Roman Castles Countryside and
Wine Tasting private day tour

Dear Guests,
This tour has been designed for those wishing to discover and enjoy the beautiful Roman countryside 45 minutes east of Rome, commonly called Roma Castles.

The tour is conducted by a professional English-speaking driver, with a Mercedes vehicle, who will welcome you to your hotel or any other place of your convenience. Then you will be driven straight to Castel Gandolfo, the town famous for being the location of Pope’s summer residence. Castel Gandolfo, recently voted as one of the most beautiful towns in Italy, rises at the crest of the by-now-extinct Volcano, overlooking one of the two volcanic lakes, that mainly characterize the territory. The medieval town houses the very famous Pope’s summer residence, built by Carlo Maderno for Pope Urban VIII in the 17th century. Walking down the narrow and fascinating main street, you can visit the church built by Gianlorenzo Bernini and dedicated to St. Thomas from Villanova with its beautiful cupola and the altarpiece by Pietro da Cortona.

Gourmet stores, religious goods, and souvenir shops line up the central corso.

The loggia of the benediction, the balcony from where the Pope waves and blesses the faithful, faces the whole town. Here there is time for coffee, pictures, and a visit to the church of St. Thomas.

Afterward, you will be driven to Frascati where, in a winery, you will be taught everything regarding wine. From Castel Gandolfo, a lovely drive for about 20 minutes, through streets mainly traced down in the Renaissance to connect the rich villas of the Roman aristocrats, will take you to Frascati, the town known for wine production! The most modern tradition associates the name of the town with the custom that the wine sellers had of hanging a vine branch outside their stores to announce that the wine from the last harvest was ready to be sold.

Frascati is also famous for its notable villas, which were built from the 16th century onwards by Popes, Cardinals, and Roman nobles as “Status Symbols” of Roman Aristocracy.

Here you have the chance to visit one of the two most beautiful and famous vineyards of the site, Casale Marchese or Cantine Santa Benedetta depending on their availability.

You will be shown the vineyard, explained the long cultivation process and the several grapes, adopted and autochthonous. Then the tasting with 3 types of wine with snacks, bruschetta, salami, and cheese in addition to the local olive oil.

We continue to Nemi for both, lunch and a little visit. The town, famous for its Strawberry Festival in the first Sunday of June, is a beautiful village overlooking the small omonymus lake.

On the way back, before approaching Rome, you will be shown the ancient Via Appia, the first motorway in the western world. Lined with tombs and villas, this road is a vast archaeological site with Christian catacombs and underground tunnels that criss-cross and stretch for miles on two or three levels.