Directory Cover & Region 2010 - 2011

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Regione Lazio
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LAZIO (Latium) "Pearls of Water and Culture"
 

Lazio is the home region of the Italian capital, Rome.  It’s territory includes 5 provinces: Frosinone, Latina, Rieti, Roma, Viterbo and 378 municipalities.  It has the Tyrrhenian Sea to the West and borders Tuscany, Umbria, Abruzzo, Molise and Campania.  Lazio has been and still is important in Italian and European culture for its historic, artistic, archaeological, architectural, religious and cultural peculiarities.  The immense wealth of Rome is only one of the hundreds of points of interest offered by medieval villages, churches, monasteries, monuments and the various sites of the region.  It is also extremely rich in terms of nature and landscape, with 69 protected areas including National Parks, Regional Parks and numerous Nature Reserves and Oases.  In the region of Lazio, more than one municipality out of three is part of a protected area.  Parks and reserves cover more than 200,000 hectares of protected nature.  Of the 102 species of mammals that have been recorded to live in Italy, 68 of them live in Lazio.  There are I6 species of amphibians and 22 of reptiles.  With regard to bird life, Lazio is home to 171 of the 240 nest-building species in Italy, not to mention the invertebrates (151 of the 257 species of butterflies are to be found in this area).  It is also the Italian region, richest in rivers and lakes.  For centuries, water has been vital for the economy and society, marking the destiny of entire civilizations.

HISTORY - Around the year 1000 B. C., the region was inhabited by three peoples: Etruscans, Sabines, and Latins, who joined together in a political-religious league. Originally their capital was Alba Longa, but it was not long before Rome, settled around the 8th century B.C., began to emerge.  The well-known story about the founding of Rome recounted by Ovid and Virgil (among others) dates back to the 4th-3rd centuries. According to the legend, Eneas, fleeing Troy, settled in Latium (present-day Lazio) where his son Ascanius founded Alba Longa.  One of Ascanius’ descendants, Rea Silvia, the daughter of King Numitore, gave birth to twins, Remus and Romulus, fathered by the god Mars.  The brothers, whose mother was forced to abandon them to save them from certain death, were raised by a she-wolf. Romulus, the first of the so-called Seven Kings, traditionally founded Rome in 753 B.C. (a date arbitrarily set sometime in the 1st century B.C.).  During the monarchy, the city supposedly occupied seven hills, i.e., the Palatine (believed to be the site of Romulus’ original settlement), Capitoline, Quirinal, Celium, Viminal, Esquiline, and Aventine.  Around the end of the 6th century, Rome became a republic. Dominion over the other Italic peoples was assured when Taranto, the capital of Southern Italy, succumbed in 242 B. C.  This was the starting point for the great Roman expansion in the Mediterranean basin. Victories in the Punic Wars (3rd-2nd centuries B.C.) brought Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Spain, and North Africa, followed by the great conquests of the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C., which expanded Rome’s boundaries even further (Grecian and other Oriental territories).  Growing social problems, however, began to lacerate from within. The reforms enacted by the Gracchus brothers (Tribunes of the People) provoked a counter reaction whose end result-was civil war (Marius vs. Silla) and rebellion (revolt of the slaves led by Spartacus). The crisis did not dissolve under the rule of the first triumvirate composed of Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus. Caesar, returning from his brilliant conquest of Gaul (58-52 B.C.), managed to defeat his fellow triumviri and have himself proclaimed dictator. His plans to reform the state were just getting underway, when he was murdered in 44 B. C. The outcome of the ensuing civil wars was the end of the republic. Octavian, who put an end to the conflict, was acclaimed Augustus (i.e., he who is worthy of veneration) and the Roman Empire was born. Augustus ruled from 27 B.C. to 14 AD. The dynasty he founded, the Julian-Claudians, continued with Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero, and was succeeded by the Flavians (Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian). The great age of the empire came in the 2nd century with a succession of able rulers (Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, and Marcus Aurelius). By the 3rd century however, the first signs of decline were already well in view. In the meantime, one of the new religions, Christianity, was steadily gaining ground among the populace, despite the violent persecutions of emperors such as Diocletian aimed at stamping it out. The farsighted emperor Constantine thought otherwise. Convinced that Christianity would prove a cohesive force in preserving the empire, he issued the Edict of Milan, granting freedom of religion, in 313. Toward the end of the 4th century, warring from within (factions) and without (barbarian invasions) caused a schism into the Roman Empire of the East (capital: Constantinople) and the Roman Empire of the West (capital: Rome). The latter was short lived: in 455 the Huns, led by Attila, and the Vandals sacked Rome and in 476 the last of the Roman emperors, Romulus Augustulus, was deposed. In the 6th century not only Rome, but all of Italy, could be considered simply provinces of the Byzantine Empire. During this period of disintegration, new forces were emerging, and soon the most important of these, the papacy, managed to wrest temporal control of the region. Nevertheless, up until the 11th century, Lazio was in the throes of economic troubles and natural disasters (primarily plague epidemics). Recovery was considerable in the 12th and 13th centuries, but when the papacy was moved to Avignon, France, in the early 1300s, Rome was affected to the extent that the city no longer ranked as either, a political, economic, or religious capital. The situation changed radically in the 15th century with the return of the papacy and subsequent rise of the papal state. Not unsurprisingly, humanist-inspired popes were among the greatest of the Renaissance art patrons. Once the rifts following the bloody looting of Rome in 1527 had healed, the papacy, acting on a renewed policy of political neutrality, promoted stability within its own state (whose territory covered the present-day central Italian regions of Lazio, Umbria, Marche, and Romagna) that allowed it to attain widespread economic well-being. In the 19th century, Lazio joined the Kingdom of Italy. At the outset (from 1860-1870), the papal state was reduced to the sole region of Lazio. In 1870, however, the Italian army entered Rome by way of a breach in one of the city gates, Porta Pia, and a year later Rome was proclaimed capital of Italy.

ART - The foremost examples of pre-Roman art are the Etruscan tombs in the necropolises of Tarquinia, Cerveteri, and Vulci. In addition, some important temple sculptures have survived (e.g., the so-called Capitoline Wolf, the Veius Apollo, and the Winged Horses of Tarquinia). Rome’s outstanding contribution to art (and engineering) is represented by the great building projects undertaken by Roman architects and designers. These embrace everything from stadiums, temples, and basilicas to civil works such as aqueducts, sewer systems (Cloaca Maxima), and public baths, not to mention paved roads and bridges-often of gigantic scale. The golden age of Roman art was followed, in the 3rd-4th centuries, by the Early Christian period. The works produced (mainly mosaics and sarcophagi) reveal an overriding dependence on late Roman prototypes. Thereafter, Roman influence gave way to Byzantine which lasted a good three hundred years (6th through 9th centuries). The 10th to 12th centuries was a period of intensive church-building, as several Romanesque churches (e.g., San Clemente, Santa Maria in Trastevere, and Santa Maria in Cosmedin in Rome) attest. Skilled marble inlayers (collectively known as Cosmati) were commissioned to decorate them. The region produced outstanding artists in the Gothic period, including painters (Jacopo Torriti and Pietro Cavallini, both of Rome) and architects (the designers of the Fossanova and Casamari abbeys and Viterbo’s Palazzo Papale). Among the most notable Early Renaissance works are Filarete’s Vatican portal, Palazzo Venezia, the Sistine Chapel wall frescoes, Palazzo della Cancelleria, and Bramante’s Tempietto di San Pietro in Montorio. Michelangelo and Raphael dominated the Roman (and European) art scene of the 16th century, which was also a time of great architectural undertakings such as Palazzo Farnese in Rome and Villa d’Este in Tivoli, Villa Lante of Bagnaia, the Bomarzo park, and Palazzo Farnese of Caprarola outside Rome. The 17th century was another great artistic period. Painters such as Carracci and Caravaggio were active, while the great architect-sculptor, Bernini, and his worthy rivals, Alessandro Algardi (sculptor) and Francesco Borromini (architect) were carrying out impressive projects that changed the face of Rome. In addition, this was the century when the great private collections of Rome’s patrician families were being founded and enriched. The century that followed produced no especially prominent figures. The main artistic activity in the 18th century mainly involved architecture (e.g., the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, facade of Santa Maria Maggiore and facade of San Giovanni in Laterano). Two outstanding artists, the sculptor Antonio Canova and the architect Giuseppe Valadier, dominated the Neo-Classical years of the early 19th century.

