Sacrofano lies within the Park of Veio, an area which has always been connected to horses. The Amulio horse-riding centre continues this tradition which sees horses and riders cross this area in continuous pursuit of new and undiscovered corners.

This centre offers a day-long itinerary which leads first to the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Sorbo, and then reaches the Monte Gelato waterfalls, inside the Suburban Park of the Treja Valley. This route is part of an old network of paths which the constant use of horses enables to keep alive. This area was characterised by the intense volcano activity of the Sabatino and Sacrofano volcanoes, active here about 500,000 years ago. Along the tufaceous cliffs there are woods of cherry and chestnut trees, which often grow alongside a thick Mediterranean maquis. The fauna which lives here is varied and rare: foxes, beech martens, martens, polecats and weasels, as well as moles and shrews. Larger animals include badgers, porcupines and wild boars, while in the bird realm kites, buzzards, owls and owlets, as well as nightingales, blackbirds, jays and cuckoos can be seen.
One of the main areas of interest along this itinerary is the Sorbo, which offers two opposing points of view - one sacred and the other profane. Legend has it that in the 15^th century a pig stockman found a sow in adoration of the image of the Madonna who requested a church to be built here. For the people to believe in the stockman’s words, she allowed the man’s arm to grow back, which he had lost some time before. A more earthly and prosaic version, which however is still alive, is more recent. The Sorbo valleys have traditionally been a destination for Easter Monday trips but, to avoid fights, to this day it is kept for the inhabitants of Campagnano Romano, while Tuesday is set aside for the people from Formello.
The route then skirts around Mazzano Romano as it continues along the valley of the Treja river, which is sufficiently wide here to allow this. From its banks the old castle can be seen, which is isolated from the rest of the medieval town and well protected by the river’s gorge. At the end of the trip stand the Monte Gelato waterfalls - a series of smaller falls and cataracts which create a unique environment. These can also be visited on foot, by following the well-marked paths set out by the Park management.

 

This itinerary is organised by the Centro Ippico “Amulio Equitazione” (horse-riding centre),Località Valle Bianchella, 00060 Sacrofano (RM). Tel. 06/9039214- - 06/9039163 – 339/6474215 – 06/90112458

This horse-riding centre is affiliated to FITETREC-ANTE, the Federation of Equine Tourism.

 

The centre has a sand working area where horse-riding lessons are given. Horses are held both in stalls and in paddocks.

Guests can choose from ten horses, which are trained both for riding on plains and in the open countryside. The centre also offers hospitality for ten people, as well as a dining service which can cater for up to thirty people.

A shuttle service is available to and from the main railway stations and airports, upon request. A medieval farmhouse with an external water source offers hospitality to those who wish to relive emotions from the past (no lights, gas or toilets).

This itinerary is called “The Three Rivers” because it travels through a hydorgraphic system made up by the Tiber and two of its tributaries, the Cremera and the Treja. This itinerary is quite demanding from a physical point of view as it lasts for three days.
The journey starts from the horse-riding centre and unfolds in the discovery of the old Via Vejentana up to Isola Farnese, where a detour is made to visit the ruins of Veio, an Etruscan city which flourished between the 7^th and 5^th century B.C.. Here a number of valuable statues have been found, including the Apollo of Veio. 

The main path then leads to the Sorbo Valley, and thus enters the area of the Cremera stream. Visitors can stay at the l’Associazione Sportiva Equestre Il Sorbo (equestrian sports club).

On the second day, the route leads to Mazzano Romano and follows the horse-path set out by the Park of Veio and the Park of the Treja Valley. This path follows old routes and part of the via Francigena, and helps to keep alive paths which would otherwise be lost, as well as to visit the parks in a more natural way.

Once Mazzano has been left behind, the next town which is reached is Calcata, a fine example of a fortified town with a circular plan, now home to many artists who help to give the town a unique atmosphere. The second stretch of this itinerary ends at the Centro Ippico Forre del Treja (horse-riding centre), which takes its name from the breath-taking gorges that are just as spectacular as the more famous American canyons.
We are now in the area of the Treja river and on the third day we reach its convergence with the Tiber. The path then leads to Ponzano Romano and reaches the natural oasis of Nazzano Romano.
The whole journey unfolds in the typical environment of the Roman countryside and thicket. Riders will pass great chestnut trees and strawberry tree shrubs, as well as poplar and cornel trees, alders and dogwoods. Fauna is rich both on the ground and in the sky: foxes and badgers, owls and sparrow-hawks, wild boars and porcupines. The river waters are rich too and with a bit of luck you can see herons too, which recently have taken to resting along the river banks.

