When better times came, in the Renaissance, those castles were made into villas and the nobles spent their summers there in better climate than Rome. The location and the climate were ideal for cultivating grape vines and the area has always been known for producing wonderful white wines. The wines are usually named after the town where they are produced and, to my advice, the most famous is the wine produced in the town of Frascati. The area has beautiful hills and lakes and the little towns have a special quaint atmosphere. The first one of the towns we reach is Grottaferrata, there we can visit the Abbey founded in the 10th Century by St. Nilo. Later we proceed driving on the beautiful “Via dei Laghi” (the road of the lakes) to Nemi. The road climbs the hills between the woods of the Alban Hills and offers breath taking panoramas of the towns and the lakes. Nemi is a lovely little town overlooking the homonymous lake and known for producing special strawberries. Finally we’ll reach Castelgandolfo which is the most charming of the small towns in the area. 
It will be possible to make a stop at local restaurant for a typical lunch. Castelgandolfo was chosen in the 17th Century by Pope Urban VIII Barberini to be the Summer Residence of the Popes, so that’s where still today the Pope spends there the months of July and August. The Papal Residence cannot be visited, but the Palace can be seen from the outside. In Castelgandolfo are also shops that represent the local wineries, so you can go wine tasting. The area is also well known for its food and willingly you could have a nice lunch in one of the restaurants in the area. Wine tasting can also be arranged at one of the local wineries.
We meet at your hotel in Rome around 9/9:30 am and drive to Ostia Antica via the oldest motorway in Italy, the “Via Del Mare”. Located at the mouth of the Tiber river, only a half-hour drive from Rome, the visit of Ostia is like the visit of Tivoli and the Roman Castles: a relaxing trip to one of the most interesting places just outside of Rome. Ostia Antica (Ancient Ostia) was founded in the fifth century B.C., as a military fort, a “Castrum”, that guarded the river mouth against sea borne invasions. Ostia later gained prominence as the domestic landing for cargo boats. According to ancient sources it was the oldest Roman colony. Ostia is easily comparable to Pompeii: you walk through the ruins of a city that was abandoned in the fifth century A.D.. 
It is in fact a magical alternative to the crowded, and far from Rome, Pompeii as well as it is complementary to the visit of Pompeii, in Ostia you can really see how the Romans lived and worked, in Pompeii you can see how they vacationed! Ostia was for one thousand and five hundred years a ghost town, covered by marshy swamp and infested with malaria. In the early nineteen hundreds, the Italian Government ordered the first systematic archaeological excavations, and to this day, with every unearthed stone, they add to our knowledge and understanding of a city that once stood next to Rome in grandeur.
It’s the “Sacro Speco” though the real attraction in Subiaco. This incredible monastery built and decorated between the 12th and 13th century is really unbelievable. Built on the cave where St. Benedict lived, it consists in a labyrinth of chapels all beautifully decorated with frescos, and one of the frescoes is a portrait of St. Francis made when he was still alive and before he received his stigmata. It’s in fact the only picture of the Saint without the stigmata and the halo! 
After visiting the “Sacro Speco”, before we move to Tivoli to visit Villa D’Este, we can stop for lunch in Subiaco, in a little family run restaurant housed in the cellars of the Rocca (castle) of the Borgias where the famous Lucrezia was born.Once in Tivoli we’ll stroll through the streets of the medieval town to get to the Villa D’Este and visit the place. Built in the 16th Century for the Cardinal Ippolito D’Este (son of the famous Lucrezia Borgia) when he became the governor of Tivoli, the beautiful villa is world known for its astounding garden decorated by hundreds of artistic water fountains. Time permitting, on the way back to Rome, we will stop to look at the marble quarries at the foot of the hill on the way to Tivoli.
The walk though the ruins of Ostia can be compared to the visit of the ruins of Pompeii, though Ostia is much quieter since it doesn’t get all the visitors the more famous Pompeii gets, and its exploration is therefore much more relaxing. Ostia was abandoned after the fall of the Roman Empire and only at the end of the 19th century the Italian Government started to dig out the ruins and the entire city hasn’t been dug out yet! You’ll able to choose between having your lunch in Ostia before getting back on the road on on the hills of the Roman Castles when we get there, in other words, do you want to eat meat or fish? We’ll get back on the “Via Del Mare” and then via the G.R.A. freeway that enables us to skirt Rome, we’ll get on the Via Appia which will take us to Castelgandolfo. 