GASTRONOMY - The food of Lazio is simple but tasty. It has always relied on fresh seasonal produce from the nearby countryside bought in the local markets. Many small restaurants (trattorie), serve the famous abbacchio, suckling lamb roasted with garlic, rosemary, anchovies, hot pepper and white wine. There are a wide variety of tasty cheeses and antipasto dishes: crostini di provatura, skewers of bread alternating with cheese and anchovies; gnocchi alla romana, served au gratin; and the simple but delicious spaghetti cacio e pepe, with a sauce made of pecorino cheese and freshly grated black pepper. The king of vegetables is the artichoke, prepared in a variety of ways: alla giudea, steamed and then baked with olive oil or else just fried in butter, and alla romana, stuffed with its own stem chopped up with mint. Puntarelle, chicory tips in a sauce of olive oil, garlic and anchovies, are to be found almost exclusively in Rome. Saltimbocca alla romana, thin slices of veal stuffed with prosciutto and sage, and coda alla vaccinara, oxtail in ragout, are special meat dishes. Suppli are cheese croquettes filled with a mixture of rice, meats, and dried mushrooms. Roman cuisine also includes batter-fried squash flowers, stuffed zucchini, tomatoes, peppers and squashes; casseroles of simmered vegetables; fava beans and white beans served as thick soups or hearty casseroles with cheese or sausages.

WINES - The wine has been an important part of agricultural life in Lazio since the time of the Roman Empire, and even today much of the region is given over to vineyards. The volcanic hills around Rome produce the best wines.  The following are some famous DOC wines: Aleatico di Gradoli • Aprilia • Atina • Bianco Capena • Castelli Romani • Cerveteri • Cesanese del Piglio • Cesanese di Affile • Cesanese di Olevano Romano • Circeo • Colli Albani • Colli della Sabina • Colli Etruschi Viterbesi • Colli Lanuvini • Cori • Est! Est! Est! di Montefiascone • Frascati • Genazzan • Marino • Montecompatri Colonna • Nettun • Orvieto • Tarquinia • Velletri • Vignanello • Zagarolo

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ROME - “ The eternal city”, “caput mundi” (capital of the world), Urbe (City) - these are some of the names people use to describe Italy’s capital and largest city. Rome is not just Rome. It is all that comes with its consular roads, history, archaeology, villas, temples, aristocratic tombs, necropolises, aqueducts and bridges. It is truly a unique city.  It has inspired poets, painters, and many great artists.  Its inhabitants are sociable as nowhere else and will reserve a warm welcome for all.  It is unequalled anywhere in the world for its works of art. Rome is not easily forgotten.

CAPITOLINE HILL - There is a bronze sculpture in the Museo Nuovo in the Palazzo dei Conservatori on the Campidoglio (the ancient Capitoline Hill), where it has been housed since 1473. The statue’s subject is inspired to the legend of the founding of Rome: when the twins Romulus and Remus’ father Numitor was overthrown by his brother Amulius, he ordered them to be cast into the Tiber. They were rescued by a she-wolf who cared for them until a herdsman, Faustulus, found and raised them.  Romulus and Remus are represented on a number of Roman coins, usually as babies suckling at the she-wolf. The most common of these are the small bronze coins issued during what is known as the Constantine commemorative period, ca. 330-346 AD.

APPIAN WAY - “Queen of all roads,” was the title that the poet Statius gave this route in the first century AD, celebrating the tangle of profound feelings that the Appian Way evoked in the memories of the Romans. The Appian Way, around which a number of significant buildings were erected in the Roman era, constituted the foundation of communications between the Eternal City and the stopping points for Africa and the Orient. Its name recalled the heroic times of conquest and colonization, in a time when, in the space of a century, the Romans conquered the territory of the Etruscans, overthrew the Samnites and extended their political influence to the borders with Magna Graecia, subduing Taranto in the process. Building was started on the Appian Way in 312 BC by the censor Appius Claudius Caecus, in whose name it was consecrated.

ARCH OF CONSTANTINE - One of the best preserved of the Roman triumphal arches, this celebrated monument embodies Rome’s final artistic out pouring which took place in the early 4th century AD. It was built in 315 to commemorate Constantine’s victory over Maxentius in the Battle of Pons Milvius in 312.  The 21 meter tall, 25 meter long triple arch, contains statues and reliefs from pre-existing buildings, framed by immense Corinthian pillars.

ARCH OF TITUS - Erected between 82 and 90 BC, in honour of Titus, this is one of the most famous arches in Rome. Ordered by Domiziano, the Emperor’s brother, this monument has been erected to celebrate the victorious exploit of Titus in Jerusalem.

BATHS OF CARACALLA - Rearing up at the foot of the Aventine Hill are the monolithic red-brick ruins of the Baths of Caracalla. Begun by Emperor Septimius Severus in 206 AD, and completed by his son Caracalla in 217 AD, they remained in use until the 6th century, when the Goths sabotaged the city’s aqueducts. Going for a bath was one of the social events of the day in ancient Rome. Large complexes such as Caracalla, with a capacity for 1,500 bathers, were not simply places to have a natter and get washed, but also areas which offered an impressive array of facilities: art galleries, gymnasia, gardens, libraries, conference rooms, lecture rooms and shops selling food and drink. A Roman bath was a long and complicated business, beginning with a form of Turkish bath, followed by a spell in the calidarium, a large hot room with pools of water to moisten the atmosphere. Then came the lukewarm tepidarium, followed by a visit to the large central meeting place known as the frigidarium, and finally a plunge into the natatio, an open-air swimming pool. For the rich, this was followed by a rub-down with a scented woolen cloth. The baths were the only archaeological site in Rome damaged by an earthquake near Aquila in 2009.

CAMPO DE’ FIORI - Campo De’ Fiori, which translates “field of flowers,” is a typical Roman square, to be found between the Tiber River and Piazza Navona. The colorful square is always ablaze with color from the ever-present flower vendors. Historians are uncertain about the origin of its name, and some attribute it to the fact that before the 1400’s, the square was merely an open field. Others claim that the name derives from Flora, the lover of the Emperor Pompey, while others state that it derives from the fact that the square fell into complete abandon in the 16th century, essentially reverting back to a field. Whatever the origin of its name, the square became famous on February 17, 1600, as the location where the philosopher and monk, Giordano Bruno, was burned at the stake for heresy by the Inquisition.

CASTEL SANT’ANGELO - This massive building, looking like a medieval castle, rises on the site of Hadrian’s Mausoleum. Most of the original floor plan and sections of the original building have survived. Built in 130 AD, as the emperor’s tomb, it had an immense square base on top of which was a circular drum structure. Then, in 271, Aurelian had it remodeled as a fort. Its name, literally, Castle of the Holy Angel, dates from 590 when an angel foretelling the end of a terrible plague epidemic reputedly appeared on its summit. Throughout the Middle Ages, it served as the popes’ stronghold-prison, providing convenient shelter in the case of enemy attack. In the 15th century, the great corner bastions were added on and the drum, devoid of its marble facing, was raised. A statue of the angel was set up, in place of one of the emperors, on top of the building. The present-day angel is an 18th century work. The vast five story interior is composed of an intricate web of rooms and corridors dating from various periods. Among the most interesting sights are the spiral staircase, leading to the emperors’ burial chamber (preserved virtually intact), the Cortile dell’Angelo (a picturesque medieval courtyard still containing medieval ammunitions), and the Armory, containing an extensive collection of weapons from various places and periods. Another interesting section is the Papal Suite, which was remodeled and sumptuously refurbished by Baccio da Montelupo, Perin del Vaga, and other 16th century masters who received the commission from Pope Paul III.

CIRCUS MAXIMUS - This was the largest stadium in ancient Rome. At one point the Circus could seat 250,000 people, one quarter of Rome’s population. Chariot races were one of the Roman’s most popular form of entertainment. Romulus, the first of Rome’s seven kings, is said to have held chariot races at this stadium. The origins of the Circus Maximus go back to the 6th century BC when Tarquinius Priscus, the fifth king of Rome, created a track between the Palatine and Aventine hills. The first permanent starting gates were created in 329 BC. In 174 BC the gates were rebuilt and seven wooden eggs were placed on top of the spina, the central wall in the arena. The eggs were used to count the number of laps; after each lap one egg was removed. In 33 BC seven bronze dolphins were added to the spina for the same purpose. The Circus still occasionally entertains the Romans; being a large park area in the center of the city, it is often used for concerts and meetings. The Rome concert of Live 8 (July 2, 2005) was held at this stadium, as was the Italian World Cup 2006 victory celebration, when over 700,000 people packed the park. On July 14, 2007 the British rock band Genesis concluded the European leg of their “Turn It On Again” tour with a free concert at Circus Maximus in front of more than 500,000 fans.

