Lazio

Lazio is a region of central Italy which, with its predominantly hilly but also mountainous territory and, especially near the coast, flat. It develops from the Apennines to the Tyrrhenian Sea. The coastline is mostly low and sandy. The territory is divided into five provinces: the Metropolitan City of Rome, in whose province there are the territories of the Agro Romano, the Castelli Romani and the Aniene Valley; the Province of Latina, with the Agro Pontino and the Pontine Islands; the Province of Frosinone, where there are the territories of Valle del Sacco, Valle del Liri, Valle di Cominola; the Province of Viterbo, with the Lazio Maremma and Tuscia; the Province of Rieti, with Cicolano and Sabina. The sites proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site are, as regards those that fall within the metropolitan city and its province, the interior of the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, the Basilica of San Paolo fuori le mura, the historic center of Rome, the extraterritorial properties of the Holy See, the Basilica of San Paolo fuori le mura, Villa Adriana and Villa d'Este in Tivoli, the Etruscan necropolis of Cerveteri; in the Viterbo area, on the other hand, the Necropolis of Tarquinia, the depressed old beech wood of Monte Raschio and the beech wood of Monte Cimino. Other important places of interest are Villa Gregoriana in Tivoli, the monasteries of Montecassino and Subiaco, the medieval castles of the Comino valley, the Franciscan sanctuaries of Greccio, the Temple of Jupiter Anxur in Terracina. Rome is also full of sites of archaeological interest, religious and civil architecture, museums and squares; in the Italian capital we also find the Vatican City State.

There are three main national natural parks in Lazio, among many other protected areas; one is totally part of the region, that of Circeo, while the other two, the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise and that of Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga, also extend into other regions. Among the regional natural parks that of the Aurunci Mountains and that of the Riviera di Ulisse, the regional park of the Simbruini Mountains, that of Veio, the recently established regional park of the Ausoni Mountains and Lake of Fondi. The Garden of Ninfa is spectacular, a naturalistic oasis between Cisterna di Latina and Sermoneta. Near Frosinone there is the Posta Fibreno nature reserve, in the vicinity of Rieti that Laghi Lungo and Ripasottile, while the Montagne della Duchessa reserve is located in Corvaro di Borgorose. The historical interest is added to the naturalistic interest on the Lucretili Mountains, a chain belonging to the Lazio sub-Apennines. The Antiappennino is characterized by the Lepini Mountains, after which the Apennine section is constituted by the Ausoni and Aurunci Mountains.

As for the beaches, along the 300 kilometers of coastline bathed by the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Riviera of Rome extends for about 86 kilometers from Marina di Palidoro to the municipality of Nettuno, and includes the famous Lido di Ostia and the beaches of Torvajanica, Ardea, Lavinio and Anzio. The Etruscan Riviera extends from Marina di Pescia Romana to Ladispoli, while the beaches of Formia are located in the Gulf of Gaeta. The sea awarded with the Blue Flag is that of Sperlonga. The seaside resort of Scauri was already very popular in Roman times by patricians on holiday. Do not miss the dunes of Sabaudia and the coasts of Santa Marinella and Santa Severa.

The islands of Lazio are those of the Pontine archipelago (Ponza and Ventotene the inhabited ones, Palmarola, where there is a tourist facility, Zannone, Gavi and Santo Stefano), connected all year round by ferries and hydrofoils with Formia. In Rome, then, in the middle of the Tiber there is the Tiber Island, fluvial like the Sacred Island. There are also the lake islands of Bisentina and Martana in Lake Bolsena.

Thermal parks are widespread throughout the region. Acque Albule Terme di Roma is located between Rome and Tivoli with four pools at 23 ° C; Terme Sabine di Cretone, in Palombara Sabina, has thermomineral water pools; near Canale Monterano, there are the Terme di Stigliano, with hyperthermal water; the Terme della Ficoncella are located in Civitavecchia. In Tuscia there are the Carletti swimming pools, freely accessible, without services, with temperatures reaching 58 ° C, the thermal springs of Bagnaccio, the source of Bulicame, the Terme delle Masse di San Sisto. In the Frosinone area, on the other hand, we find the thermal center of Fiuggi, with two establishments covering an area of ​​94,000 square meters, but also the Terme di Pompeo and the Varroniane ones. In the province of Latina there is the spa of Suio, with the ancient Aquae Vescinae currently usable in various spa and accommodation facilities affiliated with the national health system.