The fraschette, white wine and the villas of the Roman nobility
South east of Rome, the Castelli Romani are a group of towns on the Alban Hills, an ancient volcanic area, where for centuries Romans have come to escape the summer heat and to drink wine. Frascati, the closest and most famous, is known for its white wine, the Frascati DOC, and for its grand Tuscolane villas, the summer residences of popes and cardinals.
The most spectacular is Villa Aldobrandini, with its water theatre and garden overlooking Rome. In the town, the tradition of the fraschette lives on: simple wine taverns where you drink the house wine and eat porchetta, salami, cheeses and bread, often brought by the customers themselves. Above Frascati the archaeological park of Tusculum has a Roman theatre with a view over the whole countryside.
Tip: Frascati is reached in half an hour by train from Roma Termini; the Castelli are perfect for a day out with lunch in a fraschetta.
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