Must-see attractions in Castelli Romani

  • Top Choice
    Lago Albano

    The larger and more developed of the Castelli's two volcanic lakes – the other is Lago di Nemi – Lago Albano is set in a steeply banked wooded crater. It…

  • Abbazia Greca di San Nilo

    Grottaferrata's fortified monastery, the last of the Byzantine-Greek abbeys that once dotted medieval Italy, was founded in 1004. The walls and…

  • Palazzo Apostolico

    Dominating Castel Gandolfo's skyline, the 17th-century Palazzo Apostolico was the pope's traditional summer residence. However, since 2016 it has been…

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    Palazzo Chigi

    Lording it over the small town of Ariccia, this 17th-century palazzo was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini for the Chigi family. Its interior, used by…

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    Giardini di Villa Barberini

    For centuries a closed world, the papal gardens at Castel Gandolfo can now be visited, albeit accompanied and in groups. The regular one-hour tour…

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    Scuderie Aldobrandini

    The former stables of Villa Aldobrandini, restored by architect Massimiliano Fuksas, house Frascati's single museum of note, the Museo Tuscolano…

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    Museo delle Navi Romane

    This museum on the shores of Lago di Nemi was built by Mussolini to house two Roman boats salvaged from the lake in 1932. These dated from Caligula’s time…

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    Villa Aldobrandini Gardens

    Looming over Frascati's main square, Villa Aldobrandini is a haughty 16th-century villa designed by Giacomo della Porta and built by Carlo Maderno. It's…

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    Tusculum

    The remnants of ancient Tusculum lie littered on a hilltop a few kilometres outside Frascati – you'll need a car to get to the site. The main ruins of…

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    Nemi

    The small town of Nemi is perched high above Lago di Nemi, the smaller of the two volcanic lakes in the Castelli Romani. This area was the centre of a…

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    Cattedrale di San Pietro

    Frascati is a long way from Scotland but it's here, in the town's 16th-century cathedral, that the heart of Charles Edward Stuart, aka Bonnie Prince…