 

This itinerary is organised by the Associazione Sportiva Equestre Il Sorbo (horse-riding centre), Strada delle Piane di Formello 5, 00063 Campagnano di Roma (RM).

Tel. 348/0657103 - 338/1967073 - 06/9077052. E-mail: sorbo@interfree.it

This horse-riding centre is affiliated to FITETREC-ANTE, the Federation of Equine Tourism.

 

This centre keeps its horses in boxes or paddocks and has two sand working areas, and a covered training area. Riders can use two club houses, a swimming pool, volley-ball fields and a bocce course. The centre also offers hospitality to its guests. 

 

Guido Continenza organises and leads this itinerary: he is an “explorer and discoverer” of forgotten paths. Guido Continenza is the life and soul of the Associazione Parchi a Cavallo (association for exploring parks on horseback) which carries out activities with Legambiente (an environmental NGO).

 

This itinerary unfolds within the Monterano Nature Reserve, which is included in the EU list of interesting sites which should constitute, in accordance with CEE Directive 43/92, a European network of protected areas.

The natural environment which here frames the path is that typical of the copse, with many oak trees, although the unique environmental conditions have enabled many interesting plant species to grow here, including two rare examples of ferns. We are now in an area with a volcanic past, which is proved by the undulation of the hills and the wide river valleys, where areas of gentle slopes alternate brusquely to sudden cliffs with vertical walls.
One of this area’s distinguishing features is the Mignone stream and its valley where small wild herds of Maremmana cows can be seen, identifiable by their typical long horns.
However, the place which has marked the history of this area is the Monterano rise, which is the final destination of this itinerary. To reach this place where the ruins of the original town of Monterano can be seen, riders cross an area which bears plenty of marks left by the Etruscans, easily identifiable by some of the monumental tombs. However, it is with Pope Clement X that Monterano reaches its peak and to this today, when riders dismount, they can enter the town to see the open gallery of the old feudal palace.

This was designed by Bernini, as was the Fontana del Leone (fountain). The history of the town however ends drastically in 1799, when it was bombed and half-destroyed in retaliation by French troops. The town was then abandoned, also due to a continuing plague of malaria, and built anew where today’s Canale Monterano stands.
A few years ago the old town was included in the Nature Reserve and restoration started of the local community heritage. This has on one hand stopped a progressive physical deterioration of the town and on the other put an end to the urban legends which had started to rise around it, such as the one which had the deconsecrated church as a centre for unlikely satanic rites.

 

This itinerary is organised by the Associazione Equestre “Caino” (horse-riding association), via Braccianese Claudia, km 34, 00060 Canale Monterano (RM). Tel. 06/9964137

This horse-riding centre is affiliated to FITETREC-ANTE, the Federation of Equine Tourism.

 

Throughout the year visitors can partake in typical local festivities. On 17 January there is the feast of Saint Antonio Abate, when animals are blessed. In May the Riarto dei Butteri is held, when equestrian talents are displayed and local dishes can be sampled. In June the Corpus Domini feast has a characteristic “infiorata” (when roads are decked with flowers), and on 25-26 August there is the feast of the Patron Saints: Bartolomeo and Calepodia. Parades are then held, as well as horse-races.

 

This itinerary leads from the sea - Civitavecchia’s inland - to the Marturanum Park, close to Barbarano Romano, a town which probably was Etruscan, set on a tufaceous rise on the Sabatini Mountains.

The starting point is marked by the ruins of Cencelle, or Leopolis, built by Pope Leo IV to offer refuge to the inhabitants of Centumcelle who had been evacuated because of Moor raids. The route then leads to Civitella Cesi.

Here riders are in the full of the Tolfa Mountains where the Mediterranean maquis is very dense. After about 12 km we reach Grasceta dei Cavallari where the ruins of an old temple can be seen: this is the only example of an archaic cult on the Tolfa Mountains.

By following the ridge, the route soon leads to a wide plateau, a picturesque place which has always been surrounded by an aura of legend: according to an old popular belief, a mysterious carriage drawn by horses appears here.

Further on, the path enters a wood which leads to a plain where the ruins of the Abbey of Piantangeli can be seen, situated in a dominant position on the Mignone valley.

