Take a break from the crowds in Rome and enjoy a short trip to visit Palestrina, renowned for the most important Roman sanctuaries in existence, the Temple of Fortuna Primigenia and the impressive Nile River Mosaic.
Once you’ve seen the town’s marvels, enjoy a visit of a real winery, see the barrels in the wine cellar and have a wine tasting with plenty of nibbles.
Start your day meeting your private guide and driver at the hotel. Leaving Rome for a one-day excursion (about 5 hours), you will seee how the landscape changes and crossing the Roman Countryside a luxuriant woods you will reach Zagarolo, a yet little visited Borgo of Italy, perched tuffaceous hill about two kilometres long, the ancient town is characterised by a small and suggestive medieval centre.
Continue to Palestrina, a secret gem of Lazio Region rarely visited by international tourists.
Ancient Praeneste, as the town was once called, is older than Rome,
inhabited since the 8th th century BC by the Etruscan was eventually conquered by the Romans in 338 BC.
The town is full of treasures in the National Archeological Museum of Palestrina nestled inside Palazzo Colonna Barberini, built out of the ruins of the highest level of the ancient temple.
An evocative guided tour through the 16 rooms of the Museum, to discover the important archaeological artefacts found in the surrounding area and to learn about the history behind the reliefs, statues and mosaics, some of which are of particular value such as the ‘Nile Mosaic’.
The richness of this unexplored place also extends outside the Museum to the splendid open-air archaeological area where we will find a special place: the Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia from the Roman era, on the top of the ruins we will enjoy a unique view as far as the sea.
Beyond its archaeological remains, art and culture, the town is also a famous centre of wine production, all the surrounding hills are covered by vineyards. Here, the tuffaceous soil, result of sedimentation from ancient volcanic eruptions, has created the conditions for growing vineyards with unique bunches of grapes that produce surprising wines.
A visit to a winery is a must of this excursion and the real plus of this unbeatable excursion out of Rome. The owner and sommelier will proudly take us to the cellars and its wine tasting session will be an incredible journey to the discovery, sip by sip, of the scents and flavors of the area.
The excellent bottles are still produced following the classic method, in the vineyard the bunches are picked by hand and in the cellar the bottles are still patiently turned by hand, bottle after bottle, twice a day morning and evening.
Under the pergola of the old vineyard, dating back to the end of the 19th century, you will enjoy your glass of wine, accompanied by typical local products such as cheese, salami and extra virgin olive oil on crunchy fresh bread!
Return to Rome and transfer back to the hotel, along the way you will still have the opportunity to ask history and curiosities of the area to your guide, essential not to miss the best from this day and jealously keep in your heart a unique memory of your holiday in Rome!
