Beyond Rome: A Region of Coast and Hills
Lazio is the region of central Italy that surrounds Rome, its capital, running from the Tyrrhenian coast inland to the foothills of the Apennines. With about 5.7 million residents, it combines the capital's grandeur with a quieter hinterland of hill towns, lakes, abbeys and long sandy beaches. Its history is layered: Etruscan cities, Roman villas, papal strongholds and medieval hilltop communities all lie within a day's reach of one another, which makes the region unusually rewarding for visitors who like to build an itinerary around ideas rather than a single address.
Heritage is everywhere. Tivoli, a short distance east of Rome, holds the Renaissance Villa d'Este, famed for its terraced gardens of fountains, and Hadrian's Villa, the Roman emperor's sprawling retreat, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Cerveteri and Tarquinia preserve Etruscan necropolises inscribed by UNESCO in 2004. Further south the Abbey of Montecassino crowns its hill above the Liri valley, and in the north Viterbo, the medieval city of the popes, is surrounded by thermal springs and honey-coloured stone.
Lakes, Islands and the Roman Table
Water shapes much of Lazio's appeal. Lake Bolsena and Lake Bracciano are broad, clear lakes ringed by medieval towns, with lakeside promenades and small beaches. The Pontine Islands, including Ponza and Ventotene, lie off the southern coast and are reached by ferry from ports such as Anzio, Formia and Terracina. On the mainland, Sabaudia and the Circeo National Park combine dunes, lagoons and forest, while Sperlonga and Gaeta offer whitewashed lanes and sandy bays. An airline serving Rome can present all of this as an easy add-on within a short drive of the airport.
Food and wine follow the landscape. The Castelli Romani hills south-east of Rome produce Frascati, the pale white wine long poured in the capital's trattorias, and their osterie serve porchetta from Ariccia. Amatrice gave its name to the sauce amatriciana, while the Sabine hills yield prized olive oil. Lake and coastal restaurants add fresh fish, and everywhere the cooking echoes Rome's own: pecorino, artichokes, wild greens and slow-cooked lamb. For visitors who think in terms of regions, Campania begins just beyond Lazio's southern edge.
Read the full Lazio guide on Visit Travel Group, or see VisitLazio.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.