COLOSSEUM – Also called the Roman Coliseum, originally the Flavian, is an elliptical amphitheatre in the center of the city of Rome and the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering. Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started between 70 and 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus, with further modifications being made during Domitian’s reign (81–96).  The name “Amphitheatrum Flavium” derives from both Vespasian’s and Titus’s family name (Flavius, from the gens Flavia). Capable of seating 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. As well as the gladiatorial games, other public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.  Although in the 21st century it stays partially ruined because of damage caused by devastating earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome and its breakthrough achievements in earthquake engineering. It is one of Rome’s most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit “Way of the Cross” procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum.   The Colosseum is also depicted on the Italian version of the five-cent euro coin.

EGYPTIAN OBELISKS - Rome has been named “city of the obelisks”. It boasts 13 obelisks, more than any other city in the world. In Egypt they were connected with the sun god Ra and the power of the pharaohs. The ancient Romans, keen on exotic novelty and sheer size, brought the obelisks to Rome and set them up in key public places as evidence and celebration of their occupation of Egypt. The tallest (105 feet) and the most ancient (16th century B.C.) is the one by San Giovanni in Laterano. It once stood in the Circus Maximus next to its sister, which now marks the center of Piazza del Popolo. The obelisks were carved out of single blocks of granite.

EUR - The “Esposizione Universale di Roma,” was originally built by Benito Mussolini for an international exhibition (a kind of “Work Olympics”), that was  planned for 1942, but never took place because of the outbreak of war. The architecture was intended to glorify Fascism, and as a result the bombastic style of the buildings can look overblown and rhetorical to modern eyes. Of all the buildings the best known is probably the Palazzo della Civiltà del Lavoro (the Palace of the Civilization of Work), an unmistakable landmark.  The scheme was eventually completed in the 1950’s. Despite the area’s dubious architecture, EUR has been a planning success, and people are still keen to live here. As well as residential housing, the vast marble halls along the wide boulevards are also home to a number of government offices and museums. Best among the latter is the Museo della Civiltà Romana, famous for its casts of the reliefs from the Column of Trajan, and for a large scale model depicting 4th-century Rome with all the buildings, which then stood within the Aurelian walls. The south of the suburb features a lake and shady park, and the huge domed Palazzo dello Sport, built for the 1960 Olympics.

FASHION - Rome is widely recognized as a world fashion capital. Although not as important as Milan, Rome is the world’s 4th most important center for fashion in the world, according to the 2009 Global Language Monitor after Milan, New York and Paris, and beating London.  Major luxury fashion houses and jewelry chains, such as Bulgari, Fendi, Laura Biagiotti and Brioni, just to name a few, are headquartered or were founded in the city. Also, other major labels, such as Chanel, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Armani and Versace have luxury boutiques in Rome, primarily along its prestigious and upscale Via dei Condotti.

FOUNTAINS OF ROME - At the time of Constantine the Great, the city of Rome was home to 1212 fountains. However, the individual most responsible for the plethora of spouting water was Marcus Agrippa, who erected 500 fountains and even more hundreds of basins and pools. Eleven aqueducts leading to Rome built from 272 BC to 226 AD, literally quenched the thirst of the ancient city. Unfortunately, in 537 the Goths destroyed Rome’s aqueducts and stifled the city’s water supply. Those fountains that did not crumble largely remained dry for almost another 1000 years. Finally, in 1453, Pope Nicholas V re-established Rome as the “City of Fountains”. The Trevi Fountain was named for the three streets (tre vie) that merge at the fountain. The custom of throwing a coin over one’s shoulder into the fountain is a relatively modern practice dating no later than the late 19th century. The Fountain of Moses, which was carved by Prospero Antichi (who allegedly committed suicide after hearing the howls of laughter which greeted his work), the Triton Fountain by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and the Fountain of the Galleon (in the Vatican gardens) by Jan van Santen, are just a few of the many fountains of Rome.

FOUNTAIN OF TREVI - This fountain is the most famous and arguably the most beautiful fountain in all of Rome. The central figure of the fountain, in front of a large niche, is Neptune, god of the sea. He is riding a chariot in the shape of a shell, pulled by two sea horses. Each sea horse is guided by a Triton. One of the horses is calm and obedient, the other one restive. They symbolize the fluctuating moods of the sea. On the left hand side of Neptune is a statue representing Abundance, the statue on the right represents Salubrity. Above the sculptures are bas-reliefs, one of them shows Agrippa, the general who built the aqueduct that carries water to the fountain. A traditional legend holds that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome. You should toss it over your shoulder with your back to the fountain.

JEWISH GHETTO - The Jewish community in Rome is known to be the oldest Jewish community in Europe and also one the oldest continuous Jewish settlements in the world, dating back to 161 BC. Jason ben Eleazar and Eupolemus ben Johanan came to Rome as envoys of Judah Maccabee asking for Imperial help against the Syrian King, Antiochus, who had been giving the Jews in Palestine a hard time.  Many of those who visited Rome stayed and the Jewish population began to grow. A synagogue was erected between 1901 and 1904, designed by V. Costa and O. Armanni. The synagogue stands in the area in which the old ghetto used to be, before being demolished by King Vittorio Emanuele II, after Italy became united in 1870. The king rebuilt the ghetto and gave full Italian citizenship and civil rights, to Rome’s Jewish community. Since old examples of other similar structures were not available, an Assyrian-Babylonian style was chosen for the new synagogue. One requirement was that the temple had to be seen from all the highest points of Rome. The synagogue incorporates the Museo d’Arte Ebraica, a small museum of Roman Jewish life and ritual, which is very dear to the Roman Jews. Today, a diverse community of 15,000 Jews live in Rome. The Jewish community’s organization, based in Rome, the Unione delle Comunita Ebraiche Italiane, is directly involved in providing religious, cultural, and educational services and also represents the community politically. The monthly publication Shalom is the Roman community’s key publication, and Rome also has Jewish cultural clubs and several schools. Here you can find the typical sweets, bread and cakes cooked according to the original Jewish recipes.

JULIAN CALENDER - “Happy he who has passed his whole life mid his own fields, he of whose birth and old age the same house is witness. For him the recurring seasons, not the consuls, mark the year; he knows autumn by his fruits and spring by her flowers.” Claudian.

The Julian calendar, a reform of the Roman calendar, was introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, and came into force in 45 BC. It was chosen after consultation with the astronomer, Sosigenes of Alexandria and was probably designed to approximate the tropical year, known at least since Hipparchus. It has a regular year of 365 days divided into 12 months, and a leap day is added to February every four years. Hence the Julian year is on average 365.25 days long. Some countries used this calendar to the 20th century. Mount Athos, and many national Eastern Orthodox churches still use the Julian calendar, or a revised form, introduced in 1923.

MOUTH OF TRUTH - In the portico of the Paleochristian church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, at the foot of the Aventine hills, a Roman statue is conserved that has attracted the attention and curiosity of tourists from all over the world. It is the “Bocca della Verità,” (Mouth of Truth), an ancient stone mask from the Classical period that represents a river god with an open mouth, wide eyes and a flowing mane of hair. The reason for its unshakeable fame is a rather macabre legend associated with the mask since ancient times. If a liar puts his hand inside its mouth, they will lose it. The mask is so famous that even Hollywood honoured it in a film about the city called, Roman Holiday. In one of the most memorable scenes, Gregory Peck, in front of a terrified Audrey Hepburn, daringly challenges the mask by putting his hand inside its mouth. Even today, this ancient mask is the cause of queues of tourists who line up outside the beautiful Paleochristian church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. The thrill of the risk is evidently too strong and you honestly can’t resist putting your hand inside this harmless, but unsettling stone face and hope for the best!

PANTHEON - This remarkable domed building has survived almost two thousand years of history virtually intact. The original rectangular temple built by Augustus’ son-in-law Agrippa in 27 BC, was turned into the pronaos of the present-day building when, in 120 AD, Hadrian had it greatly enlarged. The pronaos consists of sixteen ten-meter-tall columns, each topped by a Corinthian capital. The interior is a circle whose diameter and height are equal (43.3 meters). The five-register lunar dome ends in a central 9-meter-wide aperture. The building, which the ancient Romans dedicated to the Pantheon (all gods), became the burial place of Italian personages.

