall is built from an interesting mix of materials. From the top there is an extraordinary panoramaa. Another building of architectural relevance is the Post Office, designed by Mazzoni, the colours of which (blue and red) are those of the House of Savoy after which the town is named.
From San Felice Circeo a pretty road flanked by luxurious villas, flowers and Mediterranean vegetation takes you to Torre Cervia. This park is part of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
From Sabaudia the route can deviate inland to visit Fossanova Abbeyaa (20 km). Situated in a solitary place, as the Cistercian rule prescribed, this is the oldest abbey of this order in Italy. The monks settled here in 1133 and began to build the church 30 years later. The buildings were set out in a manner functional to the activities of the community, which was divided into professed monks, who lived in seclusion, and lay brothers, who did the manual work. Consecrated in 1208 the church has elements typical of Cistercian architecture, such as the Latin cross plan, flat apse and octagonal crossing tower. The soaring, luminous and sober interior has aisles with ribbed vaulting. The Gothic chapterhouse is joined to the elegant cloister.
Visit the guesthouse, which stands slightly away from the main buildings, to see the room in which St Thomas Aquinas died on 7 March 1274.
From Sabaudia follow the coast for about 40 km to arrive at the pleasant seaside resorts of Nettuno and Anzio. It was on the beaches of Anzio that the Allied troops landed on 22 January 1944. The town has created an archaeological zone around Nero’s villa and the so-called Nero’s Grottoes, which were in fact Roman storerooms.
Cori
To reach Cori leave Nettuno inland and pass through Le Ferriere g and Cisterna di Latina. Cori stands on the Lepine mountains ringed by cyclopean walls, part of which date to the 5th c. BC. Medieval houses line Via del Porticato in the lower part of the town, called Cori a Valle, whereas the upper section, Cori a Monte, is the site of the Temple of Hercules (1st c. BC). On a clear day the view from the temple reaches as far as the Pontine islands and Circeo National Park.
Lepine Mountains
The partly medieval Norma lies 13 km south-east of Cori. Just 1 km away lie the ruins of Norba, a city founded by the Latins, with cyclopean walls dating from the 4th c. BC. It is an attractive ghost town abandoned in the 17th c. because of malaria (it stands beside a lake). Its ruins are part of the Ninfa naturalistic oasis.
The Circeo coast
Claudio Zaccherini/SHUTTERSTOCK
The Abbey of Valvisciolo was founded in the 8th c. but was rebuilt by the Cistercians in the 14th c. Open 8.30-12.30 and 15.30-18.
Surrounded by turreted walls 3 km to the south Sermoneta is watched over by the stern-looking Caetani Castle, built by Pope Alexander VI at the start of the 16th c.
Ciociarìa
Itinerary of 95 km from Anagni to Piglio.
The route passes through the hills and perched villages and towns of Ciociarìa, which runs along the Sacco valley and between the Ernici mountains to the north and Ausoni mountains to the south. The name is taken from ciocie, the local word for the traditional footwear consisting of a thick leather sole and bands that wrap around the calf.
Anagnia g
Standing on a rock spur looking over the hills and fertile valleys of Ciociarìa, Anagni is a medieval looking town whose history is indissolubly linked to the popes who were born there and made it their official residence. These included Boniface VIII (Benedetto Caetani, 1235-1303).
The imposing cathedralaa stands on the site of the acropolis founded by the Ernici, an Italic people who lived in the Sacco valley before the Romans. Built in Romanesque style in the 11th and 12th c., it was remodelled with Gothic elements a century later. Note the three Romanesque apses with Lombard arches and pilasters, the statue of Boniface VIII (14th c.) above the loggia on the left side, and the solid bell tower standing separate from the body of the church. The 13th-c. floor inside is Cosmatesquea in style. Close to the presbytery, the ciborium, the bishop’s throne and the paschal candelabrum were made by Pietro Vassalletto (1263). The Caetani Chapel stands at the end of the left aisle.
