Day Trips in Lazio

Abandoned in the 1960s for fear its cliffs were crumbling, Calcata, Italy was discovered by hippies and artists soon after and today, the "paese dei fricchettone," is still made up of the same "freaks." I lived in Calcata, wedged between Tuscany...

During our trip to Rome, we decided to check out the town of Sperlonga, located about 60 miles south of the city. Speckled with white-washed buildings reminiscent of the Greek Isles, we found an escape from the city in this charming little town....

Ever since Roman emperor Tiberius kept a villa in Sperlonga in the first century CE, this resort town on the Tyrrhenian Sea has been a favorite escape for Romans fleeing the Eternal City’s summer heat. Sperlonga’s prominent watchtower, the Torre...

Nemi is the smallest village of the Castelli Romani--a collection of 16 enchanting villages on the outskirts of Rome. I visited in springtime, when the sweet smell of fragoline (wild strawberries) perfumed the air--the village is famous for these...

The 2nd-century Roman emperor Hadrian spent much of his 20-year reign traveling through his empire, absorbing architectural inspiration from Greece to Egypt. His vision for a luxury villa was realized in Tivoli, a Roman suburb, where he...

Frascati, one of the hilltop towns that collectively form the Castelli Romani southeast of Rome, has long been a Roman suburb. In antiquity, nobles built their villas in the hills, a tradition that was revived during the Renaissance. Today, the...

When Cardinal Ippolito d'Este narrowly lost the Papal election, he assuaged his frustrations by embellishing a spectacular villa in Tivoli, a village in the hills east of Rome. The villa itself was brilliantly outfitted in 16th century frescoes,...

This town in Lazio 80km north of Rome is among of the best preserved medieval towns in central Italy. It was a refuge for medieval popes and the seat of Farnese family power during the subsequent Renaissance. Today, it is a sleepy university town...

At the Mercato Contadino dei Castelli Romani, a farmers' market in the hilltop town of Ariccia, farmers, bee keepers, cheese makers and other producers of artisanal foods gather on weekends to sell directly to consumers. The farm-direct sales cut...

Took a trip through the vineyards, did some winetasting, and then stopped at the lake to admire the view and see where the pope comes in the summer.

I wanted a week away from technology, and so I rented a farm house in Lazio, Italy. The nearest town, pictured above, was Vitorchiano. It's a cliffside medieval village with a long-standing identity as an affiliate to room. The two restaurants in...

Not as famous as Tuscany or Umbria, the Lazio region (which includes Rome) is nevertheless gorgeous with scenic rolling hills. I took the above picture while biking between Grotte S. Stefano and Sippicciano. It was mid-October, with highs right at...

After a few days of ancient ruins and shopping until you drop you may want to escape the city and head for the beach or the hills. Both choices are close and easy. Rome is less than 20 miles from the sea. Rome is also blessed with a sunny climate...