PIAZZA DI SPAGNA - The hour glass-shaped square is one of the most popular spots in the city. The fountain in the center of the square (Fontana della Barcaccia), was designed by Pietro Bernini, father of the great Gian Lorenzo, in 1629. The celebrated Spanish Steps were built in 1726 by Francesco de Sanctis. At the top is an Egyptian obelisk, the so-called Obelisco Sallustiano, as well as a church, Trinità dei Monti, with a 16th century facade by Maderno. American singer-songerwriter, Bob Dylan, refers to the “Spanish Steps” in his classic, “When I Paint My Masterpiece.” On March 20, 1986, the first MacDonald’s restaurant was opened near the Spanish Steps.  On November 9, 2009, to commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, a multimedia event was held on the steps, which included the erection of replica’s of parts of the wall.

ROADS - Roman roads have left an indelible imprint on the territories they crossed, marking the course of routes that would be trodden and maintained for two millennia. There is no doubt that the Romans, the greatest road builders of ancient times, maintained this superiority for a long time. After the fall of the Roman Empire, it would be the Napoleonic era before Europe adopted a road system more advanced than that produced by the technical mastery of the Roman engineers. They invented paving stones with foundations of over-lapping layers of stone and earth, capable of resisting the wear and tear of centuries of inclement weather and traffic. They always looked for the shortest and safest routes, following the terrain if possible, but holing or skirting mountains, cutting through rocky peaks and even crossing rivers and marshes with stone bridges and piles wherever necessary. Roman road builders also overcame steep slopes using grooved paving with sunken tracks to guide their cartwheels. This ancient, rationally planned, ground communication system permitted an impressive interchange of men and their objects, ideas and cultures, religions and history. It extended throughout the vast territories which came under the rule of Rome and at its height involved approximately 100,000 kilometers of road, distributed across an area which covers thirty-two of today’s nations.

ST. PETER’S SQUARE - Gian Lorenzo Bernini created a striking scenic effect by enclosing the square inside a gigantic, four-pillar-deep colonnade. The uninspiring boulevard leading to the square, Via della Conciliazione, was built in 1937. Bernini worked on the colonnade which girths two sides of the perfectly elliptical shaped, 240- meter-wide open space between 1656 and 1667. It is composed of 284 pillars surmounted by 140 statues of saints and martyrs. On either side are grandiose fountains designed by Carlo Maderno. The Egyptian obelisk in the center, brought to Rome from Heliopolis by Caligula to adorn his circus, was set up on its present site in 1586 - an undertaking so arduous that, according to the records, it took over four months and required the efforts of over one thousand men and beasts of burden.

SWISS GUARDS - Near the entrance of the Basilica, you will probably encounter some of the famous Swiss guards.  Since 1506 when pope Julius II invited Helvetian soldiers to join the small Vatican army, they have been the guards of the Vatican and the pope in particular. All entrants to the army must be Swiss, catholic and they must take the oath of loyalty to the pope. This oath is taken May 26th, to commemorate the sacking of Rome on the same day in 1527 when Swiss guards protected pope Clement VII during his escape to the Castel Sant’Angelo. Of the 189 guards, only 42 survived. In 2006, the Papal Swiss Guard celebrated its 500 year anniversary with a number of ceremonies and events, commemorating the long history of the Swiss Guards at the Vatican. Men who are accepted into the Swiss Guard at the Vatican must be Catholic, with military experience, and of good character. They are also, by tradition, Swiss citizens, and they are typically very dedicated and talented, as being a bodyguard to the Pope is considered an immense honor.

SISTINE CHAPEL - The conclave of cardinals meets to elect the new pope beneath Michelangelo’s stirring frescoes. The earliest frescoes, those along the walls, date from 1481. They recount the life of Moses and Christ in twelve panels painted by some of the major figures of 15th century painting: Perugino, Pinturicchio, Botticelli, Cosimo Rosselli, and Ghirlandaio. Michelangelo, commissioned by Julius II to decorate the ceiling, carried out the job without any help in only four years (1508-1512). The iconographic scheme is vast, starting with the Creation and continuing up to the Redemption of Mankind. Dozens of figures are artfully set into the architecture, painted and not. These include: seven Prophets and five Sibyls (spandrals), twenty-two forerunners of Christ (lunettes over the windows), saviors of the Hebrew people (Esther, Judith, David), as well as several nude figures on the arcades bordering the Old Testament scenes whose meaning is unknown. The subjects of the scenes in the nine rectangles in the center of the ceiling are: Separation of Light and Darkness, Creation of the Universe, Separation of Land and Sea and Creation of the Animals, Creation of Adam, Creation of Eve, Fall of Man and Expulsion from Paradise, Noah’s Sacrifice, the Flood and the Drunkenness of Noah. On the end wall is Michelangelo’s dramatic Last Judgment, painted on a commission from Paul III, more than twenty years later (1536-1541). The complex composition involving 391 figures is wholly dominated by the stern figure of Christ the Judge, above which are angels and martyrs bearing symbols of their martyrdom and below which are angels with trumpets, with the elect going to heaven on the left and the damned being hauled off to hell on the right.

TIVOLI - Tivoli is situated on a hillside by the banks of the Aniene River. Among the Roman personages who sojourned in the splendid villas built as the patricians’ country homes were Julius Caesar, Augustus, and Trajan. Hadrian’s Villa, located in the environs, was the most celebrated in ancient Rome. Roman Tivoli was also renowned as the site of numerous temples, although little remains even of the largest which was consecrated to Hercules. The town and its surroundings regained great popularity during the Renaissance period when many new estates were commissioned by wealthy princes and prelates. Severely damaged in World War II, present-day Tivoli has a mostly modern appearance. The main sights are the Villa d’Este, the Duomo, which dates from the Romanesque period and which has some notable 12th-13th century works, the Roman temples, and the Villa Gregoriana Park. Villa d’Este was originally a Benedectine monastery that Cardinal Ippolito I D’Este commissioned Pirro Ligorio to remodel as his personal residence. The project (1550), which included landscaping of the grounds, took the Neapolitan architect almost twenty years to complete.  The mansion was frescoed with mythological scenes and landscapes painted by Roman school painters such as Zuccari, Agresti, and Muziano, to name the most prominent. The park is considered one of the finest examples of the so-called “giardino all’italiana”. Its outstanding features are its fountains - over five hundred of them. The most striking are: Fontana dell’Ovato, symbolizing the city of Tivoli, the Fontana dell’Organo, named for the water-powered organ it was once equipped with, the Fontana del Bicchierone, attributed to Bernini, the Fontana dei Draghi, that spewed forth an incredibly powerful jet of water, and the Fontana della Rometta, in which the Tiberine Island and other Roman symbols were re-created. One of the most remarkable sights are the spouts of the “one hundred fountains” lining the Viale delle Cento Fontane.

VATICAN CITY - The importance of the 108-acre Vatican is inversely proportional to its size. It ranks as the smallest independent state in the world, as any self-respecting stamp collector knows. Vatican City covers the Vatican Hill lying between Monte Mario and the Janiculum. In the 1st century BC, it was the site of Caligula’s circus - where Nero had hundreds of Christians martyred, some years after. The church rises on the spot where one of Nero’s victims, St. Peter, was buried. Over the years, other buildings grew up around it. The Vatican’s independence started in the 8th century, and was of primary importance throughout the Middle Ages. The Papal State expanded to such an extent that, until the unity of Italy when it was wiped off the Italian political scene, it covered practically all of Central Italy. It only regained an independent political status in 1929 (as a state with less than a half a square kilometer of territory).

VATICAN GARDENS - Today’s Vatican Gardens are spread over nearly 23 hectares (57 acres).  They contain a variety of medieval fortifications, buildings and monuments from the ninth century to the present day, set amongst vibrant flower beds and topiary, green lawns and a 3 hectares (7.4 acres) patch of forest. A variety of fountains spread a veil of freshness over the gardens while sculptures and artificial grottoes proclaim devotion to the Madonna, and an olive tree donated by the government of Israel, extends its three verdant branches.

VESTAL VIRGINS - The cult of Vesta (goddess of fire), dates back to at least the 8th century BC. Romulus and Remus were allegedly horn of the Vestal priestess Rhea and the god Mars. Six virgins kept the sacred flame of Vesta burning in her circular temple. The girls, who came from noble families, were selected when they were between six and ten years old, and served for 30 years. They had high status and financial security, but were buried, alive if they lost their virginity and whipped by the high priest if the sacred flame died out. Although they were permitted to marry after finishing their service, few did so.

