The Routes for Good Taste Passing Through the Lively Tourist Centres of the Tel: 0771 462524; Closed Sundays)
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The route (around 100 kms long) is varied, gusto' corner in Dettagli d'Arredo (23, via Manzini that these days are always harder to find, you can small detour to LENOLA, on an old trade-route The Routes for Good Taste passing through the lively tourist centres of the Tel: 0771 462524; closed Sundays). There is a taste the excellent wines of the up and coming cel- linking the Liri Valley to the plains of Fondi, to visit southern Lazio coast, pausing on the captiva- wide selection of restaurants: S. Agostino (SS. lar Terra delle Ginestre (64, via del Fornello the Shrine of the Madonna of the Hills, or to taste ting islands of Ponza and Ventotene and, cros- Flacca, km 20,643 Tel: 0771 743071; closed Tel: 0771 700297), for example the whites the goat dishes, fettucine made with eggs, la pétte- sing from the fertile plains of Fondi _ Monti Thursdays), La Siesta (SS Flacca, km 20,650 Tel: Promessa (liqueur-based), Invito, Ginestra, la with beans, or game and olive oil. Fondi reaches A visit to one of the S.Biagio and Girigliano, moving inland to the 0771 743052; closed Wednesdays), Albergo Lentisco and the reds Ricordi and Il Generale. out onto the fertile plain of Fondi-Monte S. Biagio, typical hill towns. From the deep blue sea of Aeneas' Landing (SS Flacca, km 23,600 Tel: The Routes for Good Taste Back on the Appia you reach, reluctantly perhaps, bounded by the Ausoni and Aurunci mountains farms, to taste or to the Bay of Gaeta to the intense 0771 741713), Alla Corte dei the end of the first stage of the journey down to and by the Tyrrhenian coast, where you will find green of the Ausoni and Aurunci Borboni (9, via Docibile Tel: 0771 Formia. You should now look for signs to ITRI, the lake of Fondi. Created according to the legend buy, or a good mountains, it's one beautiful 460050; closed Wednesdays), sitting up on the first hill inland, and looking out of Hercules, this is a bubbling coastal centre pac- meal in one of the view after another; economic Antico Vico (2/4 vico 2 del Cavallo over a small strip of countryside that stretches till ked with archaeological sites and monuments and realities change, as do history Tel: 0771 465116; closed The Coast, the Islands, the Ausoni it touches the sea. The town is hidden in the home to one of the most important fruit and vege- many restaurants and legend, customs and costu- Wednesdays), La Cantinella greens of the woods - table markets in Europe (M.O.F.). Besides citrus mes; and yet, wherever you may (16/18 via del Duomo Tel: 0771 and Aurunci Mountains oak and beech alterna- fruits and other orchard produce, you will find well able to satisfy be, you'll sample the delights of 450005; closed Mondays), Appia Tel: 0771 622056; closed Mondays). ting with the ancient buffalo cheese (mozzarella) and an outstanding the most refined an authentic and diverse cuisine Masaniello (6, Piazza SCAURI is another worthwhile stop, to taste and groves where the extra-virgin olive oil obtainable at the Frantoio combining the simple recipes Commestibili Tel: 0771 462296; buy cold meats, cured pork and local sausages at famous black olive, also Oleario Giuglietta Marco (via S. Magno km 1,2 tastes: these are our and seasonings of the hills with closed Mondays) and Trippa Norcineria Auriemma (1135, via Appia associated with Gaeta, is Tel: 0771 502590). To taste the local delicacies, THE PROVINCE those of the sea. There are many Mediterraneo (42, via Bausan Tel: 0771 613266; closed Mondays). Some 8 kms you are recommended to call in at Vicolo di recommendations opportunities to visit farms, to Tel: 0771 461212). FORMIA can Mario (loc. Gianola; via Porticciolo Romano Tel: from Minturno, further inland and almost at the 'Mblo (11, Corso Appio Claudio Tel: 0771 OF LATINA taste and buy products, in a be reached quickly by carrying on 0771 723113; closed Tuesdays), Grande boundaries of the Campagnia, is CASTELFORTE, 502385; closed Tuesdays), Il Selciato (7, via E. to Italian or over- region that has come of age. along the SS.213 Flacca. The town’s Albergo Miramare (SS.7 Appia 44 Tel: 0771 the last remaining towns- Amante Tel: seas visitors to the Moving southwards down the coast, origins, buried in myth, are tied to 320047), Il Gatto e La Volpe (33, via A. Tosti hip in the Aurunci region 0771 500556; let’s begin at SPERLONGA, on the the legend of Troy and the wande- Tel: 0771 21354; closed Wednesdays), Chinappi to have pre-Roman origins closed province of Latina. SS 123 Flacca. This is a typical sea- dal 1957 (8, via Anfiteatro Tel: 0771-790002; and