We are now close to Civitella Cesi, which we leave behind to reach San Giovenale, a very significant archaeological site. Close to a panoramic cliff where the town once stood there is the necropolis where an old road still bears the marks of carriages’ wheels in the tuff. Finally we enter the Park, which is characterised by two different kinds of environment: one of these is the gorge, a river valley deeply dug into the tuff by the Biedano stream and its tributaries. The other environment is that of the hills, where oak groves and prairies alternate with thorny shrubs such as hawthorn and bramblerose. It is also common to see horses and cattle grazing in a wild state. Within the park an Etruscan necropolis has been discovered which experts have identified as the old Marturanum.

 

Associazione Parchi a Cavallo (horse-riding association)

Via Montelupoli 39, 00063 Campagnano di Roma (RM)

Guido Continenza is in charge. Tel. 335/6094062 – 06/9077415. E-mail: guidocontinenza@parchiacavallo

 

This association organises activities with the Park of Veio and offers assistance and guidance for horse-back rides. Guido Continenza has for many years crossed the Rome province tracks, re-discovering forgotten corners and helping to keep old paths alive which the maquis would otherwise have covered.

 

This itinerary unfolds within Martignano Park, the most recently established park in Latium. This route enables visitors to appreciate the local environment and the beautiful views of the lake: in fact, a specific path leads to a panoramic spot which offers a simultaneous view both of Lake Martignano and the very close Lake Bracciano.

Along the track, the Torre di Stracciappe (tower) is visited, which was a medieval sighting outpost on the border of its namesake lake, which has since dried up following the building of the canal joining Lake Martignano and Lake Bracciano, in 1828.

Further on, the remains of an Etruscan tower are found, and finally the old Casale di Martignano (farmhouse) is reached, dating back to the 15^th century. Initially there was a castle here, and probably a small town too, which were abandoned following a plague epidemic at the end of the 14^th century. Later, a farmhouse was built where the old castle once stood, thanks to the partial reuse of its foundations: this appears in many Latium maps as Casale di Martignano. It was long-lived, but came to end when its owners decided to build a chimney, with its consequent flue, on the main floor of the building. The flue was dug into the bearing wall, thus weakening it and leading to a gradual destruction of the building. The surrounding environment is typical of the Roman countryside, with many settlements due to the closeness of two lakes, which lead to a large presence of birds, including some game species.

In the copse wild boars, foxes, squirrels and many small rodents find refuge. The presence of oak trees and durmasts is important here, along with many species of thorny shrubs.

Apart from these one-day itineraries, this horse-riding centre organises, twice a year, more demanding trekking routes which require good equestrian experience, such as that which leads to the Terminillo Mountain or that leading to Tuscanica and Albinia.

 

Associazione Sportiva Circolo Ippico Il Sorriso (horse-riding association)

Via Pian del Pero 75, 00063 Martignano (RM). Tel. 339/8882833

This horse-riding centre is affiliated to FITETREC-ANTE, the Federation of Equine Tourism.

 

This centre has a sand working area, a training area, a club house, brick boxes, 12 stalls, 14 paddocks, a saddle-room, and changing rooms. It also specialises in taming foals and is a stud farm. It doesn’t offer hospitality to guests, but has a special agreement with the close agriturismo Casale di Martignano. 

 

This itinerary unfolds inside the Park and starts from the Associazione Sportiva Equestre Monti Simbruini (equestrian sports centre), in Monte Livata. It is about 50 km long and lasts for 8-9 hours. The best months to tackle it are May, June and the end of September.

The horses’ hooves will follow paths, gravel roads and the soft but firm soil of prairies: riders willsoon learn to pick out the signs of a plentiful animal life - the flight of a hawk, holes dug by wild boars. Experts will even be able to detect wolves’ prints.

There will be moments when we are fully immersed in an extremely varied landscape which is the backdrop to the horses’ walk: small valleys dotted with the white of big rocks, bumpy humps in the ground where wide grassy areas alternate with dense woods, sudden slopes, small streams and, in the distance, the harshest peaks of the Monti Simbruini. This is a total immersion in nature, and many kilometres go by without meeting a living soul, or at the very most some flocks of sheep or small semi-wild herds of cows. All the itinerary unfolds at over 1000 metres in altitude, and reaches 1751 m at the “Vedute” (views), a significant name which reflects the panorama it offers, just under the peak of the Monte Autore (1855 m).

