Italy

Latium

Region

Latium stretches from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Apennines, with Rome as its capital.

Latium stretches from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Apennines, with Rome as its capital. Around the capital, you'll find the villas of Tivoli, volcanic lakes like Bolsena, Vico, and Bracciano, Etruscan necropolises, and towns like Civita di Bagnoregio perched on a tufa rock.

Lazio is named after the Latins and was the heartland of ancient Rome, later of the Papal States. The region is predominantly hilly and mountainous, with plains mainly along the coast and in the Tiber Valley. Beyond Rome, you'll find Ostia Antica and the two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Tivoli, Villa d'Este and Villa Adriana. The landscape ranges from volcanic lakes in the north, through the Alban Hills with the Castelli Romani, to the sandy beaches of the coast.

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Castelli Romani

The Castelli Romani are a cluster of towns at the foot of the Alban Hills southeast of Rome.

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Ostia Antica

The ruins of Rome's ancient port city lie at the former Tiber mouth, on the Via Ostiense that led here from Rome.

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Rome

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Sperlonga

Sperlonga is located in the Province of Latina, approximately halfway between Rome and Naples, on a promontory overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. To the west, a long sandy beach extends to Terracina; to the east are short beaches and a rocky coast.

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More places in Latium

Viterbo

Viterbo was the seat of the Popes for around two decades in the 13th century, and its old town is one of the best-preserved medieval city centers in Central Italy. Stone houses, medieval fountains, and the Papal Palace define its appearance; thermal springs, used by Etruscans and Romans, lie to the west of the city.

Sights in Latium

Discover the most important sights and attractions

Museum

Villa d'Este

Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este commissioned the villa in Tivoli in the second half of the 16th century, with Pirro Ligorio designing the garden. It is renowned for its 51 fountains and nymphaea, featuring hundreds of gargoyles, water jets, and basins, all fed solely by gravity, without pumps. Since 2001, the villa has been a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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Museum

Villa Adriana

Hadrian's palace complex was built from around 120 AD near Tivoli, about 20 kilometers from Rome. Over 30 buildings, like baths, the Teatro Marittimo, and pools, are spread across several terraces. Since 1999, the site is a UNESCO World Heritage site; it's known for the Canopus, a long pool representing the Nile. The site is vast, so allow ample time.

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Church

Montecassino Abbey

Benedict of Nursia founded the monastery in 529 on the 516-meter-high Montecassino above Cassino. On February 15, 1944, the abbey was destroyed in an Allied bombing raid and faithfully rebuilt from 1948 to 1956. From the Loggia del Paradiso, you can gaze out over the Liri Valley; the Polish War Cemetery is nearby.

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Civita di Bagnoregio

The village lies in the Valle dei Calanchi, an erosion landscape between Lake Bolsena and the Tiber Valley, on a tuff rock above soft clay. As the rock continues to crumble, Civita is also known as 'the dying city'. It is only reachable via an approximately 300-meter-long reinforced concrete pedestrian bridge dating from 1965; only a few people still live here permanently. A fee has been charged for access since 2013; check the current price beforehand.

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Eating & Drinking in Lazio

The cuisine of Lazio is simple and hearty – many famous pasta dishes originate here.

Pasta alla Carbonara

Pasta, usually spaghetti, with guanciale, egg, Pecorino Romano and black pepper, typical of Latium.

Bucatini all'Amatriciana

Named after Amatrice in the province of Rieti: Sauce of tomatoes, guanciale, and pecorino.

Porchetta di Ariccia

The Porchetta from Ariccia in the Castelli Romani has held a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) since 2011.

Frascati's Wine

White wine with DOC status, primarily from Malvasia, from Frascati, Grottaferrata, Monte Porzio Catone, and parts of Rome and Monte Compatri.

Culture in Latium

Etruscans, Latins, RomansIn the north of the region lived the Etruscans. Their necropolises in Cerveteri and Tarquinia, with painted tombs at the Monterozzi Necropolis, have been UNESCO World Heritage sites since 2004. The name Latium stems from the Latins, whose city-state was Rome.Papal States and PopesFrom the mid-16th century, Latium was politically firmly integrated into the Papal States. Viterbo was the seat of the popes for about two decades in the 13th century. Pope Leo XIV once again spends his summer holiday in Castel Gandolfo on Lake Albano.Festivals and TraditionsIn Viterbo, on the evening of September 3rd, some hundred porters carry the 30-meter-high Macchina di Santa Rosa through the old town; the festival has been intangible UNESCO cultural heritage since 2013. In Marino, the Sagra dell'Uva is celebrated on the first Sunday in October, where fountains stream wine.

A Trip through Latium

By Train and BusRome is the region's transport hub. Regional trains connect the capital with many places in the region; Ostia can be reached via the Roma–Lido suburban train from Porta San Paolo. Intercity buses run by the regional company Cotral serve locations without train connections.By CarFor the Castelli Romani, the volcanic lakes, and secluded mountain villages, a rental car offers flexibility. In many old towns, restricted traffic zones (ZTL) apply; check the rules before entering.

Round trips through this region

Italy Complete Motorhome (2–3 Weeks)

The motorhome route leads from Lake Garda via Verona, Florence and Siena to Rome, to the Lazio coast to Sperlonga, and continues via Naples to the Amalfi Coast. In the historic city centers and on the Amalfi Coast, motorhome access is limited. You park at designated pitches on the outskirts and travel onward by bus, train, or ferry.

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Viterbo

Spoleto

Spoleto is located in Umbria on a hillside below the Rocca Albornoziana. The city was a Roman colony and, under the Lombards, the capital of a duchy. Among its most famous buildings are the Cathedral with frescoes by Filippo Lippi, the Ponte delle Torri, and the Roman Theatre. Every summer, it hosts the Festival dei Due Mondi.