470 Envir. of Borne. MONTE GENNARO. 3. Sabine Mts.
From Rome to Tivoli.
Those who propose to devote one long day to Hadrian's Villa and
Tivoli should proceed to Tivoli by steam-tramway, breaking their journey
at the Villa, and return to Rome by railway, as the last tramway-car from
Tivoli usually starts at a comparatively early hour. To visit the Villa
from Tivoli by carriage (there and back) takes more time.
1. Railway (Rome, Sulmona, and Castellammare-Adriatico line),
24V2 M. in 1-13/4 hr. (fares 3 fr. 80, 2 fr. 65, 1 fr. 95 e). On Sun. and
holidays return-tickets are issued at a single fare. This route is more
picturesque than that of the steam-tramway (see p. 471).
The trains start from the principal station at Rome (p. 149). On
the right soon appears the ruined Torre degli Schiavi (p. 438). —
5 M. Cervara di Roma, the grottoes near which were once cele¬
brated for the artists' festivals held in them. — 7y2 M. Salone. A
villa here, built in 1525 from Baldassare Peruzzi's designs for Card.
Ant. Trivulzi, has interior decorations by Giov. Maria Falconetto. —
9 M. Lunghezza, the ancient Collatia, a 'tenuta' belonging to the
Duca Strozzi, with a 15th cent, baronial castle, prettily situated in
the well-wooded valley of the Teverone.
12y2 M. Bagni is the station for Acque Albule (p. 471). —
The railway next crosses the highroad to Tivoli. To the right fine
view of the road and of the railway-viaduets farther on, with the
mountains in the background. —151/2 M. Montecelio, formerly called
Monticelli, said to occupy the site of the ancient Corniculum. —
The line begins to ascend rapidly.
20y2M. Palombara-Marcellina. The little town of Palombara
Sabina (1220 ft.; Caffè Nazionale), with 4517 inhab. and a pictur¬
esque chàteau of the 15th cent., built by the Savelli but now belonging
to the Torlonia, is situated on an isolated hill, 6 M. to the N. (seat
in a carriage, 75 e). About 21/2 M. to the S.W. is the old Benedictine
abbey-church of San Giovanni in Argentella (9th cent.), with a 13th
cent, tower and an Iconostasis (of 1170) at the end of the left aisle.
Palombara station is the best starting-point for the ascent of Monte
Gennaro (4170 ft.), one of the highest peaks of the Sabine Mts., famil-
iar to the eye of every visitor to Rome. The excursion may be made
from Rome in one day. A luncheon-basket should be provided ; water
is scarce on the mountain. We follow the high-road from the station
to (V4 hr.) the village of Marcellina (920 ft. ; poor osteria), where we
obtain a guide (2-3 fr. ; to Vicovaro 5 fr.). Thence we follow the con¬
spicuous ravine of the Scarpellata, make a circuit to the E. partly
through wood, and finally cross the (3V2 hrs.) upland plain of Protone
(3355 ft.) to the (IV4 hr.) summit, known as the Monte de' Zappi (4170 ft. ;
trigonometrical signal). The view from the top is very extensive, com-
prising the coast from Mte. Circeo as far as the lake of Bracciano, the
broad plain with innumerable villages, from the Volscian and Alban Mts.
as far as Soracte and the Ciminian Forest; then the Apennines, as far
as the snowy peaks of the Abruzzi. — The descent may be made to the
S. from the Pratone (see above) to the village Of San Polo de' Cavalieri
(2135 ft.), whence a road leads to the station of San Polo (p. 478), or to
the E. from the Pratone via the (40 min.) excellent spring Fonte di Cam-
pitello to Bocca Giovane and thence through the Valley of the Licenza
(p. 478) to (ca. 5 hrs.) the station of Vicovaro (p. 478).
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