VICTOR EMMANUELE II MONUMENT - “Il Vittoriano” is a monument to honour Victor Emmanuel, the first king of a unified Italy. The monument was designed by Giuseppe Sacconi in 1895.  It was inaugurated in 1911 and completed in 1935. The monument holds the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with an eternal flame, built under the statue of Italy after World War I, following an idea of General Giulio Douhet. The body of the unknown soldier was chosen on October 26, 1921 from amongst 11 unknown remains by Maria Bergamas, a woman from Gradisca d’Isonzo whose only child was killed during World War I. The son’s body was never recovered.

MODERN-DAY ROME - Rome is a city of vivid and unforgettable images: the view of the city’s silhouette from Janiculum Hill at dawn, the array of broken marble columns and ruins of temples of the Roman Forum, St. Peter’s dome against a pink-and-red sunset, capping a gloriously decorated basilica. Rome is also a city of sounds, beginning early in the morning with the peal of church bells. As the city awakens and comes to life, the sounds multiply and merge into a kind of urban symphony. The streets fill with cars, taxis, and motor scooters. The shops lining the streets open for business by raising their protective metal grilles. Before long, fruit and vegetable stands are abuzz with activity as homemakers, maids, cooks, and others arrive to purchase their day’s supply of fresh produce.  Each district has its keynote: shopping and eating out (Via Veneto, Via Condotti), antiques (Via del Babuino), art galleries (Via Margutta), genuine Roman spirit (Trastevere) - the list could go on and on. Rome is also a vital cultural center, vaunting international universities and research centers, archives of unequalled value, a renowned opera house (Teatro dell’Opera) and conservatory (Accademia Musicale di Santa Cecilia), as well as the prestigious Università di Roma. As a political capital, its history goes back two thousand years, first of Antique Rome, then of the Holy Roman Empire of the West, then of the United Kingdom of Italy, and finally of the Italian Republic. As a religious capital, it is Christendom’s major pilgrimage center, especially when a Holy Year has been proclaimed by the Pontiff. Romans know how to live the good life.

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FROSINONE - The first traces of human presence in the provincial territory, date back to prehistoric times: a famous skull of Homo erectus (the so-called Homo cepranensis, in the Prehistorical Museum of Pofi), dating from 800,000 years ago, constitutes the most ancient finding of the Homo species in Europe.

Frosinone was once called, Frusino, the important capital town of the reign of the Volscians, at the head of the rebellion of the Ernici peoples against Rome. It then became a Roman Municipium and finally a possession of the Papal State. Frosinone has never lost its leading role and still keeps it as capital town of the entire Ciociaria. Like many towns in the neighbourhood, it grew on a hill from which it towers over the Sacco valley. The old town centre is dominated by the Prefecture Palace and by the imposing baroque profile of the church of St. Benedict. The Cathedral of the Assunta was originally Romanesque but underwent many modifications, the last of which took place after the second world war. As evidence of its previous style, there is the bell tower with three floors of twin-light mullioned windows. Evidence of the glorious past of the ancient Frusino has been brought to light under a modern palace in viale Roma where the ruins of a Roman amphitheatre have been unearthed. There are not many other visible vestiges of the Roman period, yet several findings can be admired in the town museum. Ciociara, “land of emotions”, was the name adopted by a fascist movement of Frosinone as an ethnical denomination for the province of Frosinone, when it was created in 1927. The name Ciociaria comes from the word “ciocia”, an ancient and typical footwear once worn by local shepherds, made from a leather sole curled-up at the toe, held together with leather laces wrapped around the leg.  This is a region where villages with the cyclopean walls are scattered. They are made with megalithic dry-stone blocks, in an extraordinary and mysterious technique. These wall have been identified in 2007 by the Region of Latium as a cultural excellence of the Frosinone area.

ANAGNI - Anagni was the most sacred Hernician centre until its destruction by the Romans in 306 BC. In the Middle Ages it was the birthplace and family seat of several popes, an era from which many buildings survive, most notably Boniface VIII’s 13th-century mullion-windowed palace.

GASTRONOMY - The Ciociara cuisine is simple and genuine. One of the most popular dishes is a type of home-made, egg pasta, cut in thin noodles called ‘fini fini, seasoned with a meat sauce or a simple tomato sauce.  Among the main courses, there are also gnocchi (flour and potato dumplings), cannelloni (finger-thick tubes of stuffed pasta) and the well-known “timballo ciociaro”, also known as ‘Boniface VIll’s. Soups such as sagne and beans, pasta and potatoes, pasta and chick-peas, prepared according to the Ciociarian tradition, have a special flavour. The second courses see a predominance of pork, sheep, rabbit or chicken meats, which, in the country is still genuine and tasty, because it usually comes from small, traditional stock farms.  Usually these meats are served with side dishes such as vegetables and greens, creating popular specialities such as chicken or rabbit with peppers, pork sausages with broccoli and spring lamb with baked potatoes. As for desserts although they are not very complex, they still have a special flavour. They are mainly oven-baked cakes such as the “ciambellone” (a ring-shaped cake), the “pigna” (Easter cake with dried fruits), small ring-shaped cakes in syrup or with wine, tarts with home-made jam or ricotta cheese, small hazelnut biscuits, and the popular “Macaroons of Guarcino” (soft almond biscuits).

FOLKLORE - Ciociara has a full calendar of food fairs, entertainment events and music festivals, as well as a variety of traditional feasts.  Religious, county and rural traditions are still strong and alive. The celebrations of the patron saints with the processions, the performance of bands, singers and groups, the illuminations and fireworks, the fairs and popular games, the palios and tournaments among the town’s quarters, witness the desire of the Ciociarian people to preserve the authenticity of their peasant culture, with their typical costumes, music, rites and gastronomy. The Ciociarian folklore is known not only at regional and national levels, but also at an international level. They have taken part in important events held outside the territory. These events, hosted by folk groups of other countries, give the opportunity to increase friendship and understanding among the peoples of the world, as well as being an opportunity for the Ciociarian emigrants who are scattered all over the world to strengthen the ties with their homeland. During popular events, people wear traditional costumes with the typical footwear, the ‘cioce’, which gave the name to this region “Ciociara”. Part of the Ciociarian folklore are the songs, both sacred and profane, dances such as the “saltarello”, accompanied by the music of the accordion and cheered by the genuine dishes of the cuisine.

HANDICRAFTS - The symbol of Ciociara is a copper amphora called “conca”, used in the old times by the ancestors, to carry water from the fountains, when there was no running water inside houses; such containers are still made today by the artisans of the area.  Wood inlays and rustic furniture today still play an important part in Ciociarian handmade production. The town of Sora can boast a big tradition in the field of furniture, and merits the name “Town of Furniture”. Other towns famous for producing wooden objects are: Acuto, Arpino, Boville Ernica, Ceccano, Giuliano di Roma, Isola del Liri, San Giorgio a Liri, Torrice, and Vico nel Lazio. Pipes and reed-pipes are typical by-products of wood made in Acquafondata and Villa Latina. Wicker and “vinchio” (marshy grass) are woven in the shape of baskets, hampers, bags and cheese or fish containers. Terracottas are even more antique and rustic and therefore more fascinating. From water amphorae, the so-called “cannate” decorated with red soil as well as pottery articles, decorated and enamelled (like little bells and crib statuettes) made in Arpino, to terracotta jugs made in Aquino and Fiuggi. Jewellers art plays an important role in this land. Gold and coral jewellery have always been worn by the famous “balie ciociare” (Ciociarian nurses). The principal towns who produce them are: Alatri, Anagni, Fiuggi, Veroli, and Cervaro. Works in copper and wrought iron can be found in the Comino Valley, Ferentino, Serrone and Frosinone. The town of Coreno Ausonia became an important industrial centre in 1950, due to the presence of marble caves and the famous Coreno stone. Veroli, Isola del Lidi and Bonville Ernica are famous for their embroidered towels and table clothes.  Arpino, Atina, Cassino and Belmonte Castelli are famous for their embroidered sheets.  Anagni, “the town of Popes,” is famous for making holy vestments.  Finally, the town of Acuto, Alatri and Piglio, are famous for their leather products.

AQUA FIUGGI - “The water that breaks stones.” It all started with the water. A small spring which attracted the attention of famous people as early as the Middle Ages. Pope Boniface VIII, for example, who was born in Ciociaria, knew the source.  Account books conserved in the Vatican, record as many as 187 payment orders for the transport water from “Anticoli in Campagna,” as the town of Fiuggi was called at that time. Praise of the water “that breaks stones” also appears in letters written by Michelangelo around 1549. Fiuggi stands on a tufaceous formation which alternates permeable and semi-permeable layers through the water filters and is purified, thus acquiring its beneficial properties. It is only in Fiuggi that this very special water combines diuretic properties with the ability to “dissolve” and expel kidney stones.  Michelangelo also extolled the virtues of the water that cured him of what he called “the only kind of stone I couldn’t love.” Soon Acqua di Fiuggi was being sent in bottles to all of Europe’s royalty.

