Veio Regional Park

Situated between the Via Cassia and the Via Flaminia and established in the late 1990s, the Veio Regional Park is the fourth-largest park in Lazio in terms of area: 15,000 hectares in which nature, history and culture blend together to form a landscape of inestimable value.

Various peoples (the Etruscans, the Falisci and the Romans) have inhabited this area since the earliest times, with huts and settlements dating back to prehistoric times. The park takes its name from the ancient Etruscan city of Veii, one of the most important political and cultural centers of ancient Italy. A rival to Rome, the city controlled a vast territory stretching from the right bank of the Tiber to beyond Lake Bracciano. The conflict with Rome, made inevitable by the proximity of the two centers, ended with the defeat of the Etruscan city at the hands of Furius Camillus in 396 BC. Elevated to the status of a municipality under Augustus in a (futile) attempt to halt its decline, Veii was soon abandoned, until the Middle Ages, when the village Borgo di Isola Farnese was founded.

The park’s sites of historical and archaeological interest include: the Portonaccio sanctuary, the most important in the city; Ponte Sodo, a tunnel approximately 70 meters long of uncertain date, excavated by the Etruscans or the Romans to facilitate the flow of the River Cremera during floods; numerous necropolises around the city containing burial mounds and chamber tombs, including the Tomb of the Roaring Lions – the oldest Etruscan tomb featuring wall paintings (second half of the 7th century BC) – and the Campana Tomb (late 7th century BC), decorated with depictions of animals, plant motifs and horsemen accompanied by figures on foot or mythical creatures.

The park spans the territories of nine municipalities (Campagnano di Roma, Castelnuovo di Porto, Formello, Magliano Romano, Mazzano Romano, Morlupo, Riano, Sacrofano and the 15th Municipality of Rome). Abundant in pastures, vineyards, olive groves and woodland (comprising oaks, holm oaks, downy oaks and chestnut trees), the area is also significant for its wildlife and birdlife: foxes, porcupines, badgers and weasels, as well as various species of birds of prey such as the peregrine falcon and the buzzard. The park also comprises 99 kilometers of footpaths, including the Via Francigena, which allow visitors to admire the area’s varied landscape and cultural heritage.

Photo Credits: Ente Parco Regionale di Veio