The cradle of occidental civilization and Christian culture, of lakes and legends, of spas and history, of ancient roads and verdant hills. This is Latium, a region of central Italy bordered by the Tyrrhenian Sea, furrowed by the waters of River Tiber and mainly characterized by hills and mountains, while it slopes down near the coast.
This region has different yet complementary features, unblemished sceneries and spectacular horizons among the towns. Visitors can enjoy incredibly beautiful views, like Villa Borghese in Rome, the Italian capital.
Villa Borghese is the most famous city park to walk on or to cycle in, and represents an unparalleled experience between art, with Borghese Gallery and its masterpieces, and the nature surrounding it, among lakes and ancient trees. Latium is also full of spas, whose history is bound to the several thermal water springs that had great success in the Republican Age and continued to be used in the Imperial Age. The Romans built sumptuous thermal baths and we can still admire their vestiges around the territory; first of all, the Terme di Caracalla, in the heart of Rome. Tivoli is another spa, but its fame is mainly due to the artistic beauties it contains, like Villa D’Este, with its splendid fountains, gardens and magnificent palace of the Renaissance, and Villa Adriana, the ancient residence of emperor Adriano. The two villas were inscribed on the World Heritage List by Unesco.
For those who prefer the sea, this region offers some real pearls like Gaeta, Sabaudia, San Felice Circeo, Sperlonga and the islands of Ponza and Ventotene, while those who love lakes will enjoy Bracciano, an enchanting stretch of water encircled by the intense green of the surrounding nature, where a magnificent castle of the sixteenth century stands out. Walking along the medieval streets of the villages by the shores of the lake, visitors can feel that these places are not only bound to the Roman Empire, but were also the theater of different historical periods. Lake Bolsena, in the area of Viterbo, gives us an example of it, as it is the biggest volcanic lake in Europe and encloses two islands, Bisentina and Martana. This lake combines the charm of lush nature and its splendid views with the history and the traces left by the Etruscans and the Romans and by the following historical periods.
Finally, mountain lovers will not be disappointed in Latium, thanks to the ski resorts of Terminillo, Livata and Campo Staffi. This land evokes memories of unrivalled places and intense emotions, but also a clear perception of the relentless march of time, that justifies the attempts of our ancestors to challenge time and leave us their remembrance.
The provinces of the region are: Rome (regional capital), Frosinone, Latina, Rieti, Viterbo.
Getting to know and discovering Latium is like leafing through a history book; each page is connected to the other by a series of events that left their mark. This is Rome, the “eternal city” in the eyes of visitors; it includes a series of traces to follow to reconstruct the course of history.
First stop, in the heart of Rome, is the solemn Flavian amphitheatre, the Colosseum, where all gladiator games took place; via dei Fori leads along the most important archeological itinerary, a unique set of temples, basilicas, public and sacred buildings, surrounded by lush vegetation, where the Roman Forum stands out. The archaeological finds and the highly valuable works that were discovered during the excavations are kept in the Capitoline Museums, on the Campidoglio, the acropolis of ancient Rome.
Not far from there, is the Theatre of Marcellus and the famous Mouth of Truth, a marble carving representing the face of a faun near the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin; this mouth, according to legend, would swallow up the hands of liars.
The tour of the city continues following the banks of the Tiber that bring to Castel Sant’Angelo, a mausoleum of Emperor Adrian, a shelter for popes, also used as a prison. From there, following the spectacular view of Via della Conciliazione, we can reach the Vatican City, the seat of the Papal state. Here we can admire the famous piazza San Pietro, with the sixteenth century colonnade by Bernini and the magnificent Sistine Chapel, with its precious “Last Judgement”, a sixteenth-century masterpiece by Michelangelo.
Rome is the main seat of the State institutes and we certainly cannot forget its buildings, basilicas and piazzas, like Piazza di Spagna with the famous Spanish steps of Trinità dei Monti, Piazza Farnese and Piazza Navona with Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers, not to mention 18th-century Trevi Fountain, where tourists throw a coin to make sure they will be back to the eternal city.
