Ronciglione: On list of Italy’s “most beautiful villages”
When we research a Lazio town worthy of a day trip from Rome, we occasionally find it listed on the prestigious Borghi piu belli d’Italia (The most beautiful villages in Italy.) We are never disappointed. The list is always spot on. We found another one this month in Ronciglione, a cute, little hill town 60 kilometers (35 miles) north of Rome nestled in the Cimini mountains.
It’s near beautiful Lake Vico and stretches up a hill in a uniform collage of stone houses. It dates back to 1103 and was a proud part of the Roman Republic that stood up against Napoleon’s French troops in the 18th century. But on July 30, 1799, the French burnt the town to the ground.
They rebuilt quite nicely. The town’s highlight is its palio, a bareback horse race through town similar to the more famous ones held in Siena every year.
Things to do
1 • Lake Vico. The town is only a couple kilometers south of this lake which formed in a volcanic crater created by a series of eruptions and a collapse of the volcanic cone 138,000 years ago.
However, according to local legend, the lake was created when Hercules wielded a mighty club and a stream sprang up to form the lake. It sits at 510 meters (1,675 feet) with Mt. Fogliano (965 meters) and Venere (851 meters) visible in the distance.
You can park along the side of the main road that comes up from Ronciglione. Walk down a short ramp and there’s a small playground area, picnic tables and a bar with outdoor seating. A small sandy beach with umbrellas is on the other side. The water is calm and cool and a perfect respite from a hot summer day in Rome.
2 • Centro storico. This is what put Ronciglione on the list. Park at the edge of town and follow the four-foot stone wall up into the historical district. Quickly you’ll get beautiful views of the uniform stone buildings that cascade up the hill.
Walk under arches into a warren of narrow, twisty alleys with potted plants lining the walls. Walk into the charming church Santa Maria della Providenza and see a great photo opp of a bell tower through a small gated window. In the middle of the residential area is a castle that is the landmark of the city. It was built in the 11th century as a defense for a town that was on the main trading route to Rome.
It was rebuilt during the Renaissance in the 15th century when they added four cylindrical towers. It is closed to the public but is used as a B&B and apartments. One, we saw, is for sale.
3. Carnival. Every winter, the town shuts down for its annual carnival which is famous all over Italy. It began during the Renaissance and Baroque periods as an offshoot of Rome’s carnival. More than 1,000 residents parade through the streets in costumes along with floats, bands and dancing.
Then come the Nasi Rossi, men dressed in white shirts and nightcaps wearing big red noses parading through the streets at night passing out rigatoni and wine. Also marching through the streets are Hussars, men dressed in French military uniforms imitating a Hussar during the Napoleonic period when he tried to impress local women. A date for 2027 has not been established yet.
Palio: The wild horse race through town
You may have heard of the Palio in Siena where the town’s neighborhoods put a horse into a race around Piazza del Campo twice each summer.
This little town of Ronciglione does one similar. Two differences: It’s only held once a summer and, the big difference, there are no jockeys. The race begins at Piazza Principe di Piemonte, races through the narrow streets, through Porta Romana and up the steep section of Montecavallo (cavallo means “horse” in Italian) to the finish. It began in 1548 when the Farnese family brought the race from Rome.
Ronciglione has nine rioni, or “neighborhoods,” Each has its own colors and enters its own horse. All year the neighborhoods are decked out in their colorful individual flags. There’s green and orange, black and turquoise, green and white, etc. You can tell you’ve changed neighborhoods just by looking at the flags. This year’s race was held July 25. A children’s parade and practice races are held the day before.
A date has yet to be set for 2027.
Where is it:
60 kilometers (35 miles) north of Rome.
How to get there: Trains leave frequently from Rome’s Flaminio Station. Get off after 15 minutes at Saxa Rubra and take a Cotral bus to Ronciglione.
Total trip takes about 90 minutes.
For more information:
Where to eat:
La Corte dei Prefetti di Vico, Vicolo Montone 1, 39-07-61-627-227, 11 a.m.-2 a.m. This may have the best view of any restaurant we’ve been to doing TraveLazio.
The sprawling restaurant opened in 1990 in a building dating back to 1700. Go down three floors to an enclosed terrace with a spectacular view of a five-story stone watch tower.
It offers two menus: An expensive special menu of gourmet dishes and a standard menu with very good pastas and meats.
Try the spezzatello di cinghiale, very tender chopped wild boar in a light wine sauce.
Lunch for two including wine was €67.