whose urban centre Mondays), side township, one of the most pic- closed Thursdays), Da Italo (Via Unità d'Italia has fully conserved a and Osteria Choose between a turesque in the entire province, characteristically Ovest, km 2 Tel: 0771 771264; closed Tuesdays), demonstrably mediaeval Brenta (8, via Mediterranean and, in days gone by, a favourite Da Veneziano (83, via A. Tosti Tel: 0771 771818; Restaurants character. It sits on a little Brenta Tel: swim in the clear resort of the Romans. Visit the Grotta di Tiberio closed Mondays) and Borgo Antico (loc. hill dominating the plain of 0771 504317; and, nearby, the National Archaeological Museum. Castellonorato; p.tta Monte Tripoli Tel: 0771 Farms the river Garigliano, with closed waters of the cen- TINERARIES In the restaurant Laocoonte da Rocco (4, via 737146; closed Tuesdays). Opposite Formia and the thermal baths of Suio tral Mediterranean, Cristoforo Colombo Tel: 0771 548122; closed Gaeta, the island contours of PONZA and VEN- on its banks. To appreciate TO THEI Mondays) you can enjoy typical seafood and old the specialities of this area, an excursion or Bourbon recipes. Carrying on southwards for thir- teen kilometres, you will reach the old town of cultural tour, a OOD ASTES GAETA, former maritime republic and the last of the Bourbon strongholds. Today, the town has two grown. To taste these, relaxing walk in TT distinct parts: the old quarter, with the lovely and their exquisite GG it repays stopping the parks or mediaeval quarter of S. Erasmo; and the new, rings of Ulysses on his journey home. Situated in at Ristorante La oil, and to try the OF LAND AND SEA basking in the colourful bay of the same name, the heart of the Bay of Gaeta, Formia has an envia- Scafa (208, via green olives, you healthy sporting from which the promontory of M. Orlando and the ble climate, one that made it an important resort delle Terme should go to the Regional Park, the Shrine of the Most Holy Trinity dating from Roman times, of which there are Tel: 0771 Unione activity, events and and the 'Montagna Spaccata' (split mountain) many traces. The regional Park of Giànola-Monte 672242; Agricoltori stand out together. Among the gastronomic specia- di Scauri and the Blue Oasis begin east of the closedTuesdays). Itrani (40, festivals of all lities are the fish dishes and the celebrated tiella, populated area. Here the produce is very varied. TOTENE and of Close enough to via Padovana Tel: 0771 727928; closed Mondays). At the end o f the journey, coming kinds followed by a a country pizza stuffed with flavouring of different For dairy items we recommend Lo Spicchio the smaller islands would like time off to relax and sample an uncom- Castelforte as to Sundays). Leaving Itri, heading inland on the back up the Via Appia going north, is kinds. Fish, straight out of the sea, may be found (SS.7 Appia L. Napoli, km 148,400 Tel: 0771 of Palmarola, plicated, authentic cuisine, like Il Giardino (46, virtually share a SS.82, you'll come to CAMPODIMELE, a small MONTE SAN BIAGIO, an old township which night out in one of at the Gaeta Itticoltura (11, via Firenze, Tel: 738005, with points of sale also at Itri, Gaeta and Zannone, Gavi and via Olivi Tel: 0771 85090), it offers fish dishes ser- single town cen- mediaeval town perched on a steep hill, hemmed once marked the boundary between the Papal 0771 464503; closed Sundays) while the tiella and Rome) and its buffalo milk-product range. For S. Stefano loom out nating tastes. This cuisine can be enjoyed at the ved with the typical local lentils. Back on the tre, is SS. in by its girdle of walls, whose backdrop is the State and the Bourbon kingdom, whose history is the many establish- other pizza breads typical of the area may be enjo- extra-virgin olive oil, Gaeta olives and products of the sea: an archi- Albergo Gennarino a Mare (60, via Dante Tel: coast, you continue south to reach MINTURNO, COSMA E DAMIANO, also overlooking the plain. impressive Monte Faggetto with its sparkling water deeply tied to that of the town. It stands on the top yed at l'Antico Forno Giordano (39, via conserved in oil, it's worth stopping at l'Azienda pelago made irresi- 0771 80071), La Kambusa (15, via Banchina which sits on a slight elevation overlooking the Here sausages, blood sausage products and springs known as 'faggetina'. Campodimele is of a hill, looking out over the orange groves, the ments offering Independenza Tel: 0771 460603; closed Agricola Gli Archi (production in via Mergataro stible by limpid waters, sea-beds teeming with life, Tel: 0771 80280), and Hotel Bellavista (via seaside villages of Scauri and Marina di Minturno strawberry-flavoured wine can be tasted.