When I first moved to the Castelli Romani, my husband Ettore and I would go on day trips to more remote areas of Lazio almost every weekend. There are so many interesting ancient and medieval towns, mountains with virtually empty trails, lagoons with flamingos, local ski resorts, and of course, some of the most incredible food and wine culture I have ever experienced.

While there is no problem with wanting to have a dream holiday in Tuscany, I was often perplexed why the medieval towns of Lazio were so unknown, even to Romans.