From Civitavecchia to Santa Severa: a journey between culture and nature

Following the Route of the Emperors, after landing in the port of Civitavecchia and reaching the quay, one's gaze will be lost in the hustle and bustle of maritime activity. But this will not distract you from your desire to get to know this splendid town on the Tyrrhenian coast, which has its roots in Etruscan times. In 108 A.D., the Emperor Trajan planned the construction of the port, although the maximum expansion of the city took place between 314 and 538 A.D. After the Byzantine period, Civitavecchia passed to the Papal State, to which we owe most of the monuments in the city. Evidence of these periods can be found in the National Archaeological Museum and in the archaeological area of Terme Taurine. Not to be missed is a visit to the Forte Michelangelo, the largest fortress of the 16th century, built at the behest of Pope Julius II to a design by Bramante and completed by Michelangelo in 1535. The festival of Santa Firmina, patron saint of the city and protector of sailors, is well worth a visit. It is celebrated on 28th April with an evocative procession on the sea accompanied by fireworks. It is curious to discover that in one of the small squares along the seafront there is a statue of the samurai Hasekura Tsunenaga Rokuemon, in memory of the delegation that landed in the port of the city in 1615 and was received in Rome by Pope Paul V Borghese. The event is inextricably linked to the sacrifice of 26 Japanese martyrs on 5 February 1597, to whom the church not far from the monument is dedicated. Today it is still possible to walk along the path of about 100 kilometres that led the diplomat from Civitavecchia to the Papal See. A kind of itinerary within the itinerary. Finally, for those who want to lick their chops while tasting excellent dishes, the local cuisine offers sea snails flavoured with garlic and parsley, Civitavecchia-style rock octopus and fish soup. Complete your meal with fresh sheep's ricotta from the Tolfa mountains.

Leaving the port behind us, we enter the Lazio countryside, where after about twenty kilometres we reach the ancient town of Tarquinia. Here we can decide whether to spend a day on the Lido, where we can taste excellent fish accompanied by good wine, or to continue with our itinerary and visit the ancient town, where we can find the National Archaeological Museum, rich in Etruscan remains, and a little further on the splendid Monterozzi necropolis, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, where the presence of paintings is of exceptional importance. At the end of the visit to Tarquinia, we can choose to continue our journey or, alternatively, to go inland, where we can visit, also through the Cammino dei Tre Villaggi, the village of Blera, famous for its necropolis as well as for the Tonda Gentile Romana hazelnut, for the extra virgin olive oil Tuscia DOP and for the wines Tuscia DOC. Not to be missed is the Gustav VI Adolf Civic Archaeological Museum, which explores, analyses and explains the ancient relationship between horses and man through a large number of finds relating to peasant life. The next stop is the rural centre of Barbarano Romano and its Museo delle Necropoli, which exhibits the findings from the necropolis of the Marturanum Regional Park. In particular, the Etruscan necropolis of San Giuliano offers a complete overview of the development of Etruscan funerary architecture in the different historical periods. This short detour from the main itinerary is completed by the town of Oriolo Romano, newly founded, so to speak. In fact, it is considered an “ideal village” because it was planned in the second half of the 16th century by the nobleman Giorgio Santacroce, according to a rational and precise plan, able to satisfy the needs of every inhabitant. Famous, also for the importance of the events it hosts, is the prestigious Palazzo Altieri, named after the family that took over the government of the feud in the seventeenth century. The building, decorated with frescoes, period furniture and furnishings, and the picturesque Galleria dei Papi with portraits of the pontiffs, is surrounded by a large park, now owned by the municipality.

