RONCIGLIONE — 5 MILES
Ronciglione is on the slope of a volcano crater where now sits Lake Vico. The earliest records of Ronciglione are from 1103, but the current town dates back to about 1000. Ronciglione is a beautiful medieval city, with the typical castle, cathedral, and various monuments and smaller churches. The oldest part of the city is a maze of cobblestone streets that twist this way and that, with the occasional fountain and small piazza.
Today, Ronciglione is best known for chestnuts, hazelnuts and wine, but particularly for its Carnevale. The festivities begin with the mayor giving the key to the city to the Carnival King, and that’s followed by costume parties in the streets, the weird tradition of throwing pasta at each other, and a Palio competition that’s different from others in Italy, because the horses are riderless.
To learn more, go to summerinitaly.com