This is a lovely little town by a volcanic lake where, since the 1600’s the Popes have had their Summer Residence. The Papal Palace cannot be visited, but you’ll enjoy walking the quaint streets and the panorama of the lake. This area goes by the name of Castelli Romani (Roman Castles) since the hilltop towns originated from the country castles of the Roman noble families. Later, in the Renaissance, most of the castles were made into more comfortable residences where the nobles could spend the summer away from the heat of Rome. Which is what happened to the castle of the Gandolfo family when the Pope bought it. The ideal climate and the fertility of the soil of the hills did so that what is mainly cultivated in this area is grapes from which the famous Castelli Romani wine is produced. 
Therefore, if you decide to have lunch in this area, you can also try the different kinds of wines it produces. We proceed then driving on the “Via dei Laghi” (Lakes’ Road) to Nemi. We’ll climb the hills driving through the woods of the Alban Hills enjoying breathtaking panoramas. Nemi is a lovely little town on another volcanic lake that’s named after the city (or vice versa!). The town is known for the special tiny strawberries cultivated in its environment. At the end of the tour, you’ll be driven back to your hotel. If you wish, we can also arrange for you to visit of a local winery!
We’ll meet you at your hotel in the morning and we’ll drive to Tivoli to visit the Villa D’Este, the renowned residence built in 1550 for the Cardinal Ippolito II D’Este with its fantastic gardens and incredible fountains. At the end of the tour of the Villa we’ll not drive down from the Tiburtini mountains to get back on the motorway towards Rome like most would do, but we’ll instead drive through the olive groves the the area of Tivoli is known for. The road we’ll be traveling on does not have much traffic, we’ll be driving on the mountain side surrounded by olive groves, but offers breath taking panoramas. We can stop for a memorable lunch, in a little out of the way place only frequented by locals,
that will cost less than breakfast at your hotel but will be really authentic and home cooked. We will drive through a few interesting medieval towns and we’ll stop to take pictures and admire the view. We’ll finally descend the mountains to cross the valley and climb the Alban Hills where they mostly grow grapes and make the famous white wine that generally goes by the name of “Vino dei Castelli” (wine of the castles) but changes it’s denomination according to the city where it’s produced and so you have the Frascati, Marino, Velletri wines etcetera. 
Once we arrive in the area of the Roman Castles we’ll drive though Marino and Frascati to get to Castel Gandolfo, built on the ridge of a volcanic lake, where the Pope has his Summer Residence, and we’ll stop for a look around. We’ll then drive to Nemi, a lovely little town similar to Castelgandolfo and also built on the ridge of another volcanic lake, but with more charm and tasty little strawberries that are sold practically everywhere and that you’ll be able to taste. After our visit of Nemi we will return to the hotel driving on the Via Appia.
This tour will take to visit places in the area known as Agro Pontino, land that the Romans reclaimed from a marsh when they built the Old Appian Way which runs, as straight as an arrow, through it for 50 miles! The tour covers Sermoneta, a well preserved medieval city with its sturdy fortress which in the 15h century was property of the Borgia; the Abbey of Valvisciolo, built originally in the 8th century, and controlled by the Knights Templars in the 13th century; the town of Bassiano, famous for the outstanding “prosciutto” they produce there, with its well preserved belt of medieval walls and Ninfa, an abandoned medieval town which hoses one of Italy’s best botanic gardens which, unfortunately is only open to the public on special (few) days each year.
We meet you in the morning at your hotel and drive to Sermoneta, we park the car and walk through its evocative streets to reach the Fortress which can be visited every hour on the hour joining a tour group accompanied by a local guide (included in the entrance fee). The guide doesn’t speak English, but we’ll interpret for you. After touring the fortress we can take time for lunch in Sermoneta or in Bassiano to taste the famous prosciutto. The restaurants in Bassiano are not open year round (this is another tour off the beaten path) they’re only open in the summer. 