Also featuring a fine Cosmatesque floor, the cryptaaa is adorned with magnificent 13th-c. frescoes of biblical and cosmological scenes painted by three Benedictine artists. Next to the crypt the Chapel of Thomas Becket was built over an ancient Mithraeum (a sanctuary dedicated to the god Mithra). Open 9-12 and 15-18, t 0775 72 83 74.
The medieval districta begins from the beautiful Piazza della Cattedrale and lies on either side of Via Vittorio Emanuele. On the left stands the Palazzo di Bonifacio VIII. Its façade has two overlaid loggias, one with an immense round arch, the other with twin-light windows. The palace is said to have been where Boniface VIII received a slap in the face (more moral than material) from the emissaries of Philip the Fair, king of France, who came to Anagni in 1303 to persuade the pope to revoke his excommunication of the French king and to convince him to abdicate. The citizens of Anagni rose up against this sacrilege and Boniface returned to Rome under the protection of the Orsini.
Continuing along Via Vittorio Emanuele, a large vault on the right forms the base for the Town Hall (12th-13th c.), the façade of which features the elegant Loggetta del Banditore.
Further down Via Vittorio Emanuele you come to Piazza Cavour, which looks onto the Parco della Rimembranza.
Head south-east on the SS 6 (Via Casilina).
Ferentino
Like many other towns in Ciociarìa, Ferentino is set on a hill. Right on the top of the ancient acropolis stands the town’s lovely Romanesque duomo (12th c.), whose flooring, paschal candle and bishop’s throne are all Cosmatesque in style. Behind the duomo stands the bishop’s palace. As you come down the hill on Via Don Morosini, on the left you will note the impressive archways of the market that dated from the age of the Roman republic.
In the lower part of the town, the lovely Gothic Church of Santa Maria Maggiore (12th-13th c.) can be seen near the south side of the city walls.
Continue on the SS 6. Shortly before Frosinone, take the SS 214 in the direction of Sora and turn off to visit Casamari Abbey.
Casamari Abbeyaa
Open 9-12 and 15-18, t 0775 28 23 71, www.casamari.it The abbey was founded by the Benedictines in the 11th c. but during the following century it passed to the Cistercians, who enlarged it on the model of Fossanova and the principles of austerity set down by St Bernard. The courtyard in front of the church is reached from a porch crowned by a twin-light loggia. The façade is very simple: it has a lovely rounded portal, a richly decorated tympan, and a deep porch set with arches. The interior is simple but beautiful and raked by warm light. The huge pillars support very high ogival vaults and, as is typical of Cistercian architecture, the church is built on a Latin cross with a flat, shallow apse.
To reach the cloister, leave through the right transept of the church. The cloister features twin columns and gives onto the chapterhouse. On the other side of the cloister you can see the ancient dispensarium, which now functions as a refectory.
Return to the SS 214 and continue. Leave at Il Giglio and follow the signs to Véroli.
Véroli
Veroli is a delightful village founded in ancient times on a rise roughly 600 m high. The churches and aristocratic houses in the centre provide a testimony of its importance (it used to be the seat of the bishop) during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Close to the cathedral the courtyard of the medieval Casa Reali displays the fasti verolani, a Roman calendar from the Augustan age of which only the first three months have survived.
Follow the signposts to Alatri.
Alatria
Founded by the Ernici, Alatri still has some of its cyclopean walls (6th-5th c. BC). The lower part has steep steps and streets lined by late medieval houses, one of which is the impressive, austere, 13th-c. Palazzo Gottifredo (on Corso Cavour). As you wander down Corso Vittorio Emanuele, turn right into Via Regina Margherita to see the 14th-c. Church of San Francesco and Church of Santa Maria Maggiorea, which stands in Alatri’s main square. Constructed in the 12th-13th c. in Romanesque-Gothic style, it features a large rose window and a separate bell tower. There are some interesting wooden sculptures from the 12th to 15th c. inside (1st chapel on the left).
