Off the Beaten Track near Rome with Claudio

Our first full day in Rome was devoted to historic sites off the beaten track in the surrounding area of Rome. Claudio is a Roman native and has incredible knowledge of the area, its history and its culture. No tour guide or tour book could be better!

Our bed and breakfast, Citta Giardino, in northeastern Rome. The family lives on the top two stories and rents out three small but very comfortable rooms on the ground floor.

Tito on the terrace of Casa Clementi/Arbib

Randy in the living room of Casa Clementi/Arbib. Note the wonderful terrazzo floor.

We started with a drive to the northwest stopping at a structure that was a Roman travelers's stop then inn, storehouse and who knows what else over the past 2000 years. Now it is a state owned monument but is quite deserted near a busy motorway. Our first target is the hilltop village of Calcata. This was abandoned in the 1940's or 50's at government insistence but has recently turned into an artists' colony and counterculture haven. It is an interesting and well situated hilltop village, especially on this ideal spring day. However, it lacks a sense of real life, that is, normal people living normal lives.

The brickwork is Roman of this ancient guesthouse

Roman brickwork - made to last

Claudio and Randy decide on gelato flavors at the local bar

Entrance to Calcata

Calcata viewed from the road

Selfie in Calcata

Claudio admires the view from Calcata

We briefly visit Claudio's artist friend who lives in the village in his Hobbit like home

The next stop was, to us, more interesting. This is a Roman amphitheater carved into the soft volcanic rock, the tufa. The theater is quite ruined but still whole. We viewed it from inside and also from above where a Renaissance villa stands, now a public park. Also, within this tufa is a medieval chapel that was originally a worship place to a pagan deity, Mitreo. This chapel is only open at specific hours and only with the park guide so we were lucky to view it.

Entrance to the amphitheater

Claudio explains how the theater was built and used

Where the lions and other wild beasts came out to do battle in the theater

View from the Renaissance villa park above

The Renaissance villa, now a park overlooking the theater


Panoramic of the theater carved by Romans into the soft volcanic tufa

Church near the Renaissance villa

Entrance to chapel in the tufa

This place reminded us of the similar hidden tufa chapels of Cappadocia in Turkey

Inside frescoes

Lunch was a highlight. We ate in the nearby village of Sutri. We found a place on the main square (there were not many choices). This restaurant, La Sfera d'Oro Trattoria, had the most amazing food. Alice had mushroom and truffle pasta that was to die for (and finished up by Randy). The sauteed vegetables (chicory, peppers and broccolini) were equally delicious. Sitting on the square with other Italian families having a late Saturday lunch was ideal. Randy and Claudio finished with limoncello.

The village of Sutri

The clock tower of Sutri at the village entrance

Claudio and Randy wait for lunch at La Sfera d'Oro Trattoria in Sutri

Alice and Claudio are glad of the break in the day's excursions

The best meal of the trip so far - homemade pasta with rustic mushrooms and black truffles

Claudio buys dried fruits and huge black and green olives from a local Sutri seller

Refreshed, we drove to a volcanic lake for a look. Thence, to the northeastern outskirts of Rome. Here, Claudio found his favorite shepherd (yes, shepherd!) to buy Pecorino cheese from (made from sheep milk). We then headed for a truly rural area which Claudio and Simonetta had explored over the years through hikes. We viewed a secluded Roman road and then hiked to a hidden Roman aqueduct near a strange Roman tower. The day was glorious and the Roman ruins especially notable for their isolation.

The drive to the lake - Claudio says this cut in the hill was made by Etruscans and we have no reason to doubt him

Claudio and Randy walk to the volcanic lake

While Alice communed with the sheep

Claudio shows off his favorite bit of Italian countryside, located northeast of Rome

A hike to an isolated Roman aqueduct - behind Claudio are the remains of the piping system to carry the water

The aqueduct viewed from the side facing Rome, this side is faced in nice stone

The other side is not faced in stone and only shows the brickwork. To reach this aqueduct you actually hike on top of it which is a little precarious as the drop to the waters below is high and there is little indication of the edges of the top of the aqueduct due to the overgrown vegetation

The weird Roman tower that was the center of a military encampment. We hope to hike here on our next visit to the region.

We finished the day's explorations with a trip to the nearby (and completely untouristic) hilltop village of San Gregorio da Sassola. This place has a castle of fairytale proportion and is a working, breathing, living village. Being there at twilight was a true feeling of stepping back to the 1200's (but with electricity). We sampled the local farm wine from the village fishmonger/butcher. The wine was not going to win any medals but was memorable for the setting.

A modern sign to an ancient village

The village of San Gregorio da Sassola from the road

A lion is in a stone street of the village near the entry

The impressive castle, now a public building that is little used

The fishmonger/butcher also offers rustic local wine and olive oil

The white and red wines are stored in plastic vats

A village resident walks home

Dinner that night was at Casa Clementi/Arbib where Claudio fried fresh whole fish and some calamari. There was also a green salad, bread, and cherries in pure alcohol (!). The day was active, unusual, educational and one that could not have been achieved, even in small measure, without a friend like Claudio.