Trevignano Romano: Off the beaten path on Bracciano
We’ve written about day trips to Lake Bracciano only an hour northwest of Rome. We blogged about the towns of Bracciano and Anguillara Sabazia, both framing the southern part of the lake. But the north side of Lake Bracciano is more isolated, less crowded and just as beautiful.
It’s also less accessible but the town of Trevignano Romano is worth the effort. Unlike the bigger towns in the south, Trevignano (pop. 5,800) does not have a train station, which means it’s less touristy. What it does have is a long, lakeside promenade, the remains of a castle hovering over the town commanding beautiful views and a plethora of good seafood restaurants.
Go on a weekend and peruse the open-air public market stringing along the lake. Like water sports? You can rent everything from kayaks to sailboats. It’s worth the hour drive. Trevignano won the Italian Touring Club’s Orange Flag award for its historical environmental heritage and tourist facilities.
Things to do
1 • Lakefront promenade. The walkway stretches for a mile along the lake. The tiled pavement goes under a string of large shady trees. Benches are every couple dozen meters from gazing at the lake or reading. On a hot day, you can jump in the lake or find some spots of sand to get a tan. Rental shops offer all kinds of water sports with life preservers.
We went on Sunday, market day, and local products were everywhere. From cherry wine to jams to handmade jewelry to body beauty products. You can also choose from a number of restaurants with tables right on the lake. American jazz filled the air of one of them.
2 • Orsini Fortress. There’s not much left of the castle that Pope Innocent III ordered the powerful Orsini family to build in 1200. Known locally as the Rocca degli Orsini, it once had three layers of
walls but after Cesare Borgia attacked it in 1497 and a series of earthquakes, what is left are two archways and the base of a wall. What makes Orsini special is its views. They’re spectacular.
A wide, tiled staircase from Piazza Don Antonio Bortolini near the center of town winds up about 300 meters. Each turn offers a better view of the lake and village and all its red-tiled roofs. Once in the castle, go to the back to get a different view of the lake.
On the way up, stop at the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, built in the 16th century and reconstructed in 1794. Behind the altar is a beautiful fresco called The Death of the Virgin by Pellegrino da Modena, one of Raphael’s students.
3 • Etruscan-Roman Museum. Anchoring majestic Piazza Vittorio Emanuele III, it has artifacts from 8th century B.C-6th century B.C. The finds are from the necropolises of Olivetello and Ricosanto, just north of Trevignano. They come from three tombs. The Annesi Piacentini tomb was discovered in 1965 and its artifacts fill the museum’s first room.
They include banquet items and an amphora with animal motifs. Also on display are gold and silver jewelry. Before or after your visit, have a coffee at an outside table at Bar Ermete which has served guests on the piazza since 1931.
Info: Piazza Vittorio Emanuele III, 39-06-999-120-201,
https://trevignanoromanoturismo.it/museo-civico-etrusco-romano-intervista,
museo@comune.trevignanoromano.rm.it,
9 a.m.-1 p.m., 3-7 p.m.
Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 4-7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, free.
Ever tried foil or BirdyFish?
During our visit, Trevignano hosted a foil festival. A foil is a small sailboat with hydrofoil rudders underneath. They lift the boat out of the water and, with less drag from the water, they quickly fly to a speed of up to 40 knots. “It’s popular because the foil is the future of sailing,” said sailing instructor Jacopo Arduinni, standing by the lake. “There are a lot of engineers.
“You can try to create a new foil for a motorboat, a sailboat, and a board. It’s the best because for a motorboat we can use less gasoline.” The sailing world is hoping it will some day make the Olympics. Also sitting on the side of the lake were these little sailboats called BirdyFish. They were invented by three French friends in 2018 to make sailing accessible to a wider range of sailors.
The BirdyFish also has two foils underneath but the boat is much smaller. It is only about 4 ½ meters long and less than two meters wide. But it weighs 133 kilograms and can reach speeds of 7 knots. “It is not easy to find a boat that’s easy to go and is two people and a foil,” Arduinni said. “It’s more easy than other foil boats.” They retail for about €20,000.
Where is it:
50 kilometers (30 miles) northwest of Rome.
How to get there: Drive. There is no train to Trevignano and the bus
from Rome’s San Paolo Del Brasile station takes 3 hours, 15 minutes,
including a 90-minute layover in La Storta.
Cars rent in Rome starting at €22 a day.
For more information:
Trevignano Romano Turismo, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele III,
39-06-999-19979,
https://trevignanoromanoturismo.it,
visita@trevignanoromanoturismo.it,
10 a.m.-1 p.m., 5-8 p.m.
Tuesday-Sunday.
Where to eat:
Occupies a choice spot across the street from the lake with outdoor tables under a vine-covered roof. Fish dishes start €13.
the white Alte Frange wine. Reserve ahead. They serve 400 people a day.