In the environs of Rome, the Roman Castles are a big attraction to those who love cheerful trips to the country to find a cool refuge in hot summer nights. Ostia, on the contrary, besides being a well-now sea resort on the coast of Latium, encloses the ruins of Ostia Antica (ancient Ostia), the best example of Roman town we have today.
Mentioning everything you can see and do in Rome and its environs is really hard; this city knows how to satisfy the demands of its visitors. If you wish to get to know it deeply, though, you should come into contact with the people and visit the markets, like Porta Portese, the flea-market, or the districts of Trastevere, Testaccio, San Lorenzo and Campo de’ Fiori, where young people can enjoy the most lively and trendy side of the city, like in all other European capitals.
In addition to a remarkable cultural heritage, Latium also has some real natural monuments. For example, its parks and natural reserves, like the Circeo National Park, the Regional Natural Park of the Roman Castles, the natural monument of the Garden of Ninfa and the Regional Natural Park of Appia Antica. These itineraries amid nature will allow you to discover their treasures thanks to special routes; in some of these parks, birdwatching lovers can also admire many bird species all the year round.
In the regional natural park of Bracciano-Martignano, the two homonymous lakes are an attraction for sailors and canoeists, while for those who prefer the sea, Ponziano archipelago offers scuba-divers the opportunity to explore its beautiful seabeds, rich in flora and fauna.
The spas are a big attraction to those who are looking for treatments and relax; Fiuggi, Tivoli, Viterbo, just to mention a few of them, combine the ancient charm of their origins and self-care with well-equipped and state-of-the-art facilities.
Those who love the mountains, besides visiting the well-known ski resorts of Terminillo, Leonessa and Arcinazzo, can go trekking, cycling, mountain biking, hiking, climbing and walking in the mountains of Latium.
And what about Rome? As a capital, it offers all you can find in big cities, without mentioning its typical artistic beauties and all of its cultural itineraries and events, exhibitions, festivals, etc, that you can find all the year round. Also, the four streets of Roman shopping, Via dei Condotti, Via Frattina, Via Borgognona, Via Margutta, offer the best of Italian and international fashion in period buildings and peerless sceneries, like that of the Spanish steps.
It is a privilege to enjoy literary cafés and aperitifs in the charming piazzas of the old town, as well as Fellini’s “Dolce Vita” salon, Via Veneto, the symbol of a period that made history, with its trendy cafés and restaurants.
Yet, Rome is much more and must be discovered step by step, finding out every hidden corner that conceals interesting surprises, for example peeping magnificent St. Peter’s Dome through the key-hole of a gate.
The food of Latium is made up of strong and intense flavors, as well as simple and genuine dishes. Discovering this food is a delight for the palate: first dishes like gnocchi, Amatrice spaghetti, enhanced by the taste of lard and pecorino cheese, spaghetti Carbonara, with eggs, pecorino and bacon, and rigatoni alla pajata, just to mention a few of them.
Then, main courses like spring lamb with vegetables, Trastevere tripe, oxtail stew (Vaccinara style) and saltimbocca alla romana, the most typical local dish that can be tasted in one of the many restaurants of the region.
Among the prides of Latium are Roman artichokes, that can be tasted at several festivals and fairs, porchetta (roast sucking pig), particularly that of the Roman Castles, the black olives of Gaeta, the olive-oil of Sabina and the chestnuts of the Cimini Mountains.
In Latium, several quality wines accompany the tasty traditional dishes; some of these wines are Aprilia, Aleatico di Gradoli, the wines of the Roman Castles and of the Albani Hills, and the Montefiascone Est!Est!!Est!!!, which is named after a very old story. The story goes that an abbot, during his journeys, gave a servant the task of marking all of the inns that had the best wines writing the word “Est” on the walls of the buildings. At the inns of Montefiascone, the servant, impressed by the wine, wrote Est,Est, Est, (three times) to highlight the excellent quality of the drink.
