Guidonia Montecelio: A big Rome suburb with a view
Guidonia Montecelio is a weird town. Start with the name. It represents two towns that Benito Mussolini joined to form one municipality in 1937. The two places could not be more different.
Guidonia is a modern, dull, mostly flat town of more than 80,000 people. Neighboring Montecelio is built on a steep hill above Guidonia with the ruins of
a 10th century castle overlooking a medieval center of windy, narrow alleys.
They both form what has become one of Rome’s biggest bedroom communities, a suburb of 86,000 people. In 1971, the population was only 32,000. Guidonia Montecelio
has two museums worth visiting: an aeronautical museum to honor the town’s flight history and an archaeological museum to honor the area’s ancient past.
Montecelio is best enjoyed by wandering the narrow alleyways and ogling the spectacular panoramic views of the Lazio countryside.
Things to do
1 • Montecelio medieval center. This zone has few fat people. The windy alleyways are built on a steep hill. Locals trudge up and down the cobblestones like mountain goats. Park in one of the long parking lots near the top and gaze at the gorgeous views of the surrounding forests.
You can see hill towns such as Palombara Sabina in the distance. Follow the windy, narrow staircase to the top and you’ll see the remains of the Rocca di Montecelio. It was built in the 10th century from recycled materials of an ancient Roman temple. It went to the powerful Orsini family in 1400 and was abandoned in 1500.
You can still enter the base but it is closed for reconstruction until September. Wind your way back through the stone houses and marvel at all the flower pots hanging on the walls and blue wildflowers. Stop at the tiny 15th century Chiesa di San Antonino. When finished, go to Piazza Masucci and have a cold drink at an outdoor table with a great view of the countryside.
2. Museo Civico Archeologico Rodolfo Lanciani. Located up the hill from Montecelio’s main Piazza San Giovanni, this museum’s must see is the Triade Capitolina, a Roman-era marble sculpture of the three most famous Roman gods: Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. The museum also has artifacts from the ancient Latin city of Corniculum, the birthplace of Servius Tullius, the sixth king of Ancient Rome. Also featured are prehistoric and Bronze Age tools and pottery, including arrowheads and ceramics. One section has Roman villa artifacts such as pottery, coins and decorations.
Info: Via XXV Aprile, Museo Civico Rodolfo Lanciani, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday, 3-6 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday.
3. Guidonia Barbieri Airport. Yes, an airport. Guidonia has a rich aeronautical history and honors it with a fine museum inside the airport. In 1916, the Italian Royal Army built a military airport here and used it as a pilot training school. It was eventually named for Alessandro Guidoni, a Regia Aeronautica general who died in 1928 while testing a parachute at the airport. It is now used for glider training.
The museum takes visitors through a century of flight history, including technology and experimentation. You can see aircraft models and artifacts of airplanes, all explained with descriptive panels. There are sections for aerodynamics and hydrodynamics, featuring wind tunnels. One hydrodynamic tank is more than 430 meters long.
Info: 39- 320-426-5986,
Aeroporto Militare “A. Barbieri”
aerostormo60.dir@aeronautica.difesa.it,
admission free but reservations must be made at least 30 days in advance.
Ryder Cup put Guidonia Montecelio on golf map
In 2023, the golf world’s eyes were glued to Guidonia Montecelio as its Marco Simone Golf & Country Club hosted the 44th edition of the Ryder Cup. Europe defeated the United States, 16 ½-11 ½, on the course just 14 miles (10 kilometers) west of Guidonia’s town center. It’s named for the castle of Marco Simone which was a Roman fortified manor farm during Ancient Rome.
The public can play on the same Ryder Cup course for €195 euros. Nine holes is €97.50. Golf does have a long history in Italy. British expats and travelers introduced the game in the 19th century, building the first course in 1889 on Princess Demidoff’s land in Florence. Rome established its first golf club in 1903: the Circolo del Golf Roma Acquasanta.
Today, Italy has 270 courses with 92,900 registered golfers. In 2018, Francesco Molinari became the first Italian to win one of golf’s four major tournaments when he won the British Open at Carnoustie, Scotland. Costantino Rocca, another Italian, finished second.
Where is it:
42 miles (28 kilometers) northeast of Rome.
How to get there: Direct trains leave all day from Rome’s Tiburtina station to Guidonia Montecelio. The 40-minute trip is €3-€5. The station is in Guidonia. Public buses go between Guidonia and Montecelio. The trip takes about 20 minutes.
For more information:
Visit Lazio: https://www.visitlazio.com/en/guidonia-montecelio.
Where to eat:
Fattoria di Nonna Patty. Via colle Noccello, 39-329-053-8581, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., 6-11 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday.
It was atop The Fork’s list for best restaurants in Guidonia Montecelio. It’s about a 10-minute drive from the center of Guidonia and not worth it.
Listed as an agriturismo (Italian farmhouses that houses guests), it’s a house amidst scruffy grounds and a small swimming pool. Local dishes with pastas start at €12 and meat at €14.
Do not order the petto di vitella, small chunks of marinated veal. It had so much fat, I couldn’t swallow half of it. I paid €45 for two, including beer and wine.