PASTENA - “The wonders of the underground, a journey to the centre of the earth.” Gently stretching on a rolling hill between two verdant rises, Pastena shines in all its rural splendour. This little town is enclosed by a medieval circle of walls, interrupted by 15 square towers ,which made it a fortified impregnable village. The town centre has kept the allure of a medieval hamlet, with its cobbled alleys, ancient portals, stairways and little squares. Yet Pastena hides a secret, a parallel underground world which offers a wealth of natural treasures. Outside its built-up area, just 5 km away there is the majestic entry to the Pastena Caves. This complex is made of two main branches: the active one stretches for more than 2 km, the fossil one is 880m long. The major branch is run by a river which is partially navigable with small boats. This is an extraordinary complex with exceptional settings: large rocky halls, small ponds, huge stalagmites and stalactites, bats hanging from the vaults, and narrow tunnels which seem to lead to the centre of the earth.

MONTECASSINO MONASTERY - St. Benedict founded the Abbey of Monte Cassino, perhaps the oldest and most famous monastery in the world, in 529 AD. Destroyed and rebuilt several times since then, it became a beacon of civilization throughout the Middle Ages. Here, the torch of knowledge was kept burning by the devoted labors and monastic life of the Benedectines. During the 11th and 12th centuries, it was a center of learning, particularly in the field of medicine.  Monte Cassino monks established the famous medical school in Salerno. After the Italian Facist Regime collapsed during World War II, German troops occupied the town of Cassino in 1944. Subsequent fighting, which lasted for four months before the allied breakthrough, left the town of Cassino devasted and Monte Cassino severely damaged. Both Cassino and Monte Cassino have since been rebuilt on the original sites. The memory of the Battle of Monte Cassino is kept alive by the American, British and Polish cemeteries situated in the vicinity of the monastery.

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LATINA - Four new towns were built in this area from 1932 to 1937. Latina was the first of these, founded on December 18th1932 with the name of Littoria.   It was populated by a great number of immigrants from the Veneto and Emilia- Romagna regions as well as from Abruzzo, the Marche and other towns in Latium. The new settlers were given the thousands of farms built by the Opera Nazionale Combattenti (National Veterans’ Organization) and the Università Agrarie (agrarian universities). Latina was originally a rural town, but over the years its economic makeup changed quite a lot with the development of industry, commerce, and the creation of a series of infrastrutures for culture, services and tourism: the Università Pontina (local university), the theatre and the Palazzo della Cultura, the large Piana delle Orme museum area, sports and recreational facilities, the Intermodal Centre at Latina Scalo, and the new produce market (MOL) in Latina. The provincial capital is surrounded by many suburbs, the first areas to be built up after the reclamation of the region, which are named after famous World War One sites.

ECONOMY - The city has some pharmaceutical, chemical industry, cheese production and has a strong service sector. Latina is also an important centre for agriculture (vegetables, flowers, sugar, fruit, cheese and derivates).

KIWI FRUIT IN LATINA - The first kiwifruit plants were brought to Italy in the early 1970s, and it was soon discovered that they thrived in the microclimate of the province of Latina which has since become the center for the research and production of kiwi fruits in Italy. Latina Kiwi’s superior taste is the result of a combination of factors, including favorable climate and a soil that is very similar to the soil in the area where kiwi fruit originated. As a matter of fact, organoleptic tests show that, thanks to a particularly favorable microclimate, the kiwifruit variety produced in some parts of the province of Latina is tastier than those produced in China.

CIRCEO NATIONAL PARK – The Circeo Promontory covers about 8500 hectares with its mysterious caves, a public forest, intact natural reserves, four coastal lakes, seashore dunes, a seaboard zone considered of extreme interest by the international scientific community, and one of the Pontine Islands, Zannone, belongs to the Circeo National Park area and takes in the cities of Sabaudia and San Felice Circeo, as well as part of the territory of Latina. Besides its nature, the marvellous scenery and the flora and fauna, the park has other kinds of attractions: palaeontology (in one of the many fascinating prehistoric marine grottoes lying around the promontory, researchers have found the remains of a Neanderthal man’s skull), archaeology (the ruins of the grandiose Villa di Domiziano, between the forest and the Lago di Paola, and the grotto with the so-called Fonte di Lucullo spring), and history (the 16th-century sentinel towers).  The park is home to many animal species, more significantly birds, especially migratory species, but also peregrine eagle and sea eagle.

GAETA -  Gaeta is a seaport on a high promontory in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It was a favorite resort of the ancient Romans and was a prosperous duchy from the 9th to the 12th cent. Gaeta lost its independence to the Normans and thereafter shared the fortunes of the kingdom of Naples. The citadel and the port were strongly fortified.  Pope Pius IX took refuge in Gaeta in 1848-49. The fall of the town to Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia after a siege (1860-61) marked the end of the rule of Francis II of the kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Gaeta has a cathedral with a fine belltower. Nowadays, Gaeta is a fishing and oil seaport, and a renowned tourist resort. Nato maintains a base of operations here.

SERMONETA & NINFA – Sermoneta is on a hilltop town overlooking the Pontine Plains, with narrow cobbled streets winding around medieval houses, palaces and churches. The Duomo has a fine 15th- century panel by Benozzo Gozzoli, showing the Virgin cradling Sermoneta in her hands. At the top of the town rises the moated fairy-tale Castello Caetani, frescoed with mythological scenes by a pupil of Pinturicchio. In the valley below, lies the romantic abandoned medieval village of Ninfa, restored and converted into lush botanical gardens by the Caetani family in 1921. Streams and waterfalls punctuate the picturesque gardens laid out among the crumbling buildings. Now plants wind over ruined towers and walls, rejoicing in the lush damp conditions. The setting is indescribably atmospheric, with roses scrambling for footholds in ruined archways, and the frescoed church wall still standing open to the weather. Roses, banana trees, maples and resident ducks thrive in the microclimate of Ninfa. The dampness of the location, under the hills facing the coastal plain, leads to an unusual mixture of species.

SPERLONGA – Sperlonga is a popular seaside resort surrounded by sandy beaches. The old town sits on a rocky promontory, a picturesque labyrinth of whitewashed buildings, narrow alleyways, squares and balconies offering an occasional glimpse of the sea below. It is now full of bars, restaurants and boutiques. The modern part of town lies down on the seafront. The area around Sperlonga was a favourite retreat  for the ancient Romans during the hot summer months. They built villas along the coast, and converted the natural caves in the nearby cliffs  into places to dine and relax. In 1957, archaeologists excavating the huge complex of Tiberius’s luxury villa found some 2nd-century BC Hellenistic sculptures in a large cave open to the sea.

GROTTO OF TIBERIUS - One of  Sperlonga’s main attractions is the Grotto of Tiberius, a natural cave at the southern end of the beach, and the ruins of the villa the Emperor Tiberius built there during his reign (from A.D. 14 to A.D. 37). In 1957, an Italian engineer and amateur archaeologist named Erno Bellante was working on a road in the resort town of Sperlonga by the Tyrrhenian Sea, when he began digging inside the cavernous Grotto of Tiberius in his spare time and discovered more than he bargained for… a treasure trove of mangled marble statues crafted about the time of Christ. Several colossal sculptures once filled the interior of the grotto.  The most significant captures Odysseus blinding the monster Cyclops.

PONZA (Pontine Islands) - Ponza is the largest of the Pontine Islands, with blue waters and a striking mountainous landscape. It is frequented by the rich and famous who like to keep a lower profile during their holidays. The most popular beach is Chiaia di Luna, a long crescent of sand under high cliffs accessible by foot from the port. Towards the other end of the island, near Le Forna, are the Piscine Naturali, lovely natural pools ideal for bathing and enjoying the sunshine. Ponza was first colonized by Etruscans. The island was heavily forested with giant trees in ancient times, but the forest is gone, the trees are extinct and the hills are covered with man-made terraces. The tallest hill on the island, called Monte Guardia, still has the rotting stumps of the extinct giant trees over eight feet wide. Crops are grown on these terraces like grapes for wine, cactus pears and fig trees. Federico Fellini’s Satyricon (1969) was filmed on Ponza. Wes Anderson’s film The Life Aquatic was also filmed on the island of Ponza.

