Custom Pinnies Sports

Calcata-Civita Castellana, Nepi-Casper-area-Roccantica

Route part of a day that for convenience from Rome (GRA, exit Flaminia) and touching the steps of:
- Limestone (B)
- Civita Castellana (C)
- Nepi (D)
- Casper (E)
- Roccantica (F)


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Calcata
Recommended: Absolutely
Difficulty: Easy

Another hidden gem can not be absolutely escape! A village-shaped favor box, perched on a tufa rock crumbling into overlooking the green valley of the river Treja. To be admired in all its simplicity! (Before frani all:))
defined the last country 'Hippy' Italian (mmmhhh. ..), with its narrow streets in stone, pastel-colored houses and old negozzietti on the main square has kept this part of the world and still maintains quell'atmostera of naturalness and authenticity unthinkable just a few kilometers from the metropolitan.
The visit after 10 am, otherwise you will find shops closed and no human around! :)

Civita Castellana
Recommended: Nì

Difficulty: Easy

Situated on a rocky bedrock, between the deep Treia throats of two tributaries of the foot of the Cimini mountains, along the Via Flaminia, is famous for being the capital of pre-Roman era Falisci population. It is also known for be the industrial center specialized in ceramics largest in Italy and among the most popular in the world.
Pope Gregory V gave it the name of the civitas (city - citizenship), from which "Civita". "Castellana" refers to the domain that the site had on the surrounding castles. (Source Wikipedia)

Noteworthy, the medieval castle and the cathedral, the facade of the XII century porch and a large central arch of 1210 (enhanced with polychrome mosaics).

Nepi
Recommended: Yes

Difficulty: Easy

especially famous for its water (which flows directly from the source slightly sparkling, and the same source is known for its sulphurous waters), during the Gothic wars was one of the last strongholds of the Goths to collapse. The village was sacked by the Lombards in 569. During the eighth century, however, it became the seat of Tuto, a Lombard duke, known for its interference in the election of the papal conclave of 768. (Source Wikipedia)

Of great interest is the castle Borgia (surrounded by walls, rebuilt by the Borg in the fifteenth century on the ruins of a feudal manor), the Palazzo Comunale (the lower part of which is adorned with a stone portico, the from upper windows and balconies topped by a bell tower and a fountain whose base is attributed to Gian Lorenzo Bernini) and the Roman aqueduct still in use.

Casperia
Recommended: Absolutely

Difficulty: Medium

The origins of Casper lose between real history and legend.
According to legend, Sabo (hence the name Sabina) party and came to Greece from Persia, was forced by the extreme rigidity of laws of Lycurgus, with his entourage to move first in Sicily and then in the present territory of Casper.
According to the Roman geographer Pomponius Mela, Casperia would be the oldest city founded Sabina, as written by the people of the Caspian Sea.
Virgil in the Aeneid mentions the list of cities that sent troops to the aid of Turnus in the war against Aeneas and the Latin King. (Source Wikipedia)

If the source is uncertain and is lost in the myth, the reality is rather clear that a beautiful village, hidden by green trees and rolling hills, with a historical center stone breathtaking.
Each cottage, small church, alley door seem part of a nativity scene (there must be also noticed the people who built the cathedral in the crib better than I remember seeing in my life), where nothing is random place and life goes on, albeit slowly genuine for centuries.
is held every year in the village Casperia Festival (review historical medieval decorated with fairies and elves .. early to mid July), but I can not tell you more because I always missed .. (

Roccantica
Recommended: Yes

Difficulty: Media

Very close to Casper (you can see from the other), actually merges with it to show really the most fascinating and mysterious side of what was once the region of Sabina.
Arm yourself with good will and climbing (literally) this old village, to the ruins of the castle on its summit, from which you can see a panorama of the surrounding hills really bad.

Mount And Blade Old Version Get Married

Capalbio Saturnia Pitigliano-Sovana-Nymph-

Route of two to three days - about 200 Km from Rome (Aurelia + Rome / Civitavecchia) and 200 + km from central Tuscany - touching the steps of:
- Tarot Garden (Capalbio) (A)
- Borgo di Capalbio (B)
- Porto Ercole (Argentario) (C)
- Saturnia (D)
- Pitigliano (E)
- Sovana / Sorano (F)


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Tarot Garden
Recommended: Absolutely
Difficulty: Easy

A real hidden gem, dream the dream of a French architect who was inspired by the events of his life as well as the mystique of the tarot cards, to make an anonymous hill south of Capalbio a real game of lights and shadows, mirrors and tiles, statues, sculptures, dreams of color and cement.
Please visit the official website (search Google for 'Tarot Garden') for opening hours of the park and the cost of the ticket (IMHO it is worth visiting at any price:))

