I introduce you to the Castles of Rome.
A stone's throw from Rome its "Castell!".. Castelli Romani, the splendid area half an hour from the capital.
With the name Castelli Romani ("I Castelli" – the Castles, for the inhabitants of the Eternal City), we mean that vast, splendid territory of the Roman countryside, which includes those characteristic villages known throughout the world; an area also known as Colli Albani and famous for the quality of its food and wine products, in particular for wine and Roman cuisine, as well as festivals, unique events, ancient traditions..
The name Castelli dates back to the 14th century, a period in which, due to the Avignon Captivity and the consequent worsening of the socio-economic situation, many citizens of Rome fled to the Alban hills, precisely inside the Castles of the noble families who used to reign over those territories (Colonna, Orsini, Annibaldi, Savelli..).
Now.. if the Loire Castles, or the Castles of Northern Europe are showing in your mind, well, you are off track: Roman Castles are characterized by beautiful Renaissance villas, splendid buildings designed by artists of the caliber of Bernini, and surrounded by breathtaking nature made up of crops, rows and woods. But you already know this... (and if you dont, click HERE and HERE and you will know everything you need to know about Castelli Romani).. And this is why here, I am going to tell you about some particularities of the area, some lesser-known "gems", which might tickle your curiosity, more than the art or the food and wine (...Naaaa!!)..
Let's start..
FRASCATI
Frascati is the most important town of Castelli Romani, so much so that it is called the "Pearl of the Castles”. It is a town full of life, famous for its DOCG white wine and its Roman cuisine; a place with hundreds of restaurants, taverns, pubs; the place of the Papal Villas (Villa Aldobrandini, Villa Falconieri, Villa Mondragone) and the International Scientific Research Laboratories; that place a stone's throw from Rome and the first Vatican railway line.
The Pupazza Frascatana
“Pupazza Frascatana” is the dessert par excellence of the city of Frascati, and has almost become its symbol. The consecration of the Pupazza as a symbol, came with its entry into the Slow Food Ark of Taste. The unique (and hilarious) characteristic of this typical biscuit made with acacia honey and “0” flour are its appearance and the meaning behind its appearance: it looks in fact as a peasant girl wearing a typical 19th century skirt, with 3 breasts. According to the tradition, 2 of those give milk, while from the third flows white wine, and that in order to soften the soul of sleepless children and make them fall asleep!
Fraschette (the old inns)
Everyone comes to Fraschette looking for food, but very few know that in the Fraschette... YOU WONT EAT! Or rather... in the Ancient Fraschette, food was brought from home by customers. When we talk about Fraschette, those of the origins, we mean very humble, Spartan places, with a few benches, a few barrels, and where the farmers served the wine, produced with the harvest, in bulk. Their name derives from the habit of decorating the entrance to the inns with a branch, in order to make them recognizable. Today the Fraschette have been updated and modernized and it is common to find inside cured meats and cold cuts and more and more often, cooked dishes of the Roman recipes.
ARICCIA and the Uphill Downhill
If we talk about food and especially Porchetta, the name that comes to mind immediately after Frascati is Ariccia. It is the second destination for Roman picnics, picked more by the yougsters, but it does not have the charm and architecture of its richer sister, Frascati. Ariccia too, has its magnificent building (not castle), Palazzo Chigi, but the most famous thing in the town after the porchetta, is its mysterious and alien "Uphill Downhill". The Uphill Downhill is that mysterious, magical, magnetic place, where objects roll upwards instead of downwards. Protagonist of theories and myths, it was even addressed by Piero Angela and his Quark show(well-known journalist and anchorman of the Italian television), with the aim of giving a scientific explanation to this place. Do you want to know what his explanation was? Sorry, we won't spoil a thing.. and then why take away the magic from this mystery place? Go and try it with your own eyes, find the climb at the following coordinates: 41.74408778428944, 12.696560146296813
NEMI and his Roman Ships.. 2 or 3?!
Nemi is that splendid town that stands a stone's throw from the lake of the same name, a colorful and picturesque place, full of narrow streets and very original architecture, so much so that it is called the "Favor". It is so famous for its Strawberry Festival and its wild strawberries, but what perhaps makes this magical place even more fascinating are its Roman ships and their incredible history.
The ships
The Ships are the two (three?!) gigantic and legendary ships built by Emperor Caligula, which served as the Emperor's floating villa. Sunk upon the death of the Emperor, they were recovered with enormous engineering efforts in 1932, and then an innovative and modern museum was built specifically to preserve them. Unluckily, a fire during the Second World War completely destroyed the two immense ships.