This sanctuary appears to be the only one in the world dedicated to the Trinity, and its origin are lost in the mists of time, around the year 1000. This is a grotto with frescoes showing the Trinity, shut in by a stone façade. Experts believe Benedictine monks of Subiaco, or Basilian monks who sought refuge in the cave, built it on top of an ancient pagan temple and that they are the authors of the paintings.
The popular myth is even more intriguing: apparently a farmer’s oxen, working on the land in Tagliata above the cliff, escaped and precipitated into the ravine. The plough was caught half-way, while the man invoked the Holy Trinity for help. When the farmer reached the bottom of the cliff, he found that the oxen were alive and well and were in adoration of the image of the Holy Trinity, painted inside the grotto.

Once a year, for over two centuries, on the morning of the liturgical feast of the Holy Trinity, visitors can look on the “Pianto delle Zitelle” (weeping of the spinsters), a lament sung by the young girls of Vallepietra.

 

Loc. Monte Livata – Subiaco(Rome) Director: Giuseppe Digiannantonio tel. +39 339.4573957 – +39 329.3711678
Close by, a small restaurant is run by Filippo Digiannantonio tel. + 39 0774.826548
In addition the club has a lodge for 10 people.

This itinerary lasts for one day and starts at 8:00 from the horse-riding centre, and ends at about 6:00 pm.
The route enters a beautiful and picturesque natural environment, typical of the Monti Lepini. Riders cross an age-old chestnut grove just outside the centre: this type of vegetation grows up to about 700 metres above sea level. Higher up, between 700-1100 metres, a variety of plants grows ranging from hornbeams to durmasts, from junipers to holm-oaks.

Carpineto owes its name precisely to the great number of hornbeams (carpino, in Italian). Between 1100 and 1500 metres, riders will cross picturesque beech groves, as well as encounteringa thick growth of taxus baccata, a plant which dates back to the Ice Age.

The most interesting geographical point of this route is Pian delle Faggeta, a karst plateau 1000 metres above sea level. Here riders and horses can rest and then continue their trip to the Monte Semprevisa (1536 m), the highest and most stunning peak of the Monti Lepini.

Pian della Faggeta is classified by S.I.C. (site of EU community interest) because of the many specimens of characteristic flora and fauna which grow here. Several interventions by the EU community aim to help safeguard and enhance this area both from an environmental point of view and a tourist one. Along the itinerary, herds of Esperia ponies can be seen, raised in a wild state. On Monte Sempreviva, at about 1200 metres, a perennial spring with fresh and unpolluted waters runs: the Sambuco stream.

The itinerary is of average difficulty: its overall length is about seven hours, plus three for rests and lunch.

 

Centro Ippico Il Ceppetto (horse-riding centre)

C.da Ceppetto, 00032 Carpineto Romano (RM)

Tel. 335/5255732 – 320/4390022 Fax. 06/97180029

Web: www.ilceppetto.com

E-mail: valerianocacciotti@carpinetoromano.it

This horse-riding centre is affiliated to FITETREC-ANTE, the Federation of Equine Tourism.

 

This family-run farm raises Esperia ponies (introduced in Italy in the 10^th century by the Moors), the black pig of the Lepini which risks extinction, cattle and goats.

The Centre has a 40x20 metres work field, 8 brick boxes, 8 open-air boxes and stalls for 20 horses. In addition, there are 6 paddocks for a total area of 4600 metres. English horse-riding is practised, and some labour-riding, in a non-American style. 10 expert and sure-footed horses are available for trips, as well as 5 mules used both as beasts of burden and, if necessary, for riding purposes. 

For overnight stays, guests can find hospitality in the B&B La Colonna, 500 metres away from the Centre. The farm manages a restaurant in via G. Matteotti, “Stradanova”, which has been recognised as a ristorante novità (novelty restaurant) by Slow Food Italia and by Hosterie Italia.

If guests wish to stay on for a while, they can visit Carpineto Romano which has been recognised by Region Lazio (body for Latium region) as a “Città d’Arte” (city of art) for its rich historic, architectural and urban heritage.

Caravaggio’s painting “Saint Francis in meditation” is in the Chiesa di San Pietro (church). The joining cloister to this church is frescoed with 36 artistic lunettes from the 18^th century, portraying scenes of the life of St. Franics. Carpineto Romano was the birth place for Pope Leo XIII, the author of the Rerum Novarum encyclical. Each year, in August, the Pallio della Carriera (horse-race) is held, one of the most important historic evokings in Latium. The Pallio tapestries are in themselves a rich modern art heritage. Over time the following artists have worked on them: Ugo Attardi, Aldo Riso, Ettore De Conciliis, Sandro Trotti, Daniela Romano, Ennio Calabria and Alessandro Kokociski.

