An itinerary for Mazzano and Surrounds
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Day of arrival
Walk the circuit of the Borgo – see if Marco’s art shop is open. Walk up the hill to the ‘new town’ and have a coffee at Bar Novella. Visit Bar del Falco (Carla’s bar) in the afternoon or evening of your arrival and introduce yourself to Carla. Arrange to have dinner there. Walk down to the washing tubs (dating back to Faliscan times) below the car park. Be sure to check out the medieval chapel of Sant Sebastiano in Piazza Umberto 1, consecrated in 1465.
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Day trip
Walk down into the national park, and, using a map, walk to Calcata for lunch. You might need to divert slightly to ensure you see the Faliscan temple on the way. Walk back after lunch. After a tiring day, a drink at Carla’s bar and a meal at the Deus Birra pub.
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Day trip
Morning: Walk to the waterfalls of Monte Gelato and back. Take a thermos of coffee to have there.
Afternoon: drive to Bracciano and spend a couple of hours exploring the enormous castle. (Check opening hours first!), visit Anguillara Sabazia and Trevignano for ice cream or drinks.
A Saturday
Morning: Visit the new church of Nicola di Mari in Piazza Goivanni XXIII – keep an eye out for the interesting painting depicting the resistance of the local priest during WWII. Visit the museum next to the church (only open Friday and Saturday mornings) 3 Euros.
Afternoon: drive to Sutri and walk around. Sutri overlooks the main road of the Cassia, which goes from Rome to Viterbo. There is a Roman amphitheatre, Etruscan necropolis and many Etruscan tombs clearly visible as one drives through. The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta features an interesting crypt and 13th century frescoes. Visit the antique stores, Il Mercante in Fiera. Visit Capranica and Ronciglione, before getting to Lago di Vico for sunset.
Day trip
Drive to Civita Castellana and be sure to visit the crypt of the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Maggiore. Be sure to visit the small but interesting museum. On the way home, visit Castel Sant’ Elia and the Basilica of Sant Elia, dating back to the 8th century. There are frescoes dating to the 11th & 12 centuries. There is a small entrance fee for foreigners Drive on to Nepi and the ruins of the collapsed castle of the Borgias, which can be visited on weekends (around €5), as well as a museum, the beautiful duomo of Santa Maria Assunta and its spooky 11th century crypt.
Park in the lower car park and walk up the stairs through the enormous walls to reach the centro storico, visiting the museum, and have a couple of Euro coins handy for the lights of the crypt of the There is also a great pizzetta and suppli store, with interesting vegetable dishes.
A Sunday
Pre-book a tour Bunkers of Monte Soratte, comprising many kilometres of WW II bomb shelter, and a 1960s nuclear shelter. Only open on Sunday, you must book into a tour online (€10) selected from www.bunkersoratte.it. The tours are terrific and take over 2 hours. Bookings are made by email to prenotazini@bunkersoratte.it. Most tours are in Italian, but there are sometimes English tours, or you can request an English tour, if you pay for a minimum of 10 people ((€100) – but worth doing for 2 or more people, as the tour is so fascinating. Ensure arrival 30 minutes before the tour to find parking and walk the last part of the way. Visit the nearby town of Sant Oreste, walking up to the top of the hill to see the terrific views. On the way home, stop for a walk in Rignano Flaminio.
Take a later afternoon walk down into the valley and up the hill opposite Mazzano and see if you can find some bronze-age caves.
Day trip
Pre-book a truffle hunt and lunch with www.matteo-truffles.com. One of the highlights of the area, just East of Bracciano, book into this well-organised truffle hunt small group event, followed by a 7 course truffle degustation. Conducted in English and Italian, allow most of a day and lots of appetite. Stop in Trevignano for evening drinks on the way home.
Day trip
Morning: drive to Capraola and visit the the octagonal Farnese palace and huge gardens – allow an hour or two to explore. Check opening hours at www.polomusealelazio.beniculturali.it/index.php?it/239/palazzo-farnese
Afternoon: drive towards Calcata – just after leaving Mazzano, turn off at the sign for the Chiesa di Santa Maria. Park the car along the way, and follow the signs to walk to the picnic grounds and abandoned 12th century monastery. At this point you are close to Calcata, to which you can also walk from this location.
Day trip
Drive to Castel Gandolfo for a morning tour of the summer papal palace and amazing views of the lake. Eat a hot porchetta roll in the nearby town of Ariccia. Stop at the Tivoli gardens on the way home – this will be a terrific, but long and tiring day!
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Picnic lunch
Driving out of Mazzano towards Calcata, follow the signs to S.Maria, an abandoned church and monastery.
Hike for 20 minutes to the site and picnic area, with views of Calcata.
An overnight trip to Viterbo
Stop at the thermal baths of Termei dei Pap for total luxury pampering, the thermal baths Terme del Papi offer a range of indulgences that can be enjoyed for a few hours or even days, including several swimming pools, salt caves and a luxury hotel and restaurant. See https://termedeipapi.it/en/home-en/ for packages.
The International-style facilities mean that reception staff speak English. Bring swimmers, bathrobe and slippers. Drive on to Viterbo, and visit the national Etruscan museum in Piazzao della Rocca.
In the evening walk around the city, be sure to book a table at one of the many restaurants. The next day, be sure to visit the disappearing town of Bagno Reggio, famous for its decaying clay surrounds, is soars above the surrounding countryside, and is only reached by means of a long footbridge.
Visiting Rome from Mazzano
Drive drive to Cesano train station, where there is plenty of parking. A very modern train takes you to Valle Aurelia, where you can change to the metropolitana, or go directly to Trastevere or the Vatican. Stay in the heart of Rome overnight and be sure to have dinner at one of the outdoor restaurants in the Jewish quarter, featuring Carciofi alla Judea.
And only a few hours away for more overnight stays:
Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Gubbio, Parma and 4 ½ hours drive to the principality of San Marino.