April Fools' Day
For years and years there were discussions around the possibility of finding, at the bottom of Lake Nemi, a third ship, even larger than the other two. There were Academics, who brought evidence of this theory, research was carried out, without obtaining any results. On April 1st 2024, a well-known local newspaper published the news of the discovery of the infamous Third Ship. Finally, Nemi could rewrite the most painful pages of his story and put a happy ending to all this... too bad it was an April Fool's joke!
An April Fool's joke, for the record's honesty, declared before the end of the article, but I can assure you that the hearts of many who came across its pages jumped after the title and the first paragraphs.
ALBANO, Aeneas and the Sow.
Albano Laziale is another town in the area, known for the events narrated in the Aeneid and its legendary foundation under the name of Alba Longa. A very interesting place to visit and which literally sinks its hands into Roman history, are its Cisternoni (Giant Tanks), a gigantic labyrinth/water basin still functioning with a suggestive atmosphere, that extends under the town, and where you could feel like the protagonists of an adventure film. But the bizarre thing about Albano Laziale is its symbol: a.. WHITE SOW!.. In fact, Virgil told that that a white sow came to Aeneas mind whilst dreaming, and then his son Ascanius found the animal in the place where he later built Alba Longa (Albano). Let's put it this way: from the Wolf symbol of Rome, to the Sow of Albano, it’s an extreme journey, but in the end this is Castelli Romani, home of porchetta, “coppiette”, and of a myriad of delicious cold cuts, all strictly from sow (pig) and no one, (NO ONE!), from wolf!..
“THESE GHOSTS” (Eduardo De Filippo quot): Castel Gandolfo and Genzano in Rome.
Not only Ariccia and its "alien" phenomena, but also ectoplasmic manifestations worthy of a real Castle in Castelli Romani!
CASTELGANDOLFO and the ghost of the Illegitimate Prince.
Castel Gandolfo is known for being the place where, traditionally, the Pope spends his holidays every summer. It overlooks the beautiful Lake Albano, and it is home to the marvelous Villa Barberini and the Pontifical Gardens, a complex made up of a series of gardens and beautiful buildings, with an unmatchable variety of flowers and plants. The lake is bathable, beautiful, surrounded by an incredible forest.. But beyond this splendid facade lies a mystery worthy of an Edgar Allan Poe short story: the mystery of the ghost of Prince Barberini. In fact, it is said that an illegitimate member of the Barberini family, a child never wanted and therefore never loved, grew up inside Palazzo Barberini cared for and raised by nurses. In constant conflict with his biological father, during their last furious argument, he accidentally caused his father’s death, and, out of fear of repercussions and a sense of guilt, he shot himself in the temple, ending his existence of suffering. According to numerous testimonies, a distinguished young man would often be seen walking around the walls of the Villa. A pale young man, elegantly well dressed, elusive, with pronounced features and a conspicuous wound at the temple. Truth? Legend? Suggestion? We leave the judgment and search for the truth to you.
GENZANO and paranormal phenomena.
Genzano di Roma, is known to many for its beautiful Infiorata, the unparalleled floral competition that fills an entire town with colors and works of art. Palazzo Sforza Cesarini, the extraordinary palace, is always a co-protagonist of this event, but it’s not Infiorata we are going to tell you about, but more inexplicable and mysterious events. In fact, it seems that the palace was the site of many mysterious facts with no logical explanation. Numerous visitor reported of doors and windows suddenly slamming, strange noises and objects moving. The peak was reached in 1995, when numerous witnesses claimed to have seen the lights inside the building turn on and off repeatedly. A really surprising thing, considering that in 1995 the Palace was not yet connected to the electricity grid. On the same occasion, two Civil Protection operators testified that they had heard distinct noises coming from absolutely empty rooms. For many, all of that is on the tormented spirit of Livia Cesarini, a noble woman who was the victim of gossip and rumors that ruined her life. For others, it is a publicity stunt. Where is the truth? We still leave the answer to you..
Lo Vedi, ecco MARINO (Lyrics from the song ‘Una Gita a li Castelli’ – “See? Here it is Marino!”).
We end our show with Marino, known for the Grape Festival and the "Fountains that give wine".. Yes, because during the famous festival, precious wine actually sprays, from the Fountain of the 4 Moors/ La Fontana dei Quattro Mori. “Una gita a li Castelli” ( A trip to the Castles – a very famous traditional piece, often sung at the end of a lunch by people from the Lazio region ), was sung for the first time in 1928 at the Sagra, by Romolo Balzani, dressed for the occasion as a traditional carter. The famous song was written in Romanesco (Roman slang)by a Sicilian composer, named Franco Silvestri, and interpreted and made famous by Ettore Petrolini, singer and actor symbol of Romanism.
