Ninfa Gardens

Ninfa Botanical Garden

What could be more relaxing than a stroll through the colorful, botanical garden in Ninfa? The gardens were created in 1920 on the ruins of the medieval town of Ninfa, after battles destroyed most of the original structures hundreds of years ago. Today you’ll find that roses and scented climbing flowers have taken over the stone buildings and now gracefully decorate the fallen arches and bridges. It’s a perfume-filled visit with colorful surprises around every corner. Rare plant varieties and scented beauties everywhere. Highly recommended for those who don’t like to rush, for those who love a great photo opportunity and for plant and flower enthusiasts. Definitely an excellent day trip for also viewing the cyclopian masonry of Norma, the town of Sermoneta, the Abbey of Valvisciolo, the Caetani Castle...

There are some great photos accompanied by historical and practical information on the Ninfa garden’s official website: www.fondazionecaetani.org.

Here is a video of some of my photos: http://youtu.be/qNsOIP882sw

Walking in the woods near Rome

So I've been in Italy for quite a while and I've gone hiking in the woods quite often. But last Sunday my husband and I went on a hike with the cultural association called "A Refera" and had a fantastic time. It might have been the first time we didn't get lost! Or end up fighting about who knew where to go... It was a beautiful, sunny day and we passed numerous refreshing waterfalls and pools as we followed the stream up to the Cannucceta Nature Reserve where there are important Roman aqueducts. Then up we went toward the hill town of Rocca di Cave (where there is an astronomic observatory housed in the town's castle), we passed the road where you can find fossilized sea shells in the rock, and then we went back down to the town of Cave, through scented fields and wooded areas with amazing views.
Here is the calendar of events for future 2013 excursions organized by A Refera's leader Alessandro Sapochetti. Here is his email: associazione.arefera@gmail.com, for anyone interested in joined the group for a hike in the woods near Rome!

Excursions in 2013 with "A Refera"


24 March
Cave – Mon. Nat. “La Selva” di Paliano
7 April
Cave – Mon. Nat. “Valle delle Cannucceta” - Rocca di Cave
21 April
Ciciliano - Santuario della Mentorella
5 May
Monteflavio - Monte Pellecchia (M. Lucretili)
19 May
San Vito R. - Monte Calo (Capranica P.)
2 June
Cona Selva Piana (Carpineto R.) - Monte Malaina (M. Lepini)
16 June
Poli - Guadagnolo
30 June
Camerata Nuova - Camposecco (M. Simbruini)
14 July
Valle Caprara (Castel Madama) - Guadagnolo
28 July
Pian della Faggeta - M.Erdigheta - M.Semprevisa (M. Lepini)
25 August
Piani di Pezza - Rif. Sebastiani (Parco Velino-Sirente)
8 September
Parco degli Acquedotti (Gallicano nel Lazio)
22 September
Cave - Rocca di Cave - Fossa Ampilla - Genazzano
6 October
Fiumata - Sorgenti Aniene - Monte Tarino (M. Simbruini)
20 October
Laghetti di Percile (M. Lucretili)

And here is a slide show of my pictures from the day...

Palestrina, closer to Rome than you think

Here are some pictures that I've taken in Palestrina where I rent my holiday home "Altavista".
I've been in Italy for 16 years (that means 16 years of marriage to an incredible and extraordinary Italian man). I met Umberto while I was working as a volunteer in Africa, teaching English in the Peace Corps. Meeting him was the strangest thing that ever happened to me. I had obtained my college degree and left a month later for Eritrea where I was teacher trained and language trained and enthusiastically jumped into a new role. One that seemed important because I was helping so many students, yet at the end of the day, I was the one who was taught some of the most important life lessons. And when I met Umberto in Asmara in 1996, I could sense he was someone special. Someone whom I couldn't just let slip through my fingers and hope to see again some day. He brought me to his home-town, Palestrina, where a drafty apartment without furniture in a 500 year-old building became my first Italian home. A lot has changed since those days, including two kids, various travels, a 5-year stint in Florence and...
Have a look at my photographs of Palestrina--its' a beautiful place to visit and closer to Rome than you think!

Canale Monterano, Lazio

I would highly recommend a day trip to Canale Monterano, located in the province of Rome, near the lake of Bracciano. Enter the Riserva Regionale Naturale di Monterano (http://www.monteranoriserva.com/wp/?page_id=563) and immerse yourself in a spectacular naturalistic setting. Hike through the woods and follow the flow of a sulphur water spring with its waterfalls and cloudy pools; you’ll come across various Etruscan aqueducts along the way, as well as volcanic rock deposits, sulfur gas spouts in the ground, an abandoned sulfur mine and copious sulfur deposits. A short walk up through the Etruscan staircase carved into the rock wall, and you arrive at the abandoned city of Monterano with it’s enormous aqueducts and the fascinating convent of San Buonaventura. Back down through the forest you’ll pass Etruscan tombs, and up through the countryside for many more Etruscan tombs (many still uncovered, other partially covered or uncovered and used over the centuries as homes and stalls). Beautiful park, especially if you enjoy hiking. We hiked for a full day, however there are various paths of different length to suit anyone. Here are some of my pictures: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cj2xrLXoVc

All Roads Lead to Rome

From Palestrina we have the Via Prenestina (formerly via Gabina because it passed through Gabii) which leads to Rome and also goes in the opposite direction toward Fiuggi. This ancient road is still uncovered in some places where the original polygonal basalt stone blocks can be seen. The roads were built to last, and 2000 years later you can still see them (where they haven’t been covered or dismantled), at times still smooth and flat, at times uneven from tree roots pushing through, other times with rut marks from the various carriage and cart wheels that passed over engraving their voice in history. For those of us who come from far away lands and find our way to Italy, the site of those Roman roads can be touching: it’s the combination of perfect workmanship, practical construction, and the beauty of smooth basalt. The age-old question comes to mind: why don’t they still make things the way they used to?

For more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_roads

Tivoli, I love it!

This is a town I end up visiting quite often because it has three important tourist attractions which can be easily visited in a day trip from Palestrina or Rome: Villa d’Este, Villa Gregoriana and Villa Adriana. 

Villa d’Este is the most spectacular of the three, as the building’s frescoed rooms and the magnificent gardens and fountains are truly breathtaking. This is a place for people who don’t have problems with steps. (Entry 9:30am to 7:30pm daily from April to October.)

Villa Gregoriana is the perfect place for a walk through nature to visit caves and a waterfall. (Entry 10:00am to 6:30pm daily from April to October.)

Villa Adriana is a UNESCO world heritage site and is an open-air archeological site full of ruins of baths, theaters, imperial buildings of noteworthy interest. It’s naturalistic setting is perfectly beautiful. If you don’t bring a snack, the hotel in front of the villa’s entrance provides delicious meals. (Entry 9:00am to 5:30pm daily from April to October.)

Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring plenty of bottled drinking water; even though these sites are heavily visited by tourists, they are not always prepared to have bottled water and other food/beverages available in large enough quantities.

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

www.collepardo.it