Plenty of people have visited the Italian region of Lazio simply by going to Rome. Lazio, after all, roughly corresponds to the old Papal States or Latium, the ancient homeland of the Latin-speaking tribesmen. The city of Rome has been at its heart since it first rose to importance. However, there is much more to Lazio than Rome, and either as a source of daytrips or as the centre of your entire vacation, the region is certainly worth seeing.
As the central region of an ancient civilization, Lazio is physically bound up in the story of the Romans and their rise to power. Indeed, many of the most important sites of Roman history are found in outlaying towns and countryside of Lazio, rather than in Rome herself. Take, for example, the infamous Sabine Hills. This Lazian site just north of Rome is where Romulus himself is supposed to have led the fabled abduction and rape of the Sabine women. The former overlords of the Romans, the Etruscans, left behind impressive tombs at Cerveteri and Tarquinia. The emperor Hadrian's holiday villa is located at Tivoli, and at Ostia are the ruins of the port that imported the grain that fed Rome's legendary "bread and circuses."
Visitors can also explore Lazio's early Renaissance splendour at Latera. This quaint Italian village is mostly populated by senior citizens, making it the ideal setting for a peaceful getaway in a medieval setting that can be walked from end-to-end in about 20 minutes. The church, belltower and castle are concentrated into a single impressive complex, dating back to at least the 16th century.
There is also more recent history to explore. Lazio is home to the bloody twin battlefields of Anzio and Monte Cassino, which saw some of the most determined combat of the Second World War. Anzio was the site of an Allied amphibious landing to outflank the Germans, who had the main Allied army handily bottled up across the narrow peninsula of Italy. Monte Cassino was the site of four separate major attacks, all with the intent of breaking through the German line. In the end, the famous monastery there was bombed into oblivion, so the current building is of modern construction.
Lazio also offers the sunny beaches that many people come to Italy for. The coastline of Lazio is almost entirely comprised of sandy beaches, so finding a beach stop should not pose a problem. However, some places are better than others. If you merely want a day trip, there are public beaches just down the highway from Rome. For something more, your best bet is the Lazian resort town of Gaeta. The beaches of Gaeta are set between crystal clear Mediterranean waters and sheer, rocky cliffs with green hilltops. Coupled with the golden sand beaches, Gaeta offers some truly breathtaking seaside scenery.
Inland are the popular resort destinations of Lake Bolsena and Lake Bracciano. Bracciano serves as a major reservoir for Rome, so boating on the lake is forbidden. That makes it one of the cleanest bodies of fresh water in Italy, and therefore a great spot of freshwater swimming. Bolsena is almost as clean, and has a pair of curiosities about it. One is the odd phenomenon of the lake having tidal motions - such a small body of water should not have waves, but Bolsena does. The other is that it was the site of a 13th century miracle, when a consecrated host (the bread of the Catholic mass) bled. The cloth that caught the dripping blood is kept on display at the local cathedral.
Everyone goes to Italy for the cuisine, and the foods of Rome and Lazio are closely intertwined. The Lazian countryside is famed for the wine of the Alban Hills and the production of Sambuca, while the olive oil of the Sabine Hills enjoys a quality reputation. The local cheeses include the genuine buffalo's milk mozzarella, as well as Roman pecorino and ricotta. The residents of old Latium have been fond of wild asparagus, zucchini, chickpea stews and good hams since before the days of the Roman Republic. The pasta features dishes like Spaghetti alla Carbonara, which is served with garlic, bacon, chilli peppers and egg instead of the typical red sauce. The towns around the two lakes, Bolsena and Bracciano, are famous for their est (wine). In a peculiar twist for a region so closely associated with the Papacy, Lazio has a tradition of Jewish cooking. Such dishes can be identified through the phrase "alla giudia," and it was this branch of traditional Lazian cooking that made many a Roman restaurant famous.
Lazio arguably has the best road connections of any part of Italy, so the best way to get around it is to rent a car and go for a drive. Through the use of Rome's A90 ring road, one can loop from north to south and then take a national highway or local road to reach any destination with ease.
Too many tourists visit Italy and never escape the confines of Rome. For some, this is simply because they are short on time and have their hands full with the sights and sounds of that great, ancient city. For others, Lazio is rich with attractions and makes the ideal source of day trips, and adjunct to a Roman vacation, or a destination all its own. If you are planning a week's vacation and starting it in Rome, your best bet is to split your time between Rome and Lazio. After all, going to Naples, Florence or Venice will take half a day or more each way, while the worthwhile sights of Lazio are mere minutes or hours away. |