TERRACINA - Terracina was an important commercial centre on the Via Appia (the Appian Way).  Today it is a popular seaside resort, with a fascinating collage of medieval buildings and Roman ruins in its historic centre, perched on the slopes of the Ausonian Hills. The more modern part of town by the sea is full of restaurants, bars and hotels.  Bombing during World War II uncovered many of the town’s ancient structures, notably a stretch of the Appian Way and the original paving of the Roman Forum in Piazza del Municipio.

GASTRONOMY - Cuisine is very varied as a result of the different environments that make up the province. There is the typical marine cuisine, with dense fish soups, risottos with shellfish, gilthead, bass, prawns and so much imagination in preparing them. Then, there are the typical hillside dishes, with pasta made of flour and eggs, the home-made sauces, soups, pasta and beans, and all kinds of local produce (excellent artichokes, Gaeta olives, broccoli and chicory). There are also the plain land dishes which are sometimes a combination of the Ciociaria, the Campania, the Veneto, the Emilia Romagna and obviously Lazio cuisines, drawing on a wide range of products from the buffalo and the dairy cattle (mozzarella, fiordilatte, caciotta and provola cheeses, butter), the superb local produce from the fields.  On the islands there is a marked preference for the dishes typical of the Campania region, with lobster, “granseola”, moray eels and less distinguished fish species such as rotondo, pessonia and octopus. Ventotene is proud of its tiny lentils. Wine production includes many local DOC, including the Aprilia Trebbiano and Merlot and Circeo Trebbiano. Also known are the Moscato di Terracina, one of the most representative wines I.G.T., and Aleatico.

FOLKLORE - There are many traditional events rooted and bathed in history just like Good Friday ceremonies (particularly at Sezze and Tremensuoli di Minturno), or connected with the agriculture (Sagra delle Regne at Minturno, Sagra delle castagne (chestnuts) at Norma, Sagra delle ciliegie (cherries) at Maenza, with the sea (sea processions of the Madonna del Carmelo at Terracina, and of the Madonna di Porto Salvo at Gaeta) with the old municipal pride (Carosello Storico dei Rioni at Cori, with excellent groups of flag throwers, or the Sagra delle Torce at Sonnino, to mark out the boundaries) and with the feast of the patrons.

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RIETI – Rieti was province capital of the Papal States from 1816 to 1860. After the unification of Italy, it was initially part of Abruzzi, being annexed to Lazio in 1923. It became the provincial capital on January 2, 1923. The first human settlements in the Sabine territory went back to Palaeolithic times. Archaeological remains from prehistoric eras dot the entire province, as seen in the pieces found in Piediluco-Contigliano, where bronzes from Cyprus and the Aegean Sea were discovered. The history of this area is tied firmly to the Sabines, people coming from the area of Gran Sasso (central Apennine Mountains) who then settled in the Velino River and Tiber River Valleys.  The Sabine people, protagonists of myths and legends from the “Rape of the Sabines” at the beginning of Sabine history, to having been some of the first kings of Rome, are today object of a lively rediscovery, confirmed by archaeological excavations and shows.  As a favourite Papal seat, Rieti was the place of important historical events: Constance of Hauteville married here by proxy Emperor Henry VI (1185); in the cathedral, in 1289, Charles I of Anjou was crowned King of Apulia, Sicily and Jerusalem by Pope Nicholas I. Pope Gregory IX celebrated here the canonization of St. Dominic (1234).

BISHOP’S PALACE - The Vescoville Palace was built in the 13th century and the most impressive features of the palace are the eight renaissance style windows and the lodge that were built in 1532. The architecture is quite beautiful and noteworthy. The Diocese gallery of Rieti is now located here at the palace.

CATHEDRAL - The cathedral of Rieti’s construction began in 1109 at a sight of an ancient basilica. In the 17th century the cathedral was almost totally rebuilt. The bell tower of the cathedral is very exquisite; it dates back to the 13th century and is Romanesque in style. The interior is almost done in baroque decorations with several beautiful art works, frescoes, 16th and 17th century paintings and a few statues.

FARFA ABBEY – The Farfa Abbey is one of the most famous abbeys of Italy and Europe. It belongs to the Benedictine Order in the commune of Fara Sabina. In the Middle Ages, the complex made up one of the richest and most powerful monastic communities in Central Italy. Its origins date back to the mid-6th century. Destroyed immediately after, it was reconstructed in its modern-day site between the 7th and 8th century by a group of monks coming from Savoy. The church is a monument of great beauty that you would not expect to see in such a rural zone.

FLORA AND FAUNA - The flora offers extraordinary varieties of woods with beech, birch, oak and ash trees. At lower elevations, chestnut trees and century-old oaks alternate with a typical Mediterranean bush. In the more humid areas, weeping willows and poplar trees form a ring around the lakes with reeds that seem to protect and hide the lakes and their water lilies.  The fauna offers surprises not the less exceptional, from the wolf to the golden eagle, from the hawk to the bittern, to small and rare herons. The hare, is one of the last animals to be indigenous to the area. The squirrel, the badger and the wild boar still populate the woods.  Hundreds of waterfowl from northern Europe stop in Rieti’s Holy Valley: cormorants, wild ducks, grebes and many others.

FOLKLORE & ARTISANS - The cultural history of its oil, the festivals and religious processions, the historic dramatizations, and the numerous town food festivals, are all an expression of the large cultural wealth in this province. There are ceramic objects, precious needlework, fabrics woven on antique looms, painting on fabrics, decorative objects in wood, furniture, and icons; all of this created by the hands of the master artisans, repeating gestures from far-away times.

GASTRONOMY – The cuisine is rich in thousands of dishes, with ancient recipes and products born from its wholesome land. A large part of the merit for the fine gastronomy of Rieti, goes to the extraordinary Olio D.O.P. of the Sabina, with a fruity fragrance and full flavour. “Stracciatelle” in broth, spaghetti “alla carrettiera”, chicken “alla diavola” and lamb “in guazzetto,” are each enriched with this superior oil. In the pastry area, the specialties are the “terzetti alla reatina” (cookies), “la copeta” (walnuts and honey between bay leaves), and the Easter Cake. Special mention should be made about the cooking in Amatrice, with a dish that is renowned on an international level: spaghetti “all’amatriciana”. Other specialties include “il fallone” pizza from Stimigliano, farro with truffles from Leonessa, “gli strengozzi” from Rieti, chestnuts and “stracci” from Antrodoco, “fregnacce” from the Sabine, beans from Borbona and “sagne” from Scandriglia.

SPORTS - Rieti is also a theatre of large sports events, throughout the year, such as the International Gymnastics Event, (where world records were scored), the traditional “Coppa Carotti” automobile race, the Amatrice-Configno International Foot-race, and the “Coppa Città di Rieti” Gliding Championships.

OF INTEREST: American basketball player Joe Bryant played in Rieti from 1984 to 1992; his son Kobe Bryant, now also an NBA player, attended school in Rieti and as a result speaks fluent Italian to this day.

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VITERBO -  Although the town has enjoyed glory days, it’s now a quiet but interesting destination in a rural area rich with ancient Etruscan sites

Viterbo was an Etruscan centre before falling to the Romans in the 4th century BC.  During World War II it was devastated, but the austere grey stone medieval core, still encircled by walls, and many of the town’s churches, have been carefully restored. In San Pellegrino, Viterbo’s oldest and best preserved quarter, medieval houses with towers, arches and external staircases line narrow streets running between little piazzas decorated with fountains. On Piazza San Lorenzo the 12th-century Duomo boasts an elegant black and white striped bell tower, a solemn 16th-century façade and a stark Romanesque interior. The town’s civic buildings border the main square, Piazza del Plebiscito.

CATHEDRAL DI VITERBO (officially named the “Cathedral of San Lorenzo”). Viterbo’s cathedral is dedicated to one of the town’s two patron saints, St Lawrence (the other is Rosa, the focus for the town’s biggest religious festival). The campanile shows striped Tuscan/Umbrian influences. The cathedral was badly damaged by Allied bombing in 1944, and the roof and nave were subsequently rebuilt to an earlier design. The interior is lofty and simple.

BOMARZO – Dominated by a majestic 16th century palace, the Palazzo Orsini, is the Sacro Bosco (otherwise known as the “Monster Park”) commissioned by Duke Vicino Orsini and built between 1560 and 1580. On the grounds are dozens of gigantic statues of odd or monstrous subjects (Ogre, Dragon, Sea Monster), exotic animals (Tortoise, Elephant), deities (Neptune and Amphitrite), as well as many others.

