Italy Guide
Lazio
The Castelli Romani
Just free of the sprawling southern suburbs of Rome, the thirteen towns that make up the Castelli Romani date back to pre-Roman times. These hills – the Colli Albani – have long cooled rich and powerful urbanites, who also treasure the area's extraordinary white wines, inspired by the rich volcanic soil, and the spectacular views of Lago Albano. The region is now pretty heavily built-up, with most of the historic centres ringed by unprepossessing suburbs, and summer weekends see traffic jams of Romans trooping out to local trattorias. But off-peak, it's worth the journey, either as an excursion from Rome or a stop on the way south. COTRAL buses serve the area (every 30min; 35min) from Rome's Anagnina metro station (line A) and regular trains depart from Roma Termini for Frascati, Albano, Marino and Velletri.