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'INSIDER TIPS' | |
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Faster By Train Trenitalia, Italy's National Railways, has introduced a new high-speed line that significantly improves travel times between main Italian cities. Rome and Milan are now connected in only 3 ½ hrs with no stops and in December 2009 the same distance will be covered in only 3 hrs. Baroque Festival in Viterbo, Lazio The Baroque Festival is one of the most important events in the Italian and international music scene using original instruments. The festival takes place on some of the city's most charming natural stages from August till 9th October. FESTIVAL BAROCCO
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Holidays in Latium - Lazio
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Rome is Lazio's main destination, but the surrounding countryside is to where the Romans have escaped since time immemorial. The province that rings Italy's capital has shimmering lakes, mountains and rolling countryside dotted with olive trees and vineyards, crowned with hilltop villages - and a wealth of archaeological sites.
Rome is probably the world's greatest outdoor museum. All roads lead to the past, and every pavement, piazza or pathway is a journey into history. This city of romance was the birthplace of la dolce vita and, as everyone knows, was not built in a day - and has enough monuments to last the average sightseer a lifetime.
Unmissable are St Peter's and the Sistine Chapel, the Forum where Caesar once trod, the extraordinarily well-preserved Pantheon and the capital's symbol and the largest surviving structure from Roman antiquity, the matchless Colosseum. Then, of course are the relatively unsung museums that have opened in the last decade such as the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme and the Palazzo Altemps. When it all gets too much, cool off in a fountain-splashed piazza over a long, cool drink and don't forget to toss two coins over your shoulder into the spectacular Trevi Fountain -one for a personal wish, the second to guarantee your return to the Eternal City.
Wealthy Romans have always loved their villas in the countryside and Tivoli, on the slopes of the Sabine Hills was a favourite retreat. From the theatrical water features of the pleasure palace Villa d'Este to the waterside remains of Hadrian's country retreat - Villa Adriana, the Roman Emperor's former luxurious palace, fountains and mythological statuary were erected to soothe and delight in the beautiful gardens of Lazio.
Long before the Roman Empire was even a glimmer in the eye of Augustus, the northern part of this land was dominated by the proud Etruscans. Although cultured and very artistic, they left few traces of their lives but their deaths are recorded in the grassy tumulus tombs that are celebrations of life itself. Tarquinia was probably the capital of the Etruscans, whose glory now lies in its vivid tomb paintings. Nearby the necropolis at Cerveteri is composed of many 'streets' of stone tombs.
Above ground, the remains of Rome's original main port at Ostia Antica are a fascinating insight into one of Italy's best-preserved Roman towns with exquisite mosaics and architecture. Originally on the coast, Ostia Antica is 20 miles south of Rome and takes its name from the Latin 'ostium', meaning mouth, referring to its position at the mouth of the Tiber River. The peaceful, grassy ruins sprawl over a vast area in timeless evocation of the past, interrupted only by the buzz of crickets in the trees. Less celebrated and crowded than Herculaneum or Pompeii, Ostia Antica more than rivals its sisters.
On the coast, Sperlonga is a favourite summer retreat with two long, sandy beaches overlooked by the medieval town on top of a promontory. Farther south between Rome and Naples lie the offshore Isole Pontine: especially popular and beautiful is the verdant, hilly Ponza Island, studded with limestone cliffs and grottoes.
The rich fertile soil of Lazio is good vine country and the 13 villages known as the Castelli Romani were traditionally sited on the outer rims of extinct volcanic craters of the Albani Hills. The most famous of these is Frascati, well known for its crisp white wine. South of here is the Pope's summer palace, the Castel Gandolfo from where he gives an address from the balcony on Sundays when he is in residence.