A Day in Collepardo
Eastern Lazio is home to the “Ciociaria” area and has several towns worth visiting, in particular one called Collepardo which is an interesting place for a day trip from Palestrina, especially for families. There are three main sites to visit: the cave, the sunken cave and the Monastery of Trisulti.
Underneath the town of Collepardo you’ll find the main cave which is full of stalagmites and stalactites that make shapes that resemble children or dolls. The small, illuminated cave is easily visited in 30 minutes. A guided tour, included in the ticket price, allows visitors to hear the story of the cave’s formation. It’s best to visit the cave in the morning and allow the other sites for the afternoon.
A winding ten-minute drive from the valley under Collepardo to the mountainous panoramas above Collepardo, leads visitors to the Monastery of Trisulti, hidden among a vast, wooded area. It’s frescoed pharmacy and topiary gardens are delightful. You can sample their home made liqueurs, and even make a purchase and bring the elixirs back home. Attached to the monastery is a small restaurant with good, traditional food at moderate prices. The Monastery is closed from 12:00-3:00pm which allows enough time for a proper Italian lunch and stroll through the pinewood. For the more active visitors, there is a 1km hike down (and back!) to a small hermitage built on the side of the mountain called “Madonna delle Cese”.
In the afternoon, when driving back down the hilly road which returns to the town of Collepardo, you can take a short detour in the direction of the “Pozzo d’Antullo” which is a cave with a sunken roof. The area is open to the public in the afternoons and has been fenced to prevent people from accidentally falling in. You can observe the old stalactites along the edge of what appears to be a huge hole in the ground.
Basic Info:
Grotte di Collepardo: Open from 10:30am to 4:30pm
Tourist Information Phone: 0775 47065
Dolina d’Antullo: Open from 3:00pm-5:00pm
Certosa di Trisulti: Open from 9:30am to 12:00pm and 3:30pm to 5:30pm
Monastery Phone: 0775 47024