From Bassiano we retrace our steps to Valvisciolo to visit this beautiful abbey with its enchanting cloister and church. On the way back to Rome we’ll stop to look at the abandoned, flooded, town of Ninfa. We’ll not be able to walk through its streets because its part of the botanical garden which is closed to the public, but even seen from far is the place is spectacular, especially at sunset.
This tour will take to you to the land of the mysterious Etruscans! Nobody knows for sure where this populace came from, but they sure left their mark on our civilization. They occupied central Italy before Rome was founded and they were technologically advanced to the point that they could build ships that sailed the Mediterranean Sea and traded with the Egyptians, the Phoenicians and the Greeks. They where later absorbed by the Romans and their cities became Roman cities so the history of their civilization has come to us only through their tombs and what’s been found in them. We will meet you at your hotel in the morning and drive on the Via Aurelia expressly built in the 3rd century b. C. to link Rome with the Etruscan provinces. The Via Aurelia will take us to Tarquinia, founded by the Etruscans and named after the tribe of the Tarquinii, appears today as a typical medieval city with very tall towers and narrow streets. In Tarquinia exists a museum where items that where found in the Etruscan tombs are kept. In fact, Tarquinia is also famous for its Etruscan tombs, some two thousand of them, two hundred of which are decorated with fresco painting. Willingly you can visit the museum and some of the tombs. 
From Tarquinia we’ll retrace our steps to Ceri, a castle-city also founded by the Etruscans still very well preserved and really fascinating. There’s a great restaurant in Ceri where we could have lunch and besides enjoying the food we can go down to the cellar to taste some of the local wines. Curiosity: the cellar is really an Etruscan tomb! From Ceri we can go to Cerveteri, another Etruscan town, today appearing as a medieval town where a well preserved Etruscan cemetery can be visited. 
This burial ground is entirely different from the tombs in Tarquinia as it resembles an Etruscan town with huge mausoleums for the very rich the play the part of the villas and the and the more ordinary tombs that seem to be condominiums. For those who should not be interested in visiting Tarquinia, the could could include instead the lake town of Bracciano and its castle (where Tom Cruise got married). At the end of the tour you’ll be driven back to your hotel. Find out more about the Etruscans here.
This tour will take to you to some lovely small towns in the Etruscan area north of Rome called “Tuscia”. The towns in question are Tuscania, a reminiscent small town, unfortunately badly damaged by an earthquake in 1971, but very pretty and with some outstanding art treasures. Montefiascone, a pretty little town overlooking the lake of Bolsena well known for its cathedral and its wine: “Est! Est!! Est!!!”. Orvieto, a small town built on top of a plateau of “tufo” stone, situated half-way between Rome and Florence, with a lot of charm and one of Italy’s most beautiful gothic cathedrals, the facade of which is completely decorated with mosaics. Orvieto is also known for its white wine and its region, Umbria, for outstanding foods and olive oil. Time permitting we may also include Civita di Bagnoregio in our tour. This is a very small town sitting on a plateau of “tufo” stone just like Orvieto which can only be reached via a footbridge. The tufo plateau that Civita is built on is deteriorating, so the town might not be there for much longer. We’ll meet you at your hotel in the morning and we’ll drive to Tuscania via the Via Aurelia, 1.5 hours drive, and we’ll pass by Rome’s port, Civitavecchia, and Tarquinia. Once in Tuscania, we’ll walk its streets and squares and then drive up the hill to visit the outstanding San Pietro’s church where we may also have the opportunity to see an artisan making pottery, replicas of ancient Etruscan vases. 
Then we’ll get back on the road to Montefiascone where we’ll admire the panorama of the lake and stroll through the streets that take us to the main square or even to the ruins of the old castle on top of the hill. Leaving Montefiascone we’ll drive to Civita di Bagnoregio where we might walk the long footbridge to go and explore the town or simply take its picture from the distance, your call. 
Finally we’ll reach Orvieto where we’ll visit the cathedral, a wine cellar dug out of the tufo stone, have our lunch and walk the streets full of characteristic shops. Depending on personal interests, traffic, etcetera, we may also include the visit to an oil press with also an oil museum and/or the visit to a winery. At the end of all this we will return to your hotel in Rome. At the end of the tour you’ll be driven back to your hotel.
