The southeastern tip of Lazio is little explored, which may be surprising due to the proximity of the capital. This is mostly a poor region, with its low hills leading to the Abruzzi Mountains, it is one of the least known to tourists traveling in Italy; it is bypassed by the Autostrada del Sole leading south.
Palestrina
PALESTRINA was built on the site of the ancient Praeneste, originally an Etruscan settlement, and later became a favorite summer resort of Roman patricians. In the “cool Praeneste”, as Horace called them, housed the enormous Temple of Fortune, the foundations of which roughly define the boundaries of the modern city center. Ruins can be seen almost everywhere. The city consists of a series of hillside terraces, built on different levels of the once gigantic temple edifice.
Buses leave from Rome to Palestrina co 30-45 minutes, and they'll be here in about an hour. They stop at via degli Arcioni, from where steep streets lead to the city center. You don't need much time for sightseeing. In the cathedral, which was completely rebuilt over the centuries, at the end of the right nave, a section of the Roman road has been preserved; There is also a copy of Michelangelo's Pieta di Palestrina. Unfortunately, the original was moved to Florence. Strolling along the streets made of steps is a special pleasure. To see the real attraction of the city, however, you have to climb to the very top of the hill. There is the Palazzo Colonna-Barberini, which houses the Museo Nazionale Archaelogico Prenestino (wt.-nd. 9.00-14.00, pn. not CZ.; 3000 L). The palace was built in the 11th century. and modified by Taddeo Barberini in 1640 r. and currently occupies the highest level of the Temple of Fortune. Totally modernized inside, has somewhat faded museum collections. Among the numerous Roman monuments here is the torso of the gray marble statue of Fortune, other works from the temple and funerary cistae similar to those exhibited at Villa Giulia in Rome.
At the top there is the most valuable exhibit of the museum, Nile mosaic from the 1st century. p.n.e., depicting the flood and a number of Egyptian genre scenes, taking place in the background of the river from the source to the delta. You can see a wealth of details up close: there is a banquet under the vine on the left, priests and warriors gathered in front of the Serepaenum on the right, while near the painted mosaic at the top of the river spring hunters and wild animals gathered in the mountains. A ticket to the museum also entitles you to enter the highest terrace of the temple, where among the ruins you can enjoy a wonderful view of the area.
Subiaco
Up to approx 15 km northeast of Palestrina SUBIACO is taken by bus from Tivoli or directly from viale Castro Pretorio in Rome (2 time). The city is beautifully located near Monte Liviato, the main ski area of Lazio. It climbs in a spiral around the hill topped by the Rocca Abbazia castle. It was originally built as a settlement for workers erecting Nero's great villa nearby (there is very little left of it), and in the fifth century, St.. Benedict chose them as a place of contemplation and led them alone, a prayerful life in a cave on the slope of a nearby mountain. After three years, he left this place and founded a monastery at Monte Cassino, but his legacy is still alive in Subiaco. Two monastic complexes exist just outside the city limits.
St.. Scholasticism (Convent of Santa Scolastica) is bigger (9.00-12.30 i 16.00-19.00), lies closer to Subiaco, o 25 minutes walk along the road to lenne from the bus stop, then left follow the arrows in front of the bridge. It is dedicated to the sister of St.. Benedict and has been renovated many times over the years: facade, with the Benedictine maxim Ora et Labora above the entrance, it is not original, and the only elements equal to the age of the monastery are pillars made of cipolino marble from the villa of Nero. However, the two cloisters are wonderful: the first is one of the oldest Gothic buildings in Italy, the other is cosmates-co with wonderful pillar arcades.
Further along the same road, the landscape becomes more and more dangerous, and after more or less 15 minutes to reach the Monastery of St.. Benedict (Convent of San Benedetto - codz. 9.00-12.30 i 15.00-18.00), a team of two churches, chapels and other buildings, stuck to a rocky mountain slope in place, where the cave of St.. Benedict. This is the more interesting of the two monasteries in Subiaco: the church was built on several levels, and the highest part is decorated with frescoes of the Sienese school and Perugin's students. From the lowest you can go to the Sacro Speco, cave, where St.. Benedict. It was left in its natural state, except for the cheerful statue by Raggi, Bernini's pupil.
A spiral staircase leads from here to the San Gregorio Chapel, often closed, and interesting because of the 13th-century painting of St.. Francis. This painting is considered to be one of the earliest portraits in the history of painting. On the opposite side, there are stairs leading to the second chapel, from which St.. Benedict preached to the shepherds, as well as on the terrace overlooking the so-called. "The Holy Rose Tree”. It is actually a triple shrub, which St.. Francis was to create from blackberries.
Practical information
Subiaco and its monasteries can be easily visited on a day trip from Rome: the bus journey takes approximately two hours, so you can come there for dinner, in the afternoon, visit the monasteries and return to Rome in the evening (last bus around 19.30).
However, if the beauty of the city prompts you to stay overnight, in the center is the decent Aniene hotel (two about 25 000 L; • 85565), which also has a passable restaurant. Persons, stopping here on the way south should take the bus to FROSINONE, where trains and buses depart to various towns in Lazio and Campania. AAST office at via Cadoma 57 (pn. 8.00-14.00, wt.-sb. 8.00-14.00 i 15.30-19.30, nd. 9.00-12.00) provides complete information.