Roman Castles

Frascati

Launched onto the business and cultural stage thanks to its marvellous geographical position, Frascati is a busy centre, attracting the likes of national and international celebrities and business people for events and meetings. A medieval centre boasting a wealth of history and culture, Frascati today is a shining beacon of well-being and social harmony.

Monte Porzio Catone

The town is lies at the centre of an area rich in historical interest, with the ruins of the ancient town of Tuscolo, falling within the network of Tuscolane Villas, and a fertile countryside, also boasting the remains of numerous centuries-old villas. The hillside on which the town was built - also the site of the original Roman-era villa and the small medieval settlement - features a breath-taking panorama over Rome and its surrounding countryside, with views sweeping from the sea to the Prenestine mountains.

Grottaferrata

In ancient times, the modern-day territory of Grottaferrata belonged to the city of Tuscolo, the mythical city of Latium whose rise and fall has achieved both historical and legendary status. Numerous archaeological finds attest the presence of human settlement as far back as the Iron Age, in the XI century BC. It was destroyed by the Roman city of Tuscolo in 1191, and its subsequent fate was closely entwined with that of its abbey.

Castelgandolfo

The town takes its name from the Gandolfi family, the local lords of the area for approximately two centuries until 1200. It then came under the dominion of the Savelli family, but the fortress was ceded to Cardinal Scarampo in 1467, the Bishop of Albano, who saw to its restoration. Returning briefly to the Savelli family, Pope Clement VIII definitively removed the town from their dominion after the Sevlli family refused to repay its debt of 150,000 scutes to the Apostolic Chamber. In 1608, it was declared the "inalienable dominion of the Holy See."

Ariccia

Lying half-way between the lakes of Albano and Nemi, on a volcanic rock outcrop, Ariccia is a town of ancient origin. Its ancient inhabitants were devout worshippers of the goddess Diana, and the temple dedicated to her, which stood in Nemi, was one of the main shrines in the Latium Confederation. The first inhabitants of the town were renown for their courage and war faring spirit, leading the Latium Allies to victory in the famous Battle of Aricia (end of VI century BC), which crushed the hegemonic ambitions of the Etruscans in southern Latium.

For more information, please visit the following sites:

www.parchilazio.it/parco.castelli.romani/