Castelli Romani Regional Park

The Castelli Romani Regional Park is one of the most important historical-naturalistic areas of the Lazio Region which is located in the Colli Albani area, established with the regional law of 1984 with the aim of protecting the integrity of its natural and cultural characteristics. The Park occupies an area of ​​approximately 15,000 hectares, divided into fifteen municipalities of the Castelli Romani, with an altitude that varies from the Velletri plain to the peaks of Rocca di Papa, Monte Cavo and Monte delle Faete, and which includes two wetlands, those of the Albano and Nemi lakes, both of volcanic origin.

The landscape of the Park is characterized by a complex set of wooded areas, hilly reliefs with pastures, vineyards and olive groves, lake basins - Lake Albano and Lake Nemi mentioned above - urbanized areas, historic centres and archaeological areas. As regards the flora, the chestnut grove is the most widespread form of vegetation in the landscape of the Castelli Romani; Furthermore, among the arboreal or shrubby elements, we find the holly, the viburnum, the privet, the buckthorn, the strawberry tree, the laurel, the daphne, the laurel, the lime tree, the hazelnut, the field maple, the black hornbeam, the cornflower, the tree heather and others. The fauna is also very rich in variety: among the mammals there are in fact the porcupine, the badger, the squirrel, the dormouse and the Savi vole; birds of prey include the buzzard, the merlin and the sparrowhawk; nocturnal birds of prey as well as aquatic species that frequent the lake shores are also numerous; among the latter we find the mallard, the gray heron, the widgeon, the coot, the garganey, the little grebe and the great crested grebe. Among the sylvan birds we remember also the green woodpecker, the great spotted woodpecker, the hoopoe and the tits.

There are also numerous archaeological remains scattered throughout the area which testify to the importance of the Castelli Romani. Among the most important archaeological sites we remember the complex of the ancient city of Tusculum, with the very well preserved Theater dating back to the 1st century BC., the remains of the Forum, of the so-called Villa of Tiberius and several tombs. In Albano the Amphitheatre, the Castrum, the Monument to the Orazi and Curiazi and the Cisternoni are well preserved. Other notable remains consist of the Villa of Vitellius in Ariccia, the Nymphaeums of Lake Albano, the Temple of Juno Sospita in Lanuvium and the remains of the Temple of Diana in Nemi. There are also sections of the ancient Roman roads, with their characteristic paving, all well preserved, such as the ancient Via Sacra which from Ariccia climbs up to Monte Cavo, the ancient Mons Albanus where Latins and Romans went to the Temple of Jupiter (Juppiter Latialis) built on its summit to celebrate the Feriae Latinae.

Finally, the Tuscolane Villas, present in the area of ​​the municipalities of Frascati and Monte Porzio Catone, and their wonderful Italian gardens are of great historical and architectural interest. Among these we remember the most important: Villa Aldobrandini, Villa Falconieri, Villa Torlonia, Villa Grazioli, Villa Rufinella and Villa Mondragone.

Photo credts: Facebook official page