Casamari Abbey
Claudio Giovanni Colombo/SHUTTERSTOCK
Monte Cassino was the setting for one of the most terrible battles of World War II, one that cost the lives of thousands of men and featured intensive bombing of one of the greatest centres of Christianity. After Naples had been taken by the Allies in 1944, the Germans turned Cassino into their main stronghold on the road to Rome. On 17 May the Allies launched the decisive attack. After a bitter fight the following day, the Germans abandoned Cassino and the Allies regrouped and opened the road to Rome. The Historiale di Cassinoa tells the story with documentation and audiovisual and animated presentations of those tragic days. Via San Marco 23, open 10-18, closed Sat., t 0776 31 38 52, www.museohistoriale.org
From Via Matteotti and Via del Duomo climb up to the trapezoidal acropolisa, from where you can continue to the magnificent Porta Maggiore. The architrave of this gateway is made from a monolith 5 m long. Continue to the duomo (11th c. but greatly remodelled) and a public park that offers superb viewsaa over Alatri and the Frosinone valley.
Take Via di Porta Civita down the hill through the winding streets of the medieval district and reach the 13th-c. Church of San Silvestro, which retains frescoes painted between the 13th and 16th c.
Return to the S 155 and follow the signs to Fiuggi.
Fiuggi
Called Anticoli until 1911, this famed spa was visited by Boniface VIII and Michelangelo. The town is composed of the ancient Fiuggi Città, uphill, and the more recent Fiuggi Fonte, downhill. Its water is low in mineral content and is particularly suitable for sufferers of renal calculosis.
Back on the S 155, pass through Acuto to reach Piglio, the home of Cesanese del Piglio DOCG. The remains of the Orsini Castle can be seen in its ancient centre.
Montecassinoaa and the Atina DOC zone
Open 9-12.30 and 15.30-18 (17 in win.), t 0776 31 15 29, www.montecassino.it
The white, square bulk of this famous abbey, one of the cradles of Western monasticism, dominates the surrounding countryside from 500 m up on Monte Cassino. The abbey was founded in 529 by St Benedict, and it was here that he drew up the Order’s Rule founded on study and manual work, to which he added the virtues of chastity, poverty and obedience. The abbey enjoyed its greatest splendour in the 11th and 12th c., when it was one of Europe’s most important centres of art and culture and the diffusion of Western monasticism. It has been destroyed on several occasions but it was reconstructed in accordance with its ancient design after the ruinous Battle of Cassino in 1944. After you enter the abbey site, you walk through three cloisters in line. The middle cloister, from where there are good views of the Cassino plain, gives access to the elegant Renaissance-style Cloister of the Benefactors. The bare façade of the basilica gives no hint of the magnificence of the interior, which was rebuilt on 17th-c. lines, using marble, stucco, mosaics and gilt to create a sumptuous ensemble. The choir has splendid walnut stalls made in the 17th c. and the sepulchre that holds the remains of St Benedict and St Scholastica. The crypt is decorated with frescoes from the Benedictine school of art in Beuron, Germany, painted in 1913.
The area to the north of Cassino is the production zone of Atina DOC wines, which are mostly reds made from Cabernet Sauvignon.
Tourist information
Park of the Castelli Romani – Ente Parco, Villa Barattolo, Via Cesare Battisti 5, Rocca di Papa (RM), t 06 94 79 931, www.parcocastelliromani.it
Province of Frosinone – Via Aldo Moro 465, Frosinone, t 0775 83 381, www.apt.frosinone.it
Province of Latina – Via Duca del Mare 19, Latina, t 0773 69 54 04, www.latinaturismo.it
Rome Tourist Office – t 06 06 08, www.turismoroma.it
Province of Viterbo – Via Saffi 49, Viterbo, t 0761 31 32 36, www.provincia.vt.it/turismo
The wineries
The addresses are listed in alphabetical order by location.
PROVINCE OF ROME
ƒ Principe Pallavicini – Via Casilina km 25.5 - Colonna (RM) - t 06 94 38 816 - www.vinipallavicini.com - info@principepallavicini.com - Winery tours by reservation. This complex business encompasses several winegrowing estates and has been part of the SAITA SpA company since 1939. Several varieties are grown here, including Trebbiano Toscano, Malvasia del Lazio, Malvasia di Candia, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Greco, Grechetto and Bonvino for the whites, and Sangiovese, Cesanese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Montepulciano, Ciliegiolo and Petit Verdot for the reds. As far as the farming business is concerned, following centuries of traditional agricultural practices the estate now stands out for the special care it has taken to guarantee a minimal environmental impact. Restaurant service at Osteria della Colonna. Hectares under vine: 84
Wines: Casa Romana, Moroello, 1670, Stillato, Poggio Verde. Other products: olive oil.
