On the Trail of Medieval Lazio: A Day Trip to Bracciano, Caprarola and Viterbo

We saw this day trip offering on the TE website before coming to Rome and were intrigued. We never seen this kind of day trip before on any other tour group site. We then asked about this day trip with our TE Tour Guide Gracelyn during our Colosseum Underground Tour in our first week in Rome. Her enthusiasm convinced us to do it, and we were able to book the day trip for the following week and with Gracelyn as our tour guide, as we requested. Thank you Through Eternity! This tour was grand, and we would highly recommend this to anyone interested in leisurely seeing the Lazio countryside, visiting and enjoying some beautiful small Medieval towns, and learning a little bit of Medieval Lazio and papal intrigue. And the three visited towns are indeed beautiful! This is a private tour involving my wife and I, our tour guide Gracelyn and our driver Danielle. Just the four of us! We were promptly picked up at our apartment in the Centro Storico of Rome at the designated time of 8:30am, and off we went. If was a little over an hour drive to our first destination of Caprarola to visit the fabulous Palazzo Farnese. Along the way, we talked about many things like Roman cuisine, hidden gems in Rome for future reference, the Lazio countryside, the influence of the Popes in the past Italian history, the Farnese Family, etc. The 1-hour-plus drive flew by with these many very interesting discussions. Once we got to Caprarola, wow, the Palazzo Farnese just dominated the townscape! Once inside, the opulence and the art were mind blowing. Renaissance frescoes everywhere! Moreover, no people! We were about the only ones in this grand Palazzo! And we had Gracelyn to ourselves to ask the many questions that are inspired from being in such a magnificent place. After the Palazzo were the beautiful gardens! What next - well it was the picturesque Viterbo, a definite hidden gem in the Lazio countryside, and home of the Palazzo dei Papi, and enclosed with still-intact Medieval walls built in the 11th and 12th centuries. First stop was the Red Rose Caffe, a coffee bar run by ladies where we had a nice cappuccino before making our way on foot to the 12th-century Cathedral of San Lorenzo and the 13th-century Palazzo dei Papi. Here in the Palazzo dei Papi is where the college of cardinals back in 1271 had their first and longest enclave to elect a new pope. In fact, the original 1271 document can be viewed in the Palazzo! Again, no crowds and very few tourist! After the viewing, we had a very nice lunch outside at a family run trattoria called Il Gargolo. Thank you again, Gracelyn, for bringing us to an authentic Viterbo eatery where we were the only English-speaking people. After lunch, we requested to do a little shopping for ceramics that is a notoriety in Viterbo. Gracelyn obliged, and we found some beautiful ceramics that are signature to the area. One last stop and not the least stop - Bracciano and the well-preserved Medieval Orsini-Odescalchi Castle that sits above the splendid Lake Bracciano. What spectacular panoramic views from the castle of this round volcanically formed lake! The Orsini-Odescalchi Castle is one of the most noteworthy examples of Renaissance military architecture in Italy! Again, no one but ourselves at this 3rd Lazio gem! We enjoyed stomping through this empty castle. It also has a museum of ancient weapons that we found very interesting, particularly in their presentation. Lastly, it was where Tome Cruise and Katie Holmes had their wedding. We have come to the end of a most wonderful day, 8 hours in all! And an hour drive back to Rome with again delightful discussions with our tour guide Gracelyn and our patient and wonderful driver Daniele. This was the best day trip from Rome ever, and we highly recommend it! It was and is indeed a hidden gem!

Francesco - Nov 02, 2022

Renata started out by asking what we knew and listened carefully. She filled in our knowledge gaps, without repeating unnecessarily what we’d learned in past trips to Italy. She gave us great context for our unusual itinerary and was a delightful travel guide and companion.

Heather - Oct 28, 2022