Nazzano

A medieval village surrounded by the lush Tiber Valley

Among the many hidden gems of Lazio is the ancient medieval village of Nazzano, a hamlet nestled in the Tiber Valley a few kilometres north of Rome. Dominated by the 13th-century castle with its two imposing towers, the historical centre of Nazzano was built in a spiral starting from the ancient fortress that today houses the Centre of Medieval Studies of Lazio.

Along the main road are the church of Santa Maria Consolatrice, the San Francesco complex and the church of Sant'Antimo, just outside the town. Nazzano also hosts the Museum of the River, narrating the history of the Tiber river through a series of rooms illustrating its geology, botany and zoology over the centuries.

The town is surrounded by the Nazzano Tevere-Farfa Nature Reserve, which includes part of the capital's river, its Farfa tributary and the charming Lake Nazzano, created after the construction of a dam in the 1950s. This is one of Italy's most beautiful reserves where birdwatchers can spot mallards and teals, as well as reed warblers, marsh warblers, water rails and moorhens.