Lunch in Ceri
The village of Ceri perched on its little hill
The view of Lake Bracciano from the Castello Orsini-Odescalchi
The church of San Pietro in Tuscania
An Etruscan sarcophagus dating to approx. 700 BCWe arrived in Civitavecchia, the port for Rome, around sunrise. Since it was a Sunday and we had been to Rome a few times, we opted for a tour outside of the city. We were met ashore by our driver Marco of RomeConnections and off we went.
First stop was Tuscania. While there is some evidence of people in this little city in Lazio (same region as Rome) dating back to the Neolithic age, there are many artifacts from the Etruscans, the precursors of the Romans, c. 700 BC. We went first to the Etruscan Museum in an old monastery. On display there were many old sarcophagi from nearby tombs and many bronze and ceramic pieces found in the nearby countryside. The sarcophagi were quite beautifully carved. The other premier site in the town is the church of San Pietro. It’s a Romanesque church no longer in use built in the 8th century and renovated a few hundred years later. It has a lovely rose window and some beautiful columns with a variety of capitals.
Our next stop was the Castello Orsini-Odescalchi on Lake Bracciano. The lake is a volcanic crater (some 600 feet deep in places) and one of the largest in Italy. The castle is a museum and one of the most beautiful examples of Renaissance military structures. It has become quite famous because some celebrities have rented it for weddings, including Tom Cruise when he married his current wife. The museum has many interesting military and Etruscan artifacts. The views from the ramparts of the castle of the lake and surrounding countryside were breathtaking. The tour of the place, though, is not for those with any mobility issues because there are quite a few steps.
Finally we drove to Ceri. This picturesque town is perched atop a hill and walled. To get there we had to drive on a hairpin turn street with a traffic light keeping traffic operating only one way at a time. At the top we went to a lovely, and very popular restaurant for a traditional meal of wild boar with pasta. Both the views and the food were outstanding. After a very enjoyable and educational day we drove back to Civitavecchia.
A comment about the weather. This is the latest we have done this cruise and these ports and we have had exceptionally nice weather in our opinion. The temperatures have been in the high 60’s which are perfect to us for doing lots of walking.
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