Holidays in Rome, Tivoli, Bagnaia & Frascati
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Rome's popularity as a holiday destination is understandable, but after a few days of the non-stop circus the surrounding countryside beckons. In fact, Romans themselves have spent centuries fleeing their enormous city every summer for the peaceful, refreshing Italian countryside. If you're interested in escaping Rome for a day, here are three suggestions for popular daytrips that allow you to experience Italy outside the capital:
Tivoli: one of the most popular places to visit during holidays in Rome. Visitors come to escape the crush of the city and relax in the ancient town that was once home to the famed Emperor Hadrian. Visitors can visit his country home known as Villa Adriana, a staggering estate circa 150 AD.
The Villa d'Este is also worth mentioning; built in the 1550s for Cardinal Ippolito d'Este of the Borgia family, the palace has a garden composed entirely of working fountains. Visitors to Tivoli will also find the Villa and Ponte Gregoriana, the Temples of Vesta and Sybil, the ruins of the Roman Amphitheatre, the Church of St Sylvester and the Cathedral of San Lorenzo.
Getting to Tivoli: a company named COTRAL runs buses from Rome to Tivoli ; pick up the bus in the city at Ponte Mommolo, which is reached on Metro Linea B. Buy your ticket from the kiosk and validate it on the bus; expect the journey to take around 40 minutes if traffic is clear.
Frascati: a refreshing contrast to the mad rush of the city and all holidays in Rome should consider including it in the itinerary. Located 13 miles (21km) from the city, Frascati is one of many small hill towns known as the Castelli Romani. Romans arrive on the weekends and throughout the summer to take advantage of the clean air and relaxed attitude. Frascati is best enjoyed with a good meal and a glass of the regional white wine of the same name.
If you prefer to stroll through town, visit some of the grand villas built by wealthy Italians centuries ago. Villa Aldobrandini is worth a look; designed for a pope's nephew, the ancient palace stands above the town's central piazza. The nearby Villa Torlonia is now a public park with gardens and a fountain designed by Carlo Maderno.
Getting to Frascati: Trains run from Rome's Stazione Termini daily; for more information visit www.trenitalia.com. COTRAL runs buses from Anagnina metro station; schedules and prices available at www.cotralspa.it.
Bagnaia: a small, aristocratic town 50 miles (80 km) from Rome. Home to the 16th century Villa Lante, Bagnaia is famous for can be called one of Italy's greatest gardens. The town's main square, the Piazza XX Settembre, is laid out similar to the Piazza del Popolo in Rome. A Pegasus fountain dominates the entrance to Villa Lante; buy tickets here to enter the Villa farther up the hill.
Built in the early 1500s by Cardinal Raffaele Riario, a number of cardinals called Villa Lante home when they fled Rome's suffocating summer heat for the cool green estate. At the base of the villa is a formal garden and lavish fountain; the gardens then rise upwards through different levels to beautiful frescoed buildings known as the palazzine.
Getting to Bagnaia: If you've hired a car, take the Via Cassia to Viterbo (4 km away from Bagnaia) and follow signs to the town. If you take the Autostrada del Sole (A1), exit at Orte, 20 km from Bagnaia. If you travel by bus or train, plan to arrive in Viterbo, then change to a local bus service.
Rome Breaks