û Azienda Agricola L’Olivella – Via Colle Pisano 5 - Frascati (RM) - t 06 94 24 527 / 25 656 - www.olivella.it - info@racemo.it, info@olivella.it - Winery tours by reservation, closed Aug. Olivella was founded in 1986 through the joint efforts of an excellent winegrower from Puglia, Umberto Notarnicola, and a Piedmont enologist, Bruno Violo. Since 2003 it has applied organic agricultural methods. In addition to making high-quality wines, it also produces an outstanding extra virgin olive oil and has paralleled its agricultural activities with a guest farm, which offers meals (by reservation) and accommodation. Hectares under vine: 12.
Wines: Frascati Sup. “Racemo”, IGT Lazio Bianco “Tre Grome”, IGT Lazio Bianco “Bombino”, IGT Lazio Rosso “Racemo”, IGT Lazio Rosso “Quaranta/Sessanta”, Cesanese IGT Lazio Rosso “Maggiore”. Other products: olive oil.
Colle Picchioni - Paola di Mauro – Via Colle Picchione 46 - Frattocchie di Marino (RM) - t 06 93 54 63 29 - www.collepicchioni.it - info@collepicchioni.it - Winery tours by reservation, closed Sun. and Aug. In the late 1970s and early 1980s Paola Di Mauro decided to abandon his career to devote himself passionately to the production of wine. He began to experiment and study enology books and pore over enology books, becoming well versed in winemaking techniques and methods. Since 1985 his son Armando has been running the cellar and during this period Colle Picchioni has expanded, going from a production of 10,000 bottles to approximately 100,000. Other small plots have been purchased, and the estate has modernised its machinery and plantings, and expanded its range of products. Armando’s son Valerio joined the winery in 2004, inspired by the family’s longstanding passion. Hectares under vine: 11.
Wines: Coste Rotonde, Donna Paola, Le Vignole, Perlata, Il Vassallo. Other products: olive oil and grappa.
Gotto d’Oro – Via del Divino Amore 115 - Frattocchie di Marino (RM) - t 06 93 02 22 11 - www.gottodoro.it - marketing@gottodoro.it, info@gottodoro.it - Winery tours by reservation (one week in advance), closed Sat. pm and Sun. Gotto d’Oro, founded in 1945, was the first winery to be established in the Castelli Romani. The term “gotto” derives from the Latin guttus, which referred to a large glass vessel as well as the amount of wine it could hold. The Frattocchie location centralises all the operations for fermenting, making and bottling Frascati, Marino and Castelli Romani DOC wines, and over 400 member winegrowers bring in their harvests. Gotto d’Oro has the capacity to produce and sell 10 million bottles annually, making it one of the top 20 wineries in the country. Hectares under vine: 1453.
Wines: Frascati Superiore, Marino Superiore, Castelli Romani Rosso, Mitreo Sol IGT, Mitreo Mithra IGT. Other products: grappa.
LIUJIXIN/SHUTTERSTOCK
Castel de Paolis – Via Val de Polis - Grottaferrata (RM) - t 06 94 13 648 - www.casteldepaolis.it - info@casteldepaolis.it - Winery tours by reservation, closed mid-August. The wines are the outcome of a long programme of research and experimentation, and the cellar boasts state-of-the-art equipment. Its wines are highly regarded in Italy and internationally. Hectares under vine: 14.
Wines: Frascati Sup., I Quattro Mori, Donna Adriana, Muffa Nobile.