But we would not be truly satisfied without having visited the ancient site of Monterano, "the dead city", a symbolic place of an architectural stratification that has been maintained over the centuries. The strategic importance acquired during the Etruscan period was consolidated in the Middle Ages, when the city became the episcopal capital of the diocese that stretched from Lake Bracciano to the Tolfa mountains. From the middle of the 17th century, Monterano was acquired by the Altieri family, who, through the work of one of the greatest directors of the 17th century, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, modified the town to meet the needs of a new ducal seat. The architect transformed the small village into a melting pot of Baroque shapes and lines: he designed the church, the convent and the octagonal fountain of San Bonaventura. He renovated the Palazzo Ducale and added the splendid fountain surmounted by the statue of the Lion. Unfortunately, at the end of the 18th century the town was destroyed by the French army, which led to its definitive abandonment. Today, there are still traces of a past that is bygone but not forgotten, as shown by the numerous films that have been shot in these ruins. The territory is characterised by deep valleys, thanks to the presence of numerous watercourses, including the Mignone torrent, which, in the section of the Monterano Regional Nature Reserve, hosts in its waters various species of invertebrates and an important flora, vital for the surrounding ecosystem. Satisfied with this fascinating dive into the sea of history, it could be an original idea to turn our attention to the waters of Lake Bracciano, on whose shores we can, why not, practise some sports such as surfing and canoeing. Of volcanic origin, it is the second deepest lake in Latium, with a depth of 165 metres. It is inhabited by a rich fish population and a varied bird colony, to the delight of numerous birdwatchers. The vegetation is typical of lake ecosystems. Together with Lake Martignano, it forms the Bracciano-Martignano Regional Park, whose main aim is to protect the exceptional natural environment that develops along its shores. And since the stomach needs to be fed as well as the eyes, you can satisfy your hunger with a delicious feast of fish from the lake.

Once your appetite is satisfied, it is time to continue the journey towards the penultimate stop, the town of Cerveteri, the ancient Caere, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004, together with the already well-known Tarquinia. It is a necropolis that is particularly famous for having been built architecturally like the real Etruscan cities. In particular, the tomb of the Regolini Galassi, in the necropolis of Sorbo, dating back to the 7th century BC. It represents one of those fortunate examples of an excavation where the recovery was complete and almost completely intact. The finds are currently kept in the Gregorian Etruscan Museum of the Vatican. It is impossible to leave Cerveteri without visiting, in the historical centre, the Cerite National Archaeological Museum, one of the sections of the Archaeological Park of Cerveteri and Tarquinia, a place of fundamental importance for those who want to know more about the uses and customs of these people. Among the exhibits are vases, jewels, weapons and tools of daily Etruscan life. For some, there are touch-screen panels that explain the history of the relics through the narrative voice of Piero Angela. For the more energetic, we also recommend an urban trekking to Borgo del Sasso, 12 km from the town, whose name, probably of Saxon origin, derives from the military campaign of the German emperor Otto, carried out around the year 1000. The entrance to the picturesque village is through a crenellated gate and once in the main square, you will be surprised by the beautiful Renaissance fortress with its 16th century frescoes. But this place continues to amaze us, not only because of the ancient presence of a thermal complex called Acque Cerette, but also because of the discovery in the Grotta Patrizi, already a tomb, of a room reserved for the burial of a single deceased, on whom there were signs of a cranial trepanation and the consequent healing process, which the man probably survived for a few days. His burial gifts are kept in the Pigorini Museum in Rome.

Continuing along the coast road, we arrive at the final destination of our journey, the town of Santa Severa, with its splendid Castle overlooking the sea. It owes its name to Severa, a young Christian martyr who is said to have died here with her brothers on 5 June 298 A.D. under the Emperor Diocletian. In addition to a rich museum, the castle organises exhibitions, shows, concerts, guided tours and sports activities. The whole complex, made up of a series of buildings such as the early Christian basilica, stands on the ancient Etruscan settlement of Pyrgi, the port city linked to ancient Caere, now Cerveteri, founded between the end of the 7th and the beginning of the 6th century BC, today a natural monument and underwater archaeological site. The Etruscan settlement was mainly visited by Greek and Phoenician sailors and traders. Fifty years of research led by the Sapienza University of Rome have uncovered, in the area south of the castle, the remains of an important but not unique sanctuary, already known from Greek and Latin sources. The site continued to change well beyond the Roman Imperial period. Within the walls of the village you can visit the Museum of the Sea and of Ancient Navigation, made up of seven exhibition rooms that recreate ancient life at sea; the Antiquarium of Pyrgi, which preserves the materials found during more than forty years of excavations on the site and is currently being restored; the two exhibition rooms of the Museum of the Territory and the Museum of the Castle, with artefacts of daily life and documents of the historical events of the castrum; the Saracen tower, built in the early Middle Ages for the observation and control of the territory. The spectacle that surrounds the settlement is suggestive not only of the presence of the crystalline waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea, but also of the Macchiatonda Nature Reserve, which stretches along a flat area between the foothills of the Ceriti Mountains and the Tyrrhenian coast. With the visit of this last stage we have reached the end of our adventure. We will leave these places with an even richer personal baggage of art, history, culture and, why not, food and wine, because we know that a good glass of wine and a tasty traditional dish are never forgotten!