Three perfect day trips from Rome

Just 25 kilometres south-east of Rome and an easy 45 minute train journey from Termini Station is the delightful village of Castel Gandolfo. It is so picturesque perched on the green Alban hills overlooking Lake Albano, which is a volcanic crater lake, 170 metres deep with an area of five square kilometres.

The village has been a popular retreat for centuries to escape the intense summer heat of Rome, but it is best known as home of the Papal summer residence and gardens. The palace is named after a castle in the 12th century belonging to the Gandolfi families. The first fortified structure on the site was most likely built in the 9th century. In the 13th century Pope Boniface VIII took ownership of the property and turned it into a summer residence for the popes. In 1626 Pope Urban VIII (Barberini) had the existing castle demolished and rebuilt in Baroque style.

Only a few years ago Pope Francis opened the villa and the gardens to the public. The Papal Palace of Castel Gandolfo is now a museum and you can take a guided tour of the palace and the gardens which is definitely worth doing.

Interesting fact

For over 440 years, the Vatican has been doing astronomical research and promoting awareness of how our universe works. The Vatican Observatory in Castel Gandolfo is one of the oldest active astronomical observatories in the world with its roots going back to 1582. There are around thirty astronomers working there which includes priests and lay people.

Although small, Castel Gandolfo is full of charm with pastel painted buildings adorned with shutters and flower boxes, shops that entice you to linger and a good choice of cafes and restaurants overlooking Lake Albano.

Orvieto - a hilltop gem in Umbria

Often referred to as the green heart of Italy, Umbria is Italy’s only region with neither a coastline nor a border with a foreign country. It is more rustic and less visited than its famous neighbour Tuscany. One of Umbria’s irresistible hilltop towns is Orvieto, easily reached from Rome. The fastest train takes just over an hour.

Like many hilltop towns, there is the historic town built high above the valley to ward off approaching enemy and the newer town below. On arrival in Orvieto Scavi, you take the Bracci Funicular for a ten minute steep climb to Piazza Cahen at the top. From there it is a fifteen minute walk along cobblestoned Corso Cavour, passing buildings nearly all made from the tufa rock.

This is a place I have been visiting for many years as part of the Tuscany/Italian Riviera/Lake Como tour, but I always leave wishing I had more time there. Sitting a thousand feet above a green valley on a cliff of red volcanic rock, Orvieto has commanding views. The town’s rich history is a story of life above and below ground, even today. Inhabited by the Etruscans as early as the 9th century BC, the porous tufa contains a complex underground world of caves and quarries where many worked while living above in the town. By the 13th century, Orvieto was a thriving city and a popular Papal retreat.

If you take the 45 minute underground tour, you see that the caves were perfect for storing cheese and olive oil because of the constant temperature of 58 degrees Fahrenheit. Noble families owned many of the caves and used them as dovecotes to house pigeons, a local delicacy and big business. Today, some houses still have private caves that are used as wine cellars. It is also not uncommon to see pigeon on the menu in many restaurants.

First glimpse of the Duomo is breathtaking, with its glittering mosaics, gold and marble inlay and stunning rose gold window. It was started in 1290 and building work continued for the next 300 years. Inside behind the alter, the walls are crammed with frescoes depicting episodes from the life of Mary. There is also an impressive organ containing over 5,000 pipes, which is one of the largest in Italy. There are several stunning churches, with the oldest in the town built in 1004, where 12th and 13th century frescoes still grace the interior.

Torre del Morro is the 13th century clock tower that chimes on the hour, half and quarter hours. It is well worth the 270 step climb to the top for a spectacular view of Orvieto’s terracotta rooftops and surrounding countryside.

Tivoli - home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Thirty kilometres north-east of Rome and a thirty minute taxi ride or one hour train journey is a town older than Rome! Tivoli is famous for Hadrian’s Villa (Villa Adriana) and the gardens of Villa d’Este, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Hadrian’s Villa is about haunting ruins and the history of a Roman emperor’s countryside retreat, whilst Villa d’Este is simply beautiful and relaxing, once upon a time the lush and watery 16th century residence of a catholic cardinal.

When you arrive in Tivoli, a public bus connects you to the two villas.

Hadrian’s Villa

Hadrian (AD 117-138), a man of culture and a great traveller, had a lovely villa in Rome but he preferred the country. He went all out and built more than thirty buildings on his 300 acres. With libraries, temples, baths, theatres and palaces for himself, his friends and staff, the estate was completely self-contained.

Towards the end of his time in power, he lived full-time at Tivoli where he continued to rule Rome. Most of the buildings are long gone, but you can still feel the history as you wander through the ruins and the archaeological remains of the largest villa ever owned by a Roman emperor.

Villa d’Este

When Cardinal Ippolito d’Este came second in the election for the next pope in 1549, he consoled himself by building a sumptuous villa in Tivoli. The main attraction is the spectacular garden which wasn’t completed until after his death in 1520. Complete with cascading pools, streams, waterfalls and thundering fountains, it is one heavenly vista after another.

After his death, the estate was passed down in the Este family, but by the 19th century the villa was in disrepair. Now in the hands of the Italian state, it’s been completely restored to its former glory with all of the fabulous water features back in operation.

Ci vediamo la prossima settimana.

Deb