Fiano Romano: In memory of a Roman goddess
Feronia was a Roman goddess of nature who lived in an area 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Rome in the 3rd century B.C. The site, called Lucas Feroniae, was sacked by Hannibal in 211 B.C. and Julius Caesar and Caesar Augustus dealt with it two centuries later. Remains of this little-known period of Roman history are on display in a spectacular museum and ruins complex on the outskirts of Fiano Romano.
The town of 17,000 is right out of the Renaissance with a castle built in 1489 adjacent to a lovely, sun-splashed piazza featuring two bars and a pub. Public transportation also goes straight to the town and museum. And it’s all free.
Things to do
1 • Museo Archeologico di Lucas Feroniae. Built in 1977 right on the autostrada, this large single-story museum has relics ranging from the 8th century B.C. through the Roman area.
At the entrance is a marble relief of gladiators in full battle. The long, windy hallways are lined with display cases showing everything from urns for the ashes of cremated children to coins, kitchen utensils, jewelry, pottery and mini busts of Roman gods.
The walls are covered with maps displaying the area and artwork depicting what Feronia’s temple looked like in the day. It even sports a menu of the local restaurant. One item is Patina Cotidiana: lasagna in bianco.
Descriptions are in Italian and English and soft sounds of horse hooves and donkeys, the labor animals of that day, emit from a loudspeaker.
At the end of the hall are seven headless statues uncovered during excavation. One is of Agrippa, the famous general and son-in-law of Augustus.
Info: Via Tiberina KM 18.500, 30-06-908-5173, 8:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Sunday. Free.
2 • Villa dei Volusii. From the museum, walk down a short stone path to the remains of a large villa built in the 1st century B.C. for the Volusii senatorial family. It had a spa and beautiful mosaic floors and statues of the family’s ancestors.
Today, it is mostly stone bases of ancient buildings, which include an antiteatro, the Temple of Salas and a thermal bath. Three columns are at the front of the complex.
The villa was on land that Roman dictator Julius Caesar had redistributed in 59 B.C. He died in 44 B.C. before the task was completed. Mark Anthony and Emperor Augustus finished the project.
3. Castello Orsini. You can’t miss it. The gray, stone structure dominates a hill in the middle of town. Built in 1489 for the powerful Orsini family, it features two defense towers, one 30 meters high.
Enter under a huge arch to a large courtyard lined with potted plants and Oleandri. One wing consists of nine rooms, highlighted by the Orsini Study Room.
It’s lined with frescoes picturing the coats of arms of the lords and Nicholas III Orsini, an Italian leader. In one case where the holy oil was kept are the images of four saints.
The city bought the castle in 1993. It is also home to the comune and entrance is free although the rooms are only open the first Sunday of every month.
Climb to the second story inside the courtyard and you get a good view of the surrounding countryside.
Info: Piazza Giacomo Matteotti 21/A, 39-339-777-2276, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
Goddess Feronia left her mark for two millennium
A member of the Sabine tribe, Feronia’s cult began with her close association with woods and springs in this wooden, considered sacred, area called Lucus.
So powerful was her cult that it attracted peoples from surrounding areas such as Latins, Etruscans, Faliscans and Capenites. They all considered her a guarantor of peace.
Every year, the area held a religious assembly, similar to what they did in Olympia, Greece. Priests would walk barefoot over burning coals. She was later adopted by the Ancient Rome’s pagan religion.
Some Latins believed she was also the goddess of the harvest and held a huge celebration to insure plentiful crops. She granted freedom to Roman slaves and was especially cherished by freedmen and plebeians who made up most of the Roman population.
Her Sabine people put her name on their coins to honor their heritage.
Where is it:
40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Rome.
How to get there: Regular trains leave from Roma Tiburtina station to Fara Sabina Montelibretti.
From there take a Cotral bus to Fiano with one stop next to the museum.
The 90-minute journey is € 5-€ 8.
For more information:
Comune di Fiano Romano, Piazza Giacomo Matteotti 2, 39-07-65-4071,
Where to eat:
I Primi della Classe,
Via Buido Rossa 40, 42, 39-333-592-5279,
10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, Sunday, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., 6:30-10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
Don’t let the ugly strip mall and modern design full you. This 10-year-old restaurant serves some of the best food in Lazio.
Unique dishes put interesting twists on local recipes such as grilled octopus with almonds, burrata cheese and eggplant.
Try the polpette di carne croccanti su salsa verde e cipolla caramellata, crunchy meatballs on a bed of green sauce with caramelized onions. Pasta dishes start at €15, meat dishes at €16.
I paid € 63.50 for two including wine, beer and appetizers.
