Lazio region

The Lazio is the region of which Rome is the capital. It has nearly 5,700,000 inhabitants in 2023. The enclave of the Vatican city, as a state in its own right, lies within the commune of Rome.
The west is bordered by the Mediterranean of the Tyrrhenian Sea. To the north is Tuscany and Umbria, to the east the Marches and Abruzzo, and to the south the Molise and Campania.
Originally, Lazio designated a smaller area where lived the tribes of the Latins, around Rome, the Etruscan city of Veii marking a border, and south of it with the Pontine marshes and the Sabine Hills to the territories where other Italic tribes were settled.
Its civilizational heritage extends over more than 2,000 years, with the Etruscan civilization, before being the heart of the Roman Empire, later the territory of the Papal States. See the tourist section on the Region of Rome for tourist information and all the most beautiful places to discover here.

Nowadays, 5 provinces divide Lazio. Each has its own personality and more or less distinct heritage, both from a civilizational and geographical point of view.
The province of Rome is rich in archaeological sites, from Ostia with ancient ports to Tivoli and its villas. There are also many natural sites, such as the lakes with the villages of the Roman Castles, natural parks towards the Apennines, and a religious heritage.
The province of Viterbo, a beautiful medieval town is marked by the historical presence of the Etruscans with its many necropolis, medieval villages, lakes, woods and hills.
To the south-east, the province of Frosinone is terrestrial and has remarkable Latin villages with their cyclopean walls, but also medieval and natural sites in the Ciocciara region, and a beautiful religious heritage.
South of the latter, the province of Latina runs along the coast with not only historic towns and villages such as Gaeta, but also beautiful beaches and coastal portions.
The province of Rieti is dominated mainly by its hills, lakes and some mountains, around the water town of Rieti, and dotted with small villages like those of the Sabine Hills.

Surroundings of Rome

Escapades in the surroundings of Rome are not lacking and allow to rest from the Italian capital, sometimes agitated and noisy. We present in this section the most attractive sites, such as Ostia, Etruscan sites, lakes or beaches of the coast.

Ostia

Photo of Mosaic of the dolphins, Forum of Corporations

About 20 km far from Rome, Ostia Antica is one of the most beautiful Roman sites in the region. Beyond its great archaeological interest, it also offers a pleasant and relaxing setting. Ostia was the port that served ancient Rome, at the mouth of the Tiber. Under the empire it was enlarged with the Ports of Claude and Trajan that can also be discovered, with the nearby necropolis of the Sacred Island and a naval museum.

Tivoli, Hadrian’s Villa and Villa d’Este

Due to its size and good conservation, the Hadrian’s Villa is one of the most important in the region, a fine example of Roman architecture, built from the year 126 AD. The Villa d'Este , built in the 16th century, is a haven of freshness with the many fountains in its garden.

Etruscan sites of Lazio

North of Rome are many other sites of the civilization that preceded the Romans, the Etruscans, including vast necropolis

Coast and beaches near Rome

photo Spiaggia della Bufalara (Sabaudia)

You can easily reach the sea from Rome, for example with the regional train, in about 30-45 minutes. If you have a car, the best climbs are between Sperlonga and Gaeta to the south, which is a bit far. Lido di Ostia is the closest coast to Rome, with its stretches of sand far from being the most attractive, but of interest.

Roman Castles

Near Rome, about 20 km from the center, is Castel Gandolfo and the other hilltop villages of the Roman Castles. This region of the Alban Hills is formed by a regional park with two lakes surrounded by woods, Lake Albano and Lake Nemi.
The Romans often like to rest there on weekends, especially in summer to enjoy the freshness of ...

Lake Bracciano and Treja Valley

Le Lac de Bracciano se trouve à près de 50 km au nord de Rome, où la ville petite homonyme de Bracciano est bien connectée par le train à la ville éternelle. On peut en particulier y visiter son petit centre médiéval près de son beau château.
Le lac est la caldéra d’un ancien volcan qui fut actif il y ...

Other places in the province of Rome

Photo of Monastery of Saint Benedict, Subiaco

Find the main places of the province of Rome on the page of the Surroundings of Rome, with the articles dedicated to Ostia and the archaeological park of Ostia Antica; Tivoli with the Villa d’Hadrien and the Villa d’Este; the Castelli Romani; the Lake of Bracciano and the Treja Valley; the coast of Anzio to Civitavecchia; and Cerveteri and other ...

Province of Viterbo

The city of Viterbo is a beautiful destination of Lazio, especially for its religious heritage and its medieval quarter.
Its province, which also extends around Lake Bolsena, is particularly rich in Etruscan sites, but also in villages of character such as Cività and Sutri, or small medieval towns such as Orte, Tuscania or Tarquinia. It also ...

Province of Latina

The Province of Latina runs along the coast southeast of Rome. You can discover beautiful beaches and coastal portions, but also small towns and historic villages, such as the beautiful Gaeta which is the easternmost, Terracina and Sperlonga, natural sites including the Circeo National Park, shrines, etc.
It also includes the charming Pontine Islands including Ponza 1h20 crossing. ...

Province of Frosinone

Photo of the abbey of Montecassino from the Polish cemetery

On the road to Naples, in the Province of Frosinone are discovered beautiful places especially in Anagni with its remarkable religious complex. In Montecassino, the Monte Cassino Abbey was founded by Saint Benedict in the 6th century and was the scene of a great battle during the Second World War. Between these two sites, there are villages of character like ...

Province of Rieti

The Province of Rieti is at north of Rome. It’s the least culturally rich, but not naturalistically. It is partly formed by the hills of the Sabina covered with olive trees, and partly mountainous with peaks of the Apennines that exceed 2000 meters of altitude. Several dams formed lakes.
Its capital Rieti is a pretty and interesting city that was ...

Cerveteri

Cerveteri is one of the main Etruscan sites of Lazio with its huge necropolis occupying hundreds of hectares. They date from the period from the 9th to the 3rd century BC. The main site is the Necropolis of Banditaccia, which the the area to visit has "only" 10 of the 400 hectares of its surface, with thousands of graves organized according to an almost urban plan with its neighborhoods and streets and squares. Some tombs look like houses, while others are monumental and have large circular tumuli.

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