Roman Holiday: Just Beyond The City Lies A Land Of Popes And Emperors

Less than an hour from Rome, Nepi and the northern Lazio region is an under-the-radar cultural and historic hub – and councillors are working with the local community to welcome more visitors

Standing on the top of the huge fortress, looking over the rolling landscape, it’s easy to see why Nepi was a prized possession for Roman emperors, medieval popes and Renaissance dynasties. Defended on two sides by river channels and with a commanding position over rich agricultural land and abundant water springs, the town, less than an hour north of Rome, has been a witness and a contributor to history for over two millennia.

Much of that history has been marked by intrigue, violence and war. Most famously, Nepi was ruled by the 15th-century Spanish cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, who gave it to his daughter Lucrezia after he became Pope Alexander VI. Lucrezia stayed at the fortress (today known as the Borgia Castle) following the murder of her second husband in 1500. These days, things are a lot more laid-back. I’m sitting outside the Bar Centrale in the town’s elegant Piazza del Comune, facing the imposing town hall, built on the orders of the Farnese family after they took up residence here in the mid-1500s. With me is Paolo Paoletti, who has just been elected for a second term as Nepi’s councillor responsible for culture and tourism. While I sip an espresso and tuck into a cream-filled pastry, Paolo tells me about his plans to develop tourism here and across the Tuscia region.