The Castelli Romani is a tourist zone, and since ancient time has been a place to visit and to stay for artists, prelates and tourists from all over the world who, once arrived in Rome, poured out onto the hills on the south-east of the city, to look for the most refined pleasure of life.

  Proceeding along the consular streets (Via Latina and Via Appia) you will not find castles, laced towers or strong walls, but a series of villages scattered on an area of volcanic origin (historically called ''Castelli Romani'').

  The villages are separated, but meanwhile joined by chestnut woods, a dense and intact vegetation and, in places by a continuity of little towns.

  The name ''Castelli'' come from the villages developed along the fortified feudal residences, which belonged to the families who were fighting for the pontificate, that since the Middle Ages appeared on the shore and in the vicinity of the volcanic lakes.

  The true castles, in the modern meaning, were quite numerous but over the centuries they disappeared due to neglect and vandalism and were replaced by palaces and villas of Popes or rich roman families, which continuing an ancient tradition, had chosen those pleasant places for their holiday residences.

  In 1984 the ''Parco Regionale of Castelli Romani'' was born, in order to protect the integrity of the natural and cultural peculiarity of the towns which occupy the ancient Volcano of Lazio.

  Those small towns are 15 and they are: Albano, Ariccia, Castel Gandolfo, Colonna, Frascati, Genzano, Lanuvio, Lariano, Marino, Montecompatri, Monte Porzio Catone, Nemi, Rocca di Papa, Rocca Priora and Velletri.