Presidenza della Repubblica Presidenza della Repubblica

Tour Itineraries

The presidential Estate of Castelporziano is open to the public with the launching of naturalistic, archaeological, and historical-artistic itineraries; the nature trails open one at a time according to the season to limit the impact of human activities on the ecosystem.

The great news lies in the opening of the almost 3 km-long new Campo di Rota nature trail, which offers visitors strikingly beautiful landscapes featuring unspoilt naturalistic and geomorphological aspects that are rarely found in other parts of the Estate and on the Tyrrhenian coast.

Along the trail, walkers can visit a natural cork plantation which was once used to extract cork; the heritage of an age-old practice that is now restricted to only a few areas around the Mediterranean Basin. The trail features very relevant historical and panoramic highlights. Along the trail, walkers come across two historical troughs where horses and grazing cattle would drink at the time of the rule of the House of Savoy.

The route offers visitors the chance to observe various types of vegetation and at the same time, as for all other itineraries, to become acquainted with trees and shrubs and learn about their main characteristics.

The total duration of each route includes transfers and a stop for refreshments, during which (from 12.30 to 14.30 depending on the route) visitors can make use of the Estate's bar-restaurant service.

Every tour is preceded by the screening of a short introductory film.

In the course of all the itineraries you will be able to view works, furnishing objects and installations as part of the initiative Quirinale contemporaneo

Historical-Artistic Route

Available from mid-January to mid-June and from mid-September to mid-December.

The visit includes: the archaeological museum, the Castle, the historic residence and the Hall of Trophies, the Church of Saint Filippo Neri, the Coffee House and the lemonary, the Queen’s historical garden featuring ancient mosaics, the rose garden, the ancient fountain and the loggias for horse-drawn carriages.

• Overall duration: approx. 3.5 hrs.
• Photo gallery

 

Archaeological Route

Available from mid-September to mid-November and from mid-March to mid-June.

After visiting the archaeological museum, visitors are taken by a shuttle service to Tor Paterno to visit the Roman imperial villa and aqueduct. The route unfolds through many of the Estate’s wildlife attractions.

• Overall duration: approx. 4.30 hrs.
• Photo gallery

 

Nature Route

Available from mid-September to mid-November and from mid-March to mid-June..

In order to limit the environmental impact on the protected natural wildlife area, tours will alternatively take place in 5 different areas: Capocotta, Malafede, Tor Paterno, Malpasso and Campo di Rota.

The itineraries offered enable visitors to see the Estate’s different ecosystems.

All Nature Routes wind up with a visit to the bird ringing station, which is open from March to June, and to the nature museum.

The overall duration of the single routes and the average length of trails is indicated in the respective information sheets.

• Campo di Rota Itinerary
• Capocotta - Riserva di Lauro Route
• Capocotta - Via Antica Route
• Malafede Route
• Tor Paterno Route
• Malpasso Route

Campo di Rota Itinerary

The new Campo di Rota natura trail merges history and nature and unwinds in an area characterized by a high level of biodiversity and a great historical and panoramic value.
Human activities, which were carried out until immediately after World War II, have given shape to a multitude of forms of terrain, mostly covered by deciduous forests with a mix of normal oak, Turkey, and Hungarian oaks, with an underbrush of plants typical of the Mediterranean maqui and areas mainly planted with Carpinus Orientalis. Along the way, walkers can visit a natural cork plantation which was once used to extract cork, the heritage of an age-old practice that is now restricted to only a few areas around the Mediterranean Basin.
Precisely because of its value as a nature and environmental reserve, since the ‘90s, the area has been monitored though a series of research studies and investigations that form part of the environmental monitoring programme of the Castelporziano Presidential Estate.
Also from the historical and panoramic point of view, the itinerary features important highlights: along the trail, walkers come across two historical troughs where horses and grazing cattle would drink at the time of the rule of the House of Savoy; one is situated at the beginning of the trail (called Pepparello or, more commonly, Kaki) and one close to the end of the walk (Cerasolo).

OVERALL DURATION (from the beginning of the tour to the return to the meeting point, including transfers, lunch break, and the visits to the bird ringing station and to the nature museum): 5 hrs.

AVERAGE LENGTH of trails: 2.5 hrs.

LENGTH: 3 kms.

