Rome and the Alban Hills (Castelli romani) have always been closely linked. In the course of many centuries emperors, popes, and Roman nobles ordered great architects to build them splendid homes on the hills a few kilometers from the city. The history of these Castelli, which began with the first Latin settlements, has never been a peaceful one. This region in fact owes its name to the feudal fortifications which appeared here during the early Middle Ages, erected by noble Roman families often in conflict with each other in their aim of laying hands on the papal throne. The actual castles were then much more numerous than appears today. Many later became the foundations of civic buildings.
The Castelli area covers about a dozen towns, the traditional destinations of picnics and excursions, all rich in ancient traditions and often also in art works of great value. Frascati, Grottaferrata, Marino, Rocca di Papa, Lanuvio, Albano Laziale, and Castelgandolfo, the Pope's summer residence, are some of them. Villa Aldobrandini, the cathedral and the Chiesa del Gesù in Frascati, the abbey and the Basilica of Santa Maria in Grottaferrata should all be visited. Nature, too, has its charm: the lakes of Albano and Nemi, the woods and the meadows are more than worth a glance.