ƒ Fontana Candida – Via Fontana Candida 11 - Monteporzio Catone (RM) - t 06 94 01 881 - www.fontanacandida.it - fontanacandida@giv.it - Winery tours by reservation, closed Fri. pm, Sat. and Sun. The Fontana Candida winery, which continues what was long a family-run business, became a corporation in 1958. It is situated on the knoll of Fontana Candida, in a farmhouse built over the area where there was once an impressive Roman villa that may have belonged to the poet Horace. Numerous water lines from Mount Porzio reached the ancient Roman villa: the name “Candida” may thus derive from an alteration of the word calida or canicha, meaning hot, or it may come from the clarity of the water. Restaurant services available at the Osteria Fontana Candida (Via Fontana Candida 5, t 06 94 49 030, www.osteriafontanacandida.it). Hectares under vine: 97.
Wines: Frascati Superiore Luna Mater, Frascati Superiore Vigneto Santa Teresa, Graeco Bianco del Lazio IGT, Siroe Rosso del Lazio IGT, Kron Rosso del Lazio IGT.
THE CERVETERI AREA
Cantina Cerveteri – Via Aurelia Km 42.7 - Cerveteri (RM) - t 06 99 44 41 - www.cantinacerveteri.it - info@cantinacerveteri.it Cantina Cerveteri is a co-operative of approximately 750 winegrowers and it is a major presence on the Lazio wine scene. Established in 1961, in just a few years it has created a quality label, making inroads on the national and international wine market.
Wines: Cerveteri Rosso Viniae Grande, Cerveteri Bianco Viniae Grande, Malvasia Novae. Other products: grappa.
Cantina Castello di Torre in Pietra – Via di Torrimpietra 247 - Torrimpietra (RM) - t 06 61 69 70 70 - www.castelloditorreinpietra.it - cantina@castelloditorreinpietra.it - Winery tours 9-12 and 15-18, closed Sun. The winery is part of the old estate of Torre in Pietra, which extended over a vast territory straddling Via Aurelia. The cellar is now set in a picturesque medieval hamlet by the tower after which the winery is named. Carved out of the tufa hillside behind the castle, the cellar was used as far back as the 15th c. to store wine at the perfect temperature. The castle can also be reserved for receptions, conventions and events.
Wines: IGT Bianco Chardonnay, IGT Rosso Terre di Breccia, IGT Rosso Syrah, Tarquinia Bianco, Tarquinia Rosso. Other products: honey, spelt, chickpeas, Merlot grappa, spelt pasta.
FROM VITERBO TO LAKE BOLSENA
ƒ Paolo e Noemia d’Amico – Loc. Palombaro, Fraz. Vaiano - Castiglione in Teverina (VT) - t 0761 94 80 34 - www.paoloenoemiadamico.it - info@damicowines.it - Winery tours 10-17 by reservation, closed Jan. and Aug. Paolo, the scion of a family of shipowners, and Noemia, who is Portuguese Brazilian, decided to devote themselves to farming and wine. The winery was launched in the late 1980s with a Chardonnay vineyard, to which they added vineyards planted with Grechetto, Malvasia, Procanico, Pinot Nero, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Food also served by reservation and, for Michelin Guide readers, winery tour and tasting (€35). Hectares under vine: 21.
Wines: Chardonnay del Lazio Falesia, Chardonnay del Lazio Calanchi, Orvieto Noe, Merlot Villa Tirrena, Seiano.
l Mottura Sergio – Loc. Poggio della Costa 1 - Civitella d’Agliano (VT) - t 0761 91 45 33 - www.motturasergio.it - vini@motturasergio.it - Winery tours by reservation, closed Sun. The Mottura estate, which has been in the family since 1933, covers 130 hectares. The Motturas have safeguarded the area’s rich natural heritage as much as possible, and the vineyards have been planted according to the standards of the Italian Association for Organic Agriculture. The estate’s vocation for nature is witnessed by the fact that a porcupine was chosen to symbolise the winery, because this animal lives exclusively in areas in which the ecological balance is respected. Accommodation available at La Tana dell’Istrice (Piazza Unità d’Italia 12, t 0761 91 45 01, 12 rooms), with breakfast and evening restaurant service. Hectares under vine: 37.