Arriving in Florence we’ll make our first stop at Piazzale Michelangelo where we can enjoy the spectacular view of the whole city and then continue to the city center to visit the Accademia Museum where the famous statue of David by Michelangelo is kept. We could then stop for a quick lunch and continue to explore the city in the afternoon including in our tour the church of Santa Croce, where people like Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo and Dante are buried and where the famous leather school of Florence was started by the Franciscans and we can see the artisans and their disciples at work. 
We could then continue to Piazza della Signoria, the main square of Florence, and the Ponte Vecchio and the gold craftsmen at work. Obviously you’ll also be taken to the Duomo, the cathedral of Florence. For those who would like a more thorough visit of the museums and the churches a driving guide from Rome can provide, can arrange for a local guide to meet us and take you on a 3-hour tour which will include a guided visit to the sites as per your specific interest. The supplementary cost for this guide tour is presently 200 Euros. We might even be able to squeeze in some time for shopping. At the end of the tour you’ll be driven back to your hotel in Rome. 
This tour will take you to: Assisi, the city of St. Francis built out of the local “Pietra Subasia” stone. In spite of the disastrous earthquake that devastated it years ago, Assisi is still appears as a perfectly preserved medieval Umbrian town and one of the most charming. Really an enchanting place, walking through its streets you feel an intense mystical atmosphere that would be difficult to experience anywhere else. From Assisi we’ll on the freeway and drive past Perugia towards Deruta the city of ceramics where we might stop to look at some of the shops selling the local artistic products. We will then continue to drive in the countryside and the beautiful landscapes to Todi which is another charming medieval Umbrian town, a bit out of the way for most tourists, built on top of a hill overlooking the Tiber river, this town has a unique charm and exquisite food this is where we could stop for lunch. 
Todi is referred to as the model sustainable city and the ideal place where to live due to its scale and its ability to change and reinvent itself over time. Finally we’ll reach Orvieto where we’ll be visiting the famous gothic cathedral and one of the typical wine cellars dug out of the tufo stone underneath the buildings. Orvieto is in fact built on top of a plateau of “tufo” stone which also served as the quarry for the material for the town’s buildings, including the huge “Duomo” church, which was built with the tufo the inhabitants of Orvieto quarried underneath their homes and the resulting space was then used for cellars or even workshops. 
Orvieto’s cathedral, the Duomo, is considered one of the most beautiful in Italy and surely its facade, entirely decorated with gold mosaics, is impressive! After a stroll through the beautiful streets full of characteristic shops, we’ll get in the car to drive again on A1 motorway and return to Rome.
This lovely, small coastal town founded by the Romans, was a poor fishermen’s village until the 1950’s and then it became one the most famous vacationing places in the world, also thanks to Steinbeck and the American military who were sent there for rest and recuperation during WWII and today tourism is surely the main industry there. All this because Positano is simply spectacular, just the vies of it from the top of the cliff is worth the trip there. After our exploration of Positano we’ll drive to Sorrento which is a another charming resort area. Located at the tip of the Sorrentina peninsula that separates the Gulf of Salerno from the Gulf of Naples. 
This town is larger than Positano but equally interesting. We suggest to have lunch in Sorrento at a little “trattoria” on the old marina, away from the most touristy side of Sorrento. You’ll enjoy walking around the streets of Sorrento and looking at the colorful shops selling typical products like Limoncello, inlaid wood works, ceramics and embroidery. After a good lunch, whether an authentic fish and mozzarella based typical Italian lunch by the sea or a quick snack, we’ll hit the road again to visit Pompeii. 
The most famous excavations in the world? The most famous volcanic eruption in the world? Maybe, what is sure is that we can take you to see the place and we’re sure that you’ll be thrilled by the visit! You’ll have about 2 hours to spend visiting the excavations, which means you’ll just scratch the surface considering the fact that Pompeii was a city of 30,000 inhabitants when the volcano destroyed it, but you’ll be satisfied. After visiting Pompeii we’ll get on the motorway again to return to your hotel in Rome.
Transfer
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