BOLSENA - In this charming town spread out around a 14th century castle is an attractive church, Santa Cristina, which sports a Renaissance facade and some notable16th century frescoes. Nearby is a sizable lake of volcanic origin, Lake Bolsena, is renowed for its scenic coastline and excellent fishing. The city celebrates the miracle of Corpus Domini, which took place in the church of Santa Cristina, with a solemn procession along a carpet of flowers. On July 23 & 24, the local inhabitants re-enact the trials suffered by the young heroine in the early centuries of Christianity by presenting several “living tableaux” (Misteri di Santa Cristina).

CAPRAROLA –This little town right near picturesque Lake Vico is the site of Palazzo Farnese, the sumptuous pentagon-shaped palace that Vignola designed and built for Cardinal Alessandro Farnese between 1545 and 1559. A double staircase leads up to its Classical style geometric facade. Its great winding staircase, the Scala Regia, and superbly appointed rooms are exceedingly impressive. Most of the frescoes, including the fine murals adorning the Sala dei Fasti Farnesiani, were painted by the Zuccari brothers. In the superb Italian-style garden is a delightful little building, the Palazzina del Piacere, designed by Jacopo del Duca.

CIVITA DI BAGNOREGIO – Civita di Bagnoregio was founded by the Etruscans over 2,500 years ago. Cività was the birthplace of Saint Bonaventure, born in 1274. The location of his boyhood house has long since fallen off the edge of the cliff. By the 16th century Civita was beginning to decline, becoming eclipsed by its former suburb Bagnoregio. The only access to Civita is through a light modern pedestrian bridge leading to the only remaining gate (Porta di S. Maria). The gate is protected by a tower and it is decorated with reliefs. The church of S. Donato was the cathedral of Bagnoregio until 1699, when this role was assigned to a new church built in the safer area where most of the inhabitants had moved. Most of the medieval houses in the central area of Civita have been restored in recent years. The town was placed on the World Monuments Fund’s 2006 Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered Sites, due to the threats it faces from erosion and unregulated tourism.

FONTANA GRANDE - The most important (and oldest) of Viterbo’s numerous fountains, the fountain was begun in 1206, finished in 1279, and restored in 1424. It comprises a cross-shaped basin on a base and a column sustaining two smaller basins surmounted by a spire.

MONTEFIASCONE - This town is perched on the edge of a defunct volcanic crater between the shores of Lake Bolsena, over which there are splendid views, and Via Cassia. It is dominated by the octagonal bulk of its cathedral, Santa Margherita, whose dome, treated in the 1670s by Carlo Fontana, is second only in size to St Peter’s.  Montefiascone is also the home of the famous wine EST! EST!! EST!!!

PALAZZO DEI PAPI -  This palace, is one of the most important monuments in the city, situated alongside the Duomo di Viterbo. The Papal Curia was removed to Viterbo in 1257 by Alexander IV, due to the hostility of the Roman commune and constant urban violence: the former bishop’s palace of Viterbo was enlarged to provide the Popes with an adequate residence. The construction, commissioned by the Capitano del popolo (“People’s Captain”) Raniero Gatti, provided a great audience hall communicating with a lodge raised on a barrel vault above the city street, which was completed probably around 1266.

TARQUINIA - Tarquinia is one of the most ancient of Etruscan cities. The ancient myths connected with Tarquinia (those of its eponymous founder Tarchon - the son or brother of Tyrrhenos - and of the infant oracle Tages, who gave the Etruscans the disciplina etrusca, all point to the great antiquity and cultural importance of the city. The archaeological finds bear out that Tarquinia was one of the oldest Etruscan centres which eclipsed its neighbours well before the advent of written records. Remains of walls and buildings of the Etruscan city of Tarchuna/ Tarchna and its Roman successor, Tarquinii, were excavated on the now uninhabited hill known as Pian di Civita. Extensive excavations were carried out on the Civita hill in the 1930’s and excavations are still being carried out to this day. On this site, small sections of the solid walls of the early 4th century BCE, made of blocks of limestone and about 8km long remain today, as do the foundations of a great Etruscan sanctuary of the same age, known as the Ara della Regina.  The decoration of this temple includes a terracotta group of winged horses in Hellenistic style that is considered a masterpiece of Etruscan art.

THERMAL SPAS – Viterbo’s thermal waters, springing up around the Bulicame source, are used in various therapeutic treatments such as mud therapy, aerosol, inhalations, and general anti-stress treatments.  There are two well-run thermal spa centres, “Terme dei Papi” and “Pianeta Benessere”.

TUSCANIA - Until the late 19th century the town was known as Toscanella.  Although shaken by an earthquake in 1971, its medieval and Renaissance buildings have since been carefully reconstructed. Just outside the city walls, on the rocky Colle San Pietro, two remarkable churches dating from the Lombard-Romanesque period occupy the site of Tuscana, a major Etruscan centre conquered by Rome in 300 BC.

VILLA LANTE - One of Italy’s beautiful gardens of the Italian Renaissance. Designed at the beginning of 1568 by the great architect Vignola, “loaned” to Cardinal Gambara by the Farnese family. It remains scrupulously maintained by the state. Water from Monte Cimino flows down to the fountains of the villa, running from terrace to terrace until it reaches the central pool of the regal garden, with statues, stone banisters, and shrubbery.

VITORCHIANO – Vitorchiano was at first an Etruscan town and later on became a Roman colony. What now is the Palazzo Comunale was the limit of the Roman castrum. In the early XIIIth century Vitorchiano sided with Rome against Viterbo and for this reason it was named la Fedele (the Faithful) and its citizens were given the honour to mount guard over the Capitol. This explains the inscription above the windows of Palazzo Comunale (SUMMA FIDELITAS) and above its entrance (SENATUS POPULUS QUE ROMANORUM). Saint Mary’s church is one of the most important attractions in Vitorchiano. The church has been in town for centuries and major renovations were done in the 15th century. Saint Agnes Nunnery is located right opposite the Saint Mary’s church. it was built in 1466 and consists of a huge complex of buildings that includes a church in the main courtyard. The large walls around the town were built for defense against invaders and there is only one gate which allowed entry into the town. Vitorchiano is famous for the typical grey stone that has been used for construction since the Etruscan age.

FOLKLORE - In the province of Viterbo is rooted in ancient popular tradition, passed down through the centuries and still very strong today. It is difficult to express in a few words the many different aspects of folklore in the area, but there are some recurring elements. The religious character of many festivals, for example, is often coupled with popular entertainment. Usually, every town and village celebrates the annual feast of its patron Saint. Together with the religious celebration of Mass and Processions in the Saint’s honor, there are also popular events such as markets, games in the town square, musical concerts, historical parades, competitions between various town districts and firework displays. The most spectacular religious event is held on the 3rd of September every year.  On the day dedicated to the Patron Saint of Viterbo, Santa Rosa, an imposing illuminated macchina is carried in procession by 100 facchini (porters). It is 30 meters high and weights 5 tons. A sancturary is dedicated to the saint who guided the Viterbesi in the revolt against Frederic ll.

GASTRONOMY - It is often defined poor and mediterranean”, this is part flattery, part respect since its main characteristic is wholesome and authentic ingredients: above all extra-virgin olive oil, vegetables, pulses and cereals. Some popular snacks are bruschette (toasts) with a thousand different toppings, hams and salami, pizza, crostini and crostoni (toast with hot toppings), frittelle and frittelloni (fried savouries), panzanella (bread, olive oil and fresh tomato), lattarini marinati (small fried fish), and many more. The enticing smells from the vegetable garden merge together in the main dishes: acquacotta (soup with chicory, patatoes, tomatoes, onion, wild mint and chillies, with baccalà, (salted cod and egg), sbroscia (freshwater fish soup), scafata ( broad bean and bacon soup), pezzata (mutton soup), pignattaccia (meat and vegetable stew) and snail soup.

All honour should go to Canepina maccaroni and ceciliani, and to Taquinia’s fettuccine with ferlenghi mushrooms; lombrichelli (pasta made with flour and water) pappardelle alla lepre (wide-stripped egg pasta with hare sauce), rigatoni with pagliata (tripe) and gnocchi (potato dumplings). Then there are the minestre (pasta soups): pasta and beans, pasta and chickpeas, pasta and potatoes, chickpeas and chestnuts, pasta and broccoli, rice and lentils. Fish soup can be found in the seaside towns of Tarquinia and Montalto di Castro and the lakeside towns around Lake Bolsena, especially Marta. Grilled meats include agnello a scottadito (grilled lamb), spiedini di maiale (pork kebabs), Maremma steaks; or fried chicken in tomato sauce, rabbit and lamb alla cacciatora, wild boar al bujone, porchett (spit-roasted pork with herbs) or trippa al sugo (tripe stew).