This itinerary is recommended for less expert riders and lasts about an hour. It discovers the Caffarella alluvial valley, which formed following the erosion of the Almone river on the lavic stones which millions of years ago descended from the volcano of the Castelli Romani.

The river has created a unique micro-climate, which enables some specific plants to grow only in this area. In addition ducks, herons, pheasants, kestrels, lapwings and other types of birds live in this park along with foxes, beech martens, wild rabbits and crawfish. From a historic point of view the Caffarella, which in the past was called Vallis Marmorea, has much to offer precisely because of its old ruins. During the itinerary, many historic eras are crossed: from Roman times to Renaissance, not forgetting the Middle Ages. There are many remains of these ages: the Tempio della Ninfa Egeria (temple), the chiesa di Sant'Urbano (church), the Casale della Vaccareccia (farmhouse) and the Tempio del Dio Reticolo (temple).

 

Circolo Ippico “Cavalieri dell’Appia Antica” (horse-riding centre)

Via dei Cercini, 15 Roma (RM). Tel. 06/7801214.

This horse-riding centre is affiliated to FITETREC-ANTE, the Federation of Equine Tourism.

 

This centre organises several itineraries of different length and difficulty which are all characterised by many interesting historic and archaeological sites.

 

Leaving early from the horse-riding centre, riders will follow the Old Appian Way until they reach the area of the famous vines from Marino which lead to the slopes of the Castel Gandolfo lake crater. Once we reach the shores we will sample, in one of the famous “Fraschette”, the typical foods of the Castelli Romani cuisine.

In the afternoon, the shores of the Lake will lead to its other side: riders will ascend this and thus enter the wonderful coppices of the park, crossing age-old chestnut groves until they reach one of the most picturesque spots of the journey: the view of Nemi Lake, with the Tyrrhenian sea on the horizon. An hour later they will reach the final destination, Genzano, Quarto della Mandorla, where they will stay in old shepherd huts “furnished and equipped in a modern manner” where they can while the night away in front of a fire, as was done over 100 years ago.

The following day, the return journey is carried out in part by following the outward leg, and in part by following new trails so as to discover different corners of this same environment.

The itinerary lasts for two days, with an overall five hours on horseback (the itinerary includes several dining rests).

 

Circolo Ippico “Cavalieri dell’Appia Antica” (horse-riding centre)

Via dei Cercini, 15 Roma (RM). Tel. 06/7801214.

This horse-riding centre is affiliated to FITETREC-ANTE, the Federation of Equine Tourism.

 

This centre organises several itineraries of different length and difficulty which are all characterised by many interesting historic and archaeological sites.

 

This itinerary crosses under a tunnel dug beneath Via dei Laghi in order to reach the opposite side, which is a particularly panoramic spot offering a splendid view of the volcanic morphology where Nemi Lake is. Riders will then go down the hillside, crossing the wood until they reach the Emissario and the Tempio di Diana (temple), a site of mysticism and religious worship for old Romans (330 metres above sea level). Those who wish to can also visit the Museum of Roman ships.

This itinerary is particularly picturesque and of historic value, and is splendid both in Spring and in Autumn. Riders will enter the heart of the Park and follow part of the “Via Sacra” until they reach the Maschio delle Faete (956 metres above sea level), which offers a wonderful panoramic view.

This itinerary is the most representative of the Park for the variety of ecosystems which it crosses. It is particularly interesting from an environmental point of view, as it helps in the discovery of the natural heritage in this protected area. 

Via delle Noci, 00049 Velletri (RM). Tel. 06/ 9631476

This horse-riding centre is affiliated to FITETREC-ANTE, the Federation of Equine Tourism.

 

This centre, within the Regional Park of the Castelli Romani, in the “Pratoni del Vivaro” valley, has obstacle courses and a round and rectangular training area. Wide boxes and covered paddocks, along with a comfortable club house, complete this structure.

This area is rich in very different environments: fertile hills covered by vines and olive groves, mountainous areas covered by thick chestnut woods, pastures, the Albano and Nemi Lakes, not to mention the many historic towns and interesting archaeological areas. The centre’s activities concentrate on stabling horses and equine tourism and are carried out in the park of the Pratoni del Vivaro where nature has been generous. The centre offers different types of itineraries, which can be adapted to the differing needs of guests.