Rome Castelli Romani

Volcanoes are notoriously unfriendly creatures (remember Pompeii?), but the volcanoes that surround Rome have tried to make up for their more inflammatory southern counterparts by providing famed vineyards, crystal clear lakes, and succulent strawberries for world-weary Romans. Nestled between the hills and lakes south of Rome, the thirteen towns that make up the Castelli Romani began as feudal estates for some of Italy’s wealthiest families. Today, some of the towns are over-touristed, but ones listed below provide a beautiful and relaxing excursion nonetheless.

Castel Gandolfo

Named after the Gandolfini family who ruled the area from the 11th to the 13th centuries, Castel Gandolfo (pop. 6927) was chosen by the popes as the official papal summer residence in the 17th century ...more

Frascati

From its commanding position atop an ancient volcanic ridge, Frascati has attracted fugitives from the stifling Roman heat for centuries. Frascati’s patrician villas and renowned fruity, dry white ...more

Albano

Nature lovers will find plenty to pique their arborial and aquatic interests at pristine Lake Albano. Believed to have been formed when the two prehistoric craters of the Lazio Volcanio merged into one ...more