Walking holidays, tours and vacations in the Sabine Hills, Italy, Rome

Medieval villages and Rome, the Eternal City

It is difficult to believe that only an hour north of Rome there lies some of the most unspoilt country in Italy. The Sabine Hills are an ancient landscape, recognizable to the countrymen and women of Roman times, whose cattle, the same horned light-coated breed, graze the hills today.  Around the edge of the hills rise an extraordinary richness of medieval building. The period between the 9th and 13th centuries were unsettled, so under the direction of the Abbot of Farfa the villages were built as fortified settlements, not with walls, but with the houses of the farmers providing successive protective rings. Four of our overnight stays are in small pensions, and you will eat with your host.  The others include a delightful B&B, a beautifully converted palazzetta and – we feel – one of the best-kept secrets in Rome, Roberta de Palma’s wonderfully central yet quietly situated B&B.

Walked by On Foot staff:  Simon

Standard option (as per "Itinerary": 7 nights, though you could extend your stay in Rome.  Alternative 7-night holiday: Spend an extra night in either Casperia or Mompeo - see itinerary for possible activities on your free day - and miss out Rome. Suggested shorter breaks: 6 nights - miss out Rome. 5 nights - start at Cottanello (Night 2 in standard iitinerary) and miss out Rome