1936 On the Continent

Gandolfo-Albano-Genzano electric railway you wish to alight. All the Castelli are famous for their wines, and the good Romans come to these small towns each Sunday in great crowds to enjoy a glass or two.
    Frascati
is the loveliest and smartest of all the Castelli. It has two noted villas, the Villa Torlonia and the Villa Aldobrandini. An hour’s walk from Frascati lies Tusculum which, according to legend, was founded by Telegon, son of Circe and Ulysses. From Tusculum you can obtain an excellent view of the whole district. At Grotteferrata there is an interesting medieval abbey. Marino is a most interesting place, particularly in the autumn, after the grape harvest, when wine, instead of water, flows from the “parish pump” in the principal square and everyone may drink free of charge. On the way from Marino to Castel Gandolfo you will see Lake Albano. The motorist will find it worth while to drive right down to the shore and along it to the end of the road. Turning round at this point will not be an easy task, but the motorist will be compensated for the little extra trouble at the tiny restaurant near by, where good food and mineral waterfrom an adjacent well can be obtained. The bathing in the warm water of the lake is excellent. It is best to arrange your programme for the day in such a manner that you should reach the lake at midday. In the afternoon, when the heat has abated, you can visit Castel Gandolfo where—unless the Pope is in residence—you can go over the Pope’s palace and park. When you enter the Pope’s property you are on “foreign” soil, which is under the sovereignty of the Vatican.
    Albano and Ariccia are also charming little towns. From the former a lovely road leads to the picturesque Rocca di Papara, which is built on a cliff. Rocca di Papara is a favourite summer resort of the people of Rome. From here you may ascend the Monte Cavo (about 3,000 feet) by road and have a meal at a hotel converted from an old monastery. The air on Monte Cavo is cool and pleasant even on the hottest days, and it also affords a splendid view of Rome and the sea. Another road leads to Genzano and to Lake Nemi, from which two ancient Roman treasure boats have been salvaged. The vessels, together with the art treasures found in them, can be seen on the spot.
Velletri—Terracina
    Continuing by the same road (or if you travel by train, on the Rome-Velletri-Terracina line) you will come to Velletri. Some twelve miles further on you will reach Cori, one of the oldest Italian towns with interesting old buildings. Another six-mile journey will take you to the small town of Ninfa. Ninfa was evacuated by its inhabitants in the seventeenth century owing to an epidemic of malaria, and since then the town has been overrun with weeds and wild roses. When the wild roses are in bloom this deserted town looks like an illustration in a fairy-book: Six miles from Ninfa lie the ruins of the mighty Volsk city of Norba. Some thirty miles to the south of this, on the sea coast, lies Terracina, formerly a popular summer resort of the Roman aristocracy. There is excellent bathing from its sandy beach. From the seashore you can see quite clearly, in the north, the Cap Cicero Cliff, which was once an island. According to legend Circe lived on this island. Behind the cliff lies the Parco Nazionale delCirceo, where a section of the Pontine Marshes—which have ceased to exist after being drained—is preserved in its original form.
    To the north of Terracina, along Lake Paola, we come to Sabaudia and some fifteen miles further on Littoria. These two towns are the urban centres of the small holdings established on the vast fertile territory reclaimed by the draining of the Pontine Marshes, and are entirely modern.
    To sum up, the following excursions to the Rome district may be recommended:
    1. Rome—Bagni—Villa Adriano—Tivoli—Subbiaco.
    2. Rome—Albano—Castel Gandolfo—(Lago Albano)—Rocca di Papa—Monte Cavo—Albano—Rome.
    3. Rome—Albano—Nemi—Lago di Nemi—Ninfa—Terracina—Sabaudia—Littoria—Nettuno—Anzio—Rome.
    Each of these excursions can be accomplished by car in one day. If you travel by train or omnibus, you will have to omit a few things.
Rome—(Formia)—Cassino—Caserta—Naples
    From Rome you can travel to Naples by one of two alternative routes, either the shorter, completely electrified Formia line or the longer Cassino line. Motorists who desire to see something on the way between