Italian Odyssey Part 2: Rieti to Anzio

By Arnie Greenberg
Contact Arnie at
ultours@gmail.com

(The Chateau of Rocca Sinibalda as seen through the lovely Sabine Hills, above)

We arrived in Rieti after a pleasant drive through the Sabine hills. We quickly discovered that Rieti was the geographical center of Italy and the home of a wonderful hotel with walls dating back to Roman times.

(A scene from the Terni landscape, near where Arnie started out on his voyage)

The Miramonti Hotel with its pleasant vistas faces a quiet park. It can be reached at Rieti's Piazza Oberdan, 7-Tel: 0746 201333 or at www.hotelmiramonti.rieti.it. We found this hotel central to the main shopping areas and restaurants and surprisingly uncrowded for late May.

Enjoying Lunch at Café "O" Clock

Lunch at Café "0" Clock was pleasant on a terrace decorated with bonzai trees and art by someone named Farinelli. The waiter explained to us the sights of the city, and we walked to the Via Cerroni to take pictures of the monument at the exact center of Italy.

We especially enjoyed the pedestrian streets, the charming river and the ancient city wall and gates. People eat dinner late here and the Stationi Square was crowded with drinkers and groups standing around chatting. But there was no food served. That would come later after dark.

It was a pleasant evening with pizza at Europiza on Via Antin.
Seven families and their talkative children ate nearby. It seemed that everyone talked at once. At one table were the women. The men sat at another, and the children, divided by sex, occupied the other two. Not only did they all talk, but their hands put a local flavor to their speech. Cut off an Italian's hands and he becomes mute.

On the Road to Rocca Sinibalda

The next morning I was excited to leave. We were very close to Rocca Sinibalda and the reason I had chosen this area for my holiday. The hill town was only a few miles south. It was not like I had imagined it, but it was still captivating.

What I discovered was a tiny village high in the mountains with narrow cobbled streets surrounding the austere 16th century castle, anchored to a rock with vegetation. We were about 70 kms from Rome and about 600 meters or 1900 feet. The town was a gift by Charlemagne to the church in 774 AD and in 1050 became a fiefdom under Count Sinebaldo, hence the name. It continued to change hands until the church took it over. It was sold and resold countless times with the modern restorations begun in the 1970s. Italy declared it a national monument in 1928.

Going Back to the Colorful Characters of 1920's Paris

My interest in the castle was part of my interest in the people who wrote and published in Paris in the 1920's. At that time, the niece and nephew of J. Pierpont Morgan, the banker, lived and opened The Black Sun Press in Paris. Harry and Caresse Crosby made a name for themselves due to their bizarre antics and reputations. After Harry committed suicide, Caresse Crosby moved into the castle at Rocca Sinibalda and the partially restored 72-room castle.

The imposing entrance to the Rocca Sinibalda Chateau)

 

Some of my recent writing concerns Caresse and Harry and my novel, Double Deception, featured on this site, contains mostly fictional material based on the Crosby's and Caresse's relationship with Rocca Sinibalda.

Seeing Lake Turano from the Ramparts and Garden

The castle is imposing at the center and highest point in the village. From the ramparts and garden you can see Lake Turano, far below. I walked around the castle looking up at the monumental walls. Even the outside is awesome, and from the pictures I saw of the interior I was awed by its size and lavish décor. Knowing what I do about Caresse, I can easily imagine her living there among the frescos and beneath the giant Cypresses.

(The lovely Lake Turano is worth a lunch around its sparkling waters)

 

We departed after noon and entered the area of Lake Turano far below the town. We drove around the lake, had lunch near the sparkling waters and ended up at a simple roadhouse at the southern end of the lake, where we spent the night at the 3-star Hotel Miralago Turano.

The hotel can be reached at www.hotelmiralagoturano.com. Its comfortable dining room with enormous pizza oven were welcoming and worth the stay. You can reach the hotel at 0765-723134-5 in the community of Ascrea.

(The 3-Star Hotel Miralago Turano was well worth the stay)

 

(The Hotel Miralago Turano had very comfortable facilities)

 

Departing for Tivoli Past Lush Countryside

In the morning we left for Tivoli through lush countryside, umbrella pines and cypress trees. But we were not ready for the crowds, considering how few we had seen from Rieti to Tivoli. Here finding a parking spot was an ordeal, yet the city is certainly worth a visit.
Once you get through the souvenir stalls and crowded center, you can wander into the famous Villa d'Este gardens and waterfalls, all a visual delight.

The villa was built under the instruction of Ippolito d'Este, Cardinal of Ferrara (son of Lucretia Borgia), who later became a cardinal. Future generations enriched the property, which is a real feast for the eye. The throne room and central room of the lower apartment are decorated with frescoes. A fountain is set into the wall, but the outdoor fountains are what set the property apart. The fountain of Bicchierone is shaped like an open shell, and the Hundred Fountains with marble sculptures lining a walkway are lit up at night, making them seem magical.

Famous Fountains to Enjoy

At one end is the famous Fountain of the Ovato, named so because of its egg shape. On top is the Sibyl of Tibur holding the hand of her son. Below is a small waterfall, and one can actually stand inside the oval of the falling waters.

(One of the marvelous fountains on the grounds of the Villa d'Este)

 

The Fountain of Organ, which actually sounds like an organ, is large and ornate with plumes of water reaching skyward. The Owl fountain and the Fountain of Neptune with its fish ponds, and the incredible Fountain of Nature set in a park of Cypress trees, plants and flowers, are all a natural feast.

In Roman times, the town was originally called Tibur. Set atop a huge buttress, there is a wonderful panorama from the city square, Piazza Garibaldi and Rocca Pia fortress. In these places, popes and artists spent their summer, and from here you can see olive trees all the way to Rome.

Next: Tivoli to Pompeii...and More

There's more to Tivoli than can be enjoyed in one day. My next article will describe Hadrian's Villa (Villa Adriana), another reason to visit Tivoli. Now mostly a ruin outside the city and only a bus ride away, the remnants of the villa-castle, theatre and lake, as well as the incredible statuary are reminders of a long lost past.

The Tivoli Tourist Office is directly on Piazza Garibaldi, near the parking lot.

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