Capocotta - Riserva di Lauro Route

It unfolds through a mixed old-growth oak (Turkey oak, Hungarian oak) and hornbeam grove, once used for the production of timber. The whole area has been subjected to an important environmental rehabilitation and restoration intervention. Before it was purchased by the Office of the President of the Republic it had undergone widespread speculation. Of particular interest is the current vigorous recovery of the autochthonous vegetation. Some of the older trees shelter important invertebrate species which live in decaying wood, including species of European interest.

OVERALL DURATION (from the beginning of the tour to the return to the meeting point, including transfers, lunch break, and the visits to the bird ringing station and to the nature museum): 5.5 hrs.

AVERAGE LENGTH of trails: 1.5 hrs.

LENGTH: 2.66 kms.

Capocotta - Via Antica Route

The route follows one of the rare roads that once led to Capocotta, the centre of myths and legends and of the age-old poetic traditions of ancient Ausonia, and runs through mixed oak groves mainly consisting of Turkey oak and Hungarian oak. Some of the older trees shelter important invertebrate species which live in decaying wood.

• OVERALL DURATION (from the beginning of the tour to the return to the meeting point, including transfers, lunch break, and the visits to the bird ringing station and to the nature museum): 6 hrs.
• AVERAGE LENGTH of trails: 2.5 hrs.
• LENGTH: 3.53 kms.
• Photo gallery

Malafede Route

The route crosses a forest of tall trees prevalently consisting of oaks (Turkey oak and Hungarian oak, Quercus crenata, Quercus virgiliana, holm oak), with majestic cork oaks bearing witness to their age-old cultivation. The forests are often skirted with evergreen shrubs (Phillyrea, mastic, myrtle, heather, and cistus). The reduction in forestry activities is favouring the replenishment of holm oak groves and of the Mediterranean maquis. The whole environment represents an excellent shelter for wild boar and fallow deer. Of particular interest is also the invertebrate fauna and the herbaceous flora typical of arid sandy subsoils, interspersed with wetlands and pools of water, which are inhabited by numerous species of Reptiles, Amphibians, Crustaceans and Insects. In consideration of the importance of the flora and fauna, a sector of the forest has been put under strict protection. Another interesting aspect is the area’s surrounding agricultural activities, mainly devoted to free-range livestock grazing of Maremma cattle and horses, testifying to the age-old agropastoral activities in central Tyrrhenian Italy.

OVERALL DURATION (from the beginning of the tour to the return to the meeting point, including transfers, lunch break, and the visits to the bird ringing station and to the nature museum): 6 hrs.

AVERAGE LENGTH of trails: 2.5 hrs.

LENGTH: 3.33 kms.

Tor Paterno Route

The route, in addition to the archaeological landmarks of the Tor Paterno area, encloses within a relatively small space the natural environment typical of Castelporziano. It unfolds through holm oak groves, pine groves, Mediterranean maquis and different types of deciduous forests. It skirts the Estate’s largest wetland, which is surrounded by willows and poplars and where it is possible to observe different species of marsh birds and waterfowl, reptiles, amphibians, as well as numerous species of insects and freshwater crustaceans living in riparian areas. The itinerary also includes an important and active avifauna ringing station.

OVERALL DURATION (from the beginning of the tour to the return to the meeting point, including transfers, lunch break, and the visits to the bird ringing station and to the nature museum): 5 hrs and 45 mins.

AVERAGE LENGTH of trails: 2.5 hrs.

LENGTH: 3.04 kms.

Malpasso Route

It unfolds through a very sinuous landscape characterized by low hills. The hills alternate between upland plains covered by pine and holm oak groves and valleys and gorges prevalently covered by mesophile vegetation (Turkey oak, hornbeam), where it is possible to find wild boar, hare and roe deer. The avifauna is very rich and hosts one of the largest colonies of black kites in the Lazio Region. Among the invertebrates, there are numerous species characteristic of plains and relatively “cold” areas. The adjacent agricultural area is also very interesting as it is rich in water ponds in which domestic and wild fowl live side by side.

• OVERALL DURATION (from the beginning of the tour to the return to the meeting point, including transfers, lunch break, and the visits to the bird ringing station and to the nature museum): 5.5 hrs.
• AVERAGE LENGTH of trails: 2.5 hrs.
• LENGTH: 2.614 kms.
• Photo gallery