Over two thousand years of history, from the Latini to the Etruscans, from the Sabini to the Romans. A land of sea and mountains, castles and lakes, of ancient towns and the Eternal City.
Lazio is a region home not only to Rome, Italy?s majestic Capital city, but also to a coast lined with fabulous bathing resorts and a countryside scattered with enchanting little towns and villages.
Inland, surrounded by the spectacular scenery of the Castelli Romani and the Ciociaria, it is easy to find towns where centuries-old popular traditions are still passionately observed, towns such as Viterbo, Fiuggi and Tivoli. Then there are the region?s woods, lakes, thermal waters, Mount Terminillo and the Etruscan cities of Tarquinia and Cerveteri. In the summer, Lazio?s seaside resorts, draw holiday makers from near and far, all eager to bathe in the sunshine and take a dip in the crystal clear sea.

Rome, the "Eternal City", is eternally beautiful. In an area measuring just a few square kilometers, any number of historic monuments can be found, monuments adopted as symbols of Italy, throughout the world. From the Imperial Forum, the Coliseum and the Domus Aurea of ancient Rome, to the fashionable shopping district of today's vibrant capital city.

In via dei Condotti the shop windows are filled with enticing displays all the way to Piazza di Spagna and the much photographed flight of steps (the Spanish Steps) which leads to the Trinità dei Monti church. In the heart of the historic center of Rome lie the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Campo dei Fiori.

Coasting the banks of the Lungotevere, on the other side of the river Tiber, we find the colourful district of Trastevere, Castel Sant'Angelo and the via della Conciliazione, this latter the road which links Rome with the Vatican City.

An autonomous state within the Italian capital, the Vatican embraces faithful and tourists alike in the Piazza San Pietro, square bordered by an imposing colonnade. The immense St Peter's Basilica is an artistic masterpiece of inestimable value, as is the splendid Sistine Chapel, principal attraction of the Vatican Museums.

Leaving Rome and the roar of the city traffic behind us, we travel along the ancient Via Appia and Via Tuscolana roads southeast of the Italian capital to reach a series of ancient towns, better known as the Castelli Romani.

The "Roman Castles" are comprised of sixteen historic hill towns, immersed in a landscape of lakes and woods which, since the times of the Empire, when the nobility of Rome built some of their most sumptuous out-of-town retreats here, have been admired for their immense beauty, clean air, and pleasantly mild climate.

To this very day, any number of the patrician villas which once served as summer residences for Italy's aristocrats and popes, can be seen.

Frascati
Our exploration of the Castelli Romani begins in Frascati, famous for the delicious white wine produced here.
The visit to the town's 16th century Cathedral dedicated to San Pietro should not be missed. The edifice's flamboyant baroque façade was completed in the year 1700. The bell towers, one on either side of the façade, were added later. The cathedral contains a number of important works of art, and a fascinating archive of papal documents, dating from the 16th century to the present day.

Frascati is situated just moments away from the capital city and, at night, from the panoramic terrace at the entrance to the town, the lights of Rome can be clearly seen flickering in the distance

Castel Gandolfo
From Tuscolo we head to Castel Gandolfo and the elegant summer residence of the Pope. Here we admire the work of the architect Gianlorenzo Bernini, to whom both the fountain in the main square and the baroque church of San Tommaso da Villanova have been attributed.

The 17th century Palazzo Pontificio, erected between 1624 and 1629, was built following designs by Carlo Maderno. The town's Villa Torlonia, also known by the name of Delizia Carolina, was restored in 1817 by the architect Giuseppe Valadier and features sculptures by the Danish artist Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844).

Ariccia, Genzano , Lariano and Nemi
The gastronomic part of our tour commences in Ariccia, where the famous "porchetta di Ariccia" is made, a delicacy which can be tasted in any of the area's typical fraschette bars.

The towns of Genzano and Lariano pride themselves on their award winning home-made bread, used to accompany other specialities made in the Castelli Romani, such as the Caciotta Romana, Pecorino Romano, and Canestrato cheeses.

Our journey draws to a close in the picturesque lakeside town of Nemi, with a slice of the town's divine Crostata di Fragolina, a jam tart made with Nemi's wonderfully sweet, wild strawberries.

Albano Laziale
One of the ancient Roman rulers' favorite summer residences, the picturesque town of Albano Laziale, overlooking the lake with which it shares its name, conserves a number of important Imperial Roman works of architecture within its medieval walls.
In the historic center, visitors can see the remains of the monumental Porta Pretoria, built between the 2nd and 3rd century B.C.

Albano Laziale's 2nd century "Cisternone" is still in perfect working order. This huge, five aisled underground cistern (with a capacity for some 10,000 cubic meters of water) was built to guarantee supplies of water for both Albano Laziale and much of the surrounding area.

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