In Wikipedia it says:

Following the inspiration had during a visit to Parque Guell by Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona, \u200b\u200bwas strengthened by the visit to the garden of Bomarzo, Niki de Saint Phalle began construction of the Tarot Garden in 1979, on a half-hectare covered from the Mediterranean on the hill at Garavicchio Capalbio, in Maremma, made available by Nicola and Carlo Caracciolo through the mediation of Marella Caracciolo Agnelli.

identifying the Garden a dream of his life and spiritual magic, Niki de Saint Phalle has been dedicated to building the twenty-two imposing figures in steel and concrete covered with glass, mirrors and colorful ceramics for more than seventeen years.

finished until the summer of 1996, led to the creation of the Garden, as well as an enormous amount of plant, costing about 10 billion lire entirely self-financed by the author.
In 1997 Niki de Saint Phalle was the Foundation The Tarot Garden whose purpose is to preserve and maintain the work carried out by the sculptor. The establishment of the Foundation has been edited by Marie D. France Pestel-Debord, current Vice-President, and Stefano Mancini, Secretary-General. On May 15 1998il Tarot Garden was opened to the public.

Village of Capalbio
Recommended: Yes

Difficulty: Easy

is the most common in the south of Tuscany, the environmental context in which it and the art-historical importance taken during the Renaissance, Capalbio was also known as the little Athens. In addition, the municipality has been awarded with 5 sails and the first position in the "Blue Guide" Legambiente-2007 Italian Touring Club for the protection and wise management of its beaches, the landscape and environment. (Source Wikipedia)

Porto Ercole
Recommended: Ni

Difficulty: Medium

Porto Ercole is a fraction of the town of Monte Argentario, in the province of Grosseto. With Porto Santo Stefano (the center most populous) is one of the two major towns that form the municipality.
In medieval times the town was a possession of the Abbey of Tre Fontane in Rome, before moving on to Aldobrandeschi in thirteenth-century era. After a brief period under the Orsini of Pitigliano Porto Ercole became part of the Republic of Siena in the XV century. In the second half of the sixteenth century the country came under the rule of Deans, becoming the cornerstone of the entire defense system of the area. Porto Ercole, following the fortunes of the deans of the state, became part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany only in the first half of the nineteenth century.

the early seventeenth century died at Porto Ercole Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio; the place of death remained shrouded in mystery for decades, according to a biographer who died because of the time on a beach (maybe Feniglia), according to others, in the old country. (Source Wikipedia)

Personally, I've never been particularly upset the Argentario, but I recognize to be in contrast with the millions of tourists each year flock to its beaches and villages. Moderate
since before arriving in Porto Ercole (however I would advise instead of chaotic Santo Stefano), you may run into traffic jams are not easy to overcome. :)

Terme di Saturnia
Recommended: Absolutely

Difficulty: Medium

The resort was built in Roman times along the Via Clodia near the Etruscan necropolis of Pian di Palma and hot springs, already known at the time, from which it took its name.
The sulphurous water at 37 degrees and a half have known therapeutic properties and know how to donate only to sink into relaxation and wellness. Remarkable is, however, contact with nature at the same time as the Maremma can be harsh - especially in summer - with colors ranging from dark green to yellow to brown in all shades to to almost black. (Source Wikipedia)

Really destination not to be missed if it were not for the horde of tourists each day (winter and summer) attack the small waterfalls and pools - available free of charge - to relax in the heat of the thermal waters .

Pitigliano
Recommended: Absolutely

Difficulty: Easy

known since ancient times as 'little Jerusalem' - for the historical presence of a synagogue and a Jewish community has always been well integrated into the social - and preserves a very suggestive historical center.
Coming from the sea, climbing the SS 74 Maremma, you will immediately notice the typical houses that stick out from a large outcrop of tufa, absolutely sheer. The cliff of Pitigliano is surrounded on three sides by many gullies, full of caves dug into the tufa in the valley flow the rivers Lens, Meleta and Proc.
Waterworks, several churches and the Palazzo Orsini make the 'little Jerusalem' a gem not to be missed.

Sovana
Recommended: Yes

Difficulty: Easy

The current center was developed during the Middle Ages in the vicinity of existing Etruscan necropolis, under the control of the family Aldobrandeschi, who had built a castle during the eleventh century. In medieval times it became a free municipality and also the birthplace of Sovana Hildebrand, later Pope Gregory VII, was also capital of the county.
At the end of the thirteenth century was inherited by following the same fate Orsini di Sorano and Pitigliano until the fifteenth century, an era in which the center was conquered by the Sienese. In the mid-sixteenth century the
final fall of the Republic of Siena Sovana brought into the hands of the Medici, who stays in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. (Source Wikipedia)