The Castelli Romani are a series of small villages where the nobles, Popes and wealthier folks escaped the heat and hoi pollo of built-up Rome. What’s good enough for the earlier Popes (who didn’t mind the notion of not practicing what they preached) should be good enough for the traveler, I figure. In summer, there are cool breezes and Frascati wine to make for pleasant evenings as the piazze fill with strollers and onlookers.
Rocca di Papa spills out along the flanks of Monte Albano, rising to the top of the highest peak of the Alban Hills. The area on top is known as, surprisingly enough, the Bavarian quarter. That’s because many decent German artists over the years have settled the area with brushes in tow.
The fun isn’t over once a decent chill enters the evening air; impending winters in Rocca di Papa are celebrated here, too. October and November are times to celebrate the chestnut season–and to buy a bag of roasted chestnuts to be washed down with your Frascati wine.
Sound good? You might as well rent a villa, if only to fit in. The one to the left over there is called, evocatively, Villa Fedora. It’s not as expensive as you might think, and you can invite your friends to share the expense.
Check out Rocca di Papa and the Alban hills. It’s all part of Italy that tourists line up to miss–and that’s a shame.
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