Magliano Romano is best explored by strolling along its alleyways and narrow streets at a slow pace, until you reach the Castle, located as a bulwark on the highest point. The Via Romana is the main thoroughfare and crosses the town from north to south, linking the Castle with the Church of San Giovanni. Along the way are noble palaces that mark the passage of the important families that owned the feud over the centuries (Orsini, Cesi, Borromeo, Chigi).
NOT TO BE MISSED
- The millstone of Magliano
On the border between the Veio Park and the Treja Nature Reserve, and halfway between Magliano and Campagnano, a green and enchanting area can be reached by an easy path. The stream that runs through it, although small, is rich in water even in summer and gives rise to a beautiful waterfall. Still visible are the ruins of the ancient millstone, until the middle of last century used for grinding wheat. - The Castle
Built in various stages between 1300 and 1400 and subsequently remodelled, it retains the charm of an ancient and sumptuous fortified residence. The large portal gives access to the palace, which is still inhabited and furnished with antiques. An imposing staircase leads to the main floor where even the fireplaces, once the only source of heating, are works of art. - Locality ‘Casale’
To learn about the older history of Magliano, a visit to this area, just outside the town centre, is a must. Here we can see a square-based building, protected by walls and towers. Its elevated position and difficult access indicate that it was an almost self-sufficient complex and we know that it was inhabited for a long time, first by hermit monks and then by the Benedictines. - Churches or caves of S. Arcangelo called “Degli Angeli” (Of the Angels)
Under the hill known as 'Il Casale' is a cave excavated in the tuff by the Etruscans and later adapted as a place of Christian worship and shelter for hermits. The ancient frescoes found inside (1100), were detached for conservation purposes about a century ago and are now on display in the church of San Giovanni Battista. - Ancient church of San Giovanni now ‘dell’Assunta’
This delightful church has undergone a long and complex history of changes, both architectural and legal. Its sober and linear Romanesque style has been returned to its original condition after a long period of restoration. - Church of S Giovanni Battista
This is the most important building in the town and its construction dates back to the early-14th century, when the previous settlement was destroyed and the population built a new one.
THE DANTE ROUTE IN MAGLIANO ROMANO
An original itinerary to be covered on foot in one of the wildest and most pristine parts of the Veio Park.
Along the way, colourful boards explain the area to the visitor through a selection of verses from Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy.
The walk thus becomes a poetic experience where the forest is explored as a real but also symbolic entity.
From the “dark forest”, mentioned in the first verses of Inferno, to the benevolent and luminous nature of Paradiso, the route offers a pleasant immersion in green landscapes just a few kilometres from Rome.
TRADITIONAL DISH
Pizza with oven-baked zucchini flowers: not to be confused with classic ‘pizza’, this is in fact a batter in which the zucchini flowers are immersed and which is then oven baked.