Wines: Orvieto, Grechetto “Poggio della Costa”, Grechetto “Latour a Civitella”, “Muffo”, “Magone”. Other products: olive oil.
PROVINCES OF LATINA AND FROSINONE
Casale della Ioria – Strada provinciale Anagni-Paliano - Anagni (FR) - t 0775 56 031 - www.casaledellaioria.com - info@casaledellaioria.com - Winery tours by reservation. The estate is surrounded by woods and the winery logo depicts the enormous old holm oak in front of the farmhouse. A native red variety, Cesanese, and Passerina, a typical white variety, have always been grown here. Paolo Perinelli has personally supervised the winery for over 20 years and firmly believes in the potential of Cesanese, which he promotes constantly. Hectares under vine: 34.
Wines: Torre del Piano, Colle Bianco, Tres, Olivella. Other products: olive oil.
Colletonno – Loc. Colletonno - Anagni (FR) - t 0775 76 92 71 - www.cortedeipapi.it - info@cortedeipapi.it - Winery tours by reservation, closed Sun. The logo takes up the symbolism and precise workmanship of the 12th-c. flooring of Anagni cathedral. The Colletonno estate covers an area of approximately 190 hectares and the name of the winery is inspired by that of one of the area’s three hills, Colle Rotondo, called ”Colletonno” in the local dialect. Approximately 20 hectares planted to vine, mainly with Cesanese and, to a lesser extent, Sangiovese. Selections from old and historic vineyards have been preferred for these varieties. Hectares under vine: 22.
Wines: Colle Sape IGT Lazio, Colle Ticchio Cesanese del Piglio, San Magno Cesanese del Piglio.
Casale del Giglio – Strada Cisterna Nettuno km 13 - Le Ferriere (LT) - t 06 92 90 25 30 - www.casaledelgiglio.it - casale@casaledelgiglio.it - Winery tours by reservation. Casale del Giglio was founded by Berardino Santarelli in 1967. His son Antonio was convinced - even as a boy - that the reclaimed lands of the Pontine Marshes represented a virgin area ideal for experimenting in winegrowing. The fact that the area had no enological past stimulated his creativity and he called in ampelographers and university researchers. In 1985 he launched a project to plant nearly 60 different experimental varieties on his estate. The results of these experiments rapidly made the winery one of the most famous and recognised in the region. Hectares under vine: 125.
Wines: Satrico, Antinoo, Shiraz, Petit Verdot, Mater Matuta.
Where to stay
ATINA
Villa Il Noce – Via Antica 1, Picinisco, 6 km north-east of Atina - t 077 66 62 59 - www.villailnoce.it - 4 rooms, doubles from €80. In the valley at the foot of this town, the villa offers a relaxing milieu boasting a large and well-tended garden with a swimming pool.
BAGNOREGIO
Romantica Pucci - Piazza Cavour 1, Bagnoregio (VT) - t 0761 79 21 21 - www.hotelromanticapucci.it - Closed Mon. - 5 rooms, doubles €80. The hotel, with tastefully furnished rooms, is situated in a 14th-c. palazzo. The kitchen serves simple home-style dishes.
BRACCIANO
Villa Clementina – Traversa Quarto del Lago 12/14, Bracciano (RM) - t 06 99 86 268 - www.hotelvillaclementina.it - Closed 6 Jan.-28 Feb. - 8 rooms, doubles €145. A quiet location, a beautifully manicured garden with flowers, a swimming pool, a wellness centre and a tennis court make this the perfect location for an utterly relaxing stay.
FRASCATI
Hotel Colonna – Piazza del Gesù 12, Frascati (RM) - t 06 94 01 80 88 - www.hotelcolonna.it - 20 rooms, doubles from €100. This recently built hotel with modern amenities is in the town’s historic district.
SERMONETA
Hotel Principe Serrone – Via del Serrone 1, Sermoneta (LT) - t 077 33 03 42 - www.hotelprincipeserrone.it - 16 rooms, doubles from €90. The historic building in the medieval hamlet affords a lovely view of the valley.
Newphotoservice/SHUTTERSTOCK
