Nepi: The water city of Lazio
Italy is known for its wine. But one small town in Lazio is known for its water. Nepi is a town of 9,545 40 kilometers north of Rome and it has some of the most famous water in the country. Acqua di Nepi is bottled sparkling water that is served from Sicily to the Alps. If you ordered sparkling water in a restaurant in Rome, it might’ve been Acqua di Nepi. But water isn’t just in the bottles here. It’s in fountains. It’s in waterfalls. It’s in statues.
It’s in rivers. The town itself is so picturesque, with its beautiful 18th century town hall anchoring its main piazza, numerous Italian movies have been filmed here. No doubt, the directors drank Acqua di Nepi between takes.
Things to do
1 • Borgia Castle. As soon as you pass the Nepi sign, you’re on the castle grounds. The 18th century fortress was built on a Roman defense ground and is one of the most picturesque settings in town.
Two eerie brick entrances – one larger for single-file cars and a smaller one for pedestrians – run parallel in a cave-like setting. While only one of the four original towers remains and the top of the wall in front is jagged and broken, near the entrance is a deep canyon.
A waterfall called Cascata di Coraterra pours into the canyon filled with trees and plants. Under another walkway is another small waterfall with water pouring down three levels. Entry is limited but call ahead and they may let you in.
Info: Via Enrico Galvaligi, 39-07-61-570-604,
www.museociviconepi.it, museo@comune.nepi.vt.it,
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 4:30-5:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.
2 • Cattedrale di Maria Assunta. Also known as the Duomo and Nepi Cathedral, it was originally built in the 12th century over a pagan temple. It was rebuilt in 1834 after the French torched it during the Napoleonic Wars.
It has a huge watch tower and inside features gorgeous frescoes above the altar and on the walls. The blues of the heavens look painted yesterday. Chandeliers hang over the altar. Under the altar is a crypt built in the 18th and 19th centuries with 24 columns. It was built to display relics for pilgrims walking the Via Francigena Trail from Canterbury to Rome.
Info: Piazza del Duomo, 39-07-61-557-919.
www.museociviconepi.it/monumenti/il-duomo,
39-07-61-557-919.
3 • Town hall. Pretty Piazza del Comune is anchored by the huge 18th century town hall. It’s a two-story stone building with fountains coming out of stone mouths and a huge clock on top.
A small archaeological museum is inside showing ancient artifacts found in the Nepi area. A Bernini fountain sits in front.
Get a glass of wine at Bar Centrale and sit outside thinking of the many productions shot here from Gli Scontenti in 1960 to the TV series, The Bad Poet, in 2020.
Acqua di Nepi: The source goes back more than 2,000 years
A couple miles before reaching Nepi is a side street that goes down a hill to a stone square featuring two free-flowing faucets. People parked and brought over cases of plastic bottles to fill the fresh effervescent water of Nepi. About 50 meters away is the Acqua di Nepi factory which ships its sparkling water all over Italy.
Nepi sits over an ancient spring in Tuscia, a protected area of 600 acres (240 hectares). The volcanic soil gives the water a more natural, bubbly taste which is famous for helping digestion. The spring was founded by the famous Roman family, the Gracchis, in the 2nd century B.C. More recently, Acqua di Nepi is part of the umbrella company of Italian non-alcoholic beverages, San Benedetto, which was founded in 1956.
Acqua di Nepi claims its secret is its fixed residue is the lowest of sparkling water and they do daily inspections of their springs, storage tanks and production plant. It is endorsed by the famed Italian chef, Alessandro Borghese.
Where is it:
40 kilometers north of Rome.
How to get there: Cotral buses leave regularly from Rome’s Via Flaminia station to Nepi.
The 1-hour, 20-minute journey is about. €5 – €7.
For more information:
Civic Museum, Via Falsica 31, 39-07-61-570-604,
museo@comune.nepi.vt.it
Where to eat:
Il Casale dei Buoni Sapori, Colonnetta Strada Statale, Nepesina km 1.5, 39-07-61-571-504,
www.ilcasaledeibuonisapori.it,
prenotazioni@ilcasaledeibuonisapori.it,
8 a.m.-midnight Wednesday-Monday. Located about four kilometers southwest of the town center on the way back to Rome, Buoni Sapori is built like an old farm house with a stone floor and beautifully tiled tables.
A covered courtyard is out front. A small menu ensures everything is handmade.
Pasta dishes start at €15 (try the pappardelle al cinghiale, wide, flat noodles with wild boar sauce). Meat dishes start at €16.
