One of the positive aspects of Rome is its climate and the fact that the sun shines almost all of the year. It is a dream for every bicycle lover because it can be pedalled practically all year round. I would only have to make a few very important notes. The first is to remember always to wear a helmet to ride safely, the second is to be very careful especially when you leave parks and cycle paths because urban roads are still quite dangerous.
The third and no less important, as you know Rome was built on 7 hills. I would say that there are many more nearby, so I recommend using an electric bike that you can find on specialized sites such as Bikester.it.
05 cycling routes between Rome and the Province:
01 The Aqueduct Park
The bike ride has a very low level of difficulty, in Acquedotti Park, the route is practically all flat, even if you are not trained you will have a lot of fun. During the tour you will cross 7 of the 11 Roman aqueducts, it is incredible to think how they manage to be still standing. The most surprising thing is to note that those of Roman origin is not destroyed by structural subsidence, but because in the Renaissance period the Popes used the Roman material to build new ones, obviously less functional.
Space is so large, so strategic, that for millennia it had led the waters of the Apennines to the capital. For different uses according to the dominations, for agricultural, food and pomp, as for when water was used only to feed the Naumachie di Augusto, for patrician villas, for the personal use of the Pope.
Tor Fiscale sees the overlapping of different eras and worlds: the first aqueduct is the Marcio aqueduct, from the Roman period, famous for transporting the purest water of the Aniene, the tower above was built in medieval times to defend the city, and the third is the happy Renaissance aqueduct, built by Pope Sixtus V. That endless countryside.
The aqueducts one after the other, the Castelli Romani in the distance, perhaps not everyone knows that they were the scenario of the end of the Empire Roman. Right there, on that green grass stood the Barbarian Field used as an encampment by the king of the Goths Vitige to besiege Rome.
02 Appia Antica Park
A place very dear to all the Romans, it is one of the corners of the city on the border between the metropolis and the countryside, one of those treasures that only the most beautiful city in the world can have.
It should be remembered that the Appia Antica is a low-traffic road, closed to vehicles on Sunday, so you can choose that as the perfect day to ride. Leaving from Porta San Sebastiano, you soon arrive at the Tomb of Cecilia Metella. I remember that this part is all in stone.
This funerary monument was built between 30 and 10 BC, to accommodate the remains of the daughter of a Roman consul, a fascinating side of its history is the fact that it was reused in medieval times as a tower of a castle still perfectly preserved, known as Castrum.
The tomb appears on the outside as a high cylinder covered with travertine slabs, resting on a square base of which only the cement core in flint-flakes is preserved. Inside, a conical burial chamber opens on the top with an oculus, housed the body of a rich Roman matron belonging to one of the most important noble families of the time and probably daughter-in-law of the famous Marco Licinio Crasso, the member with Cesare and Pompeo del I triumvirate in 59 BC.
We pass through a place so dear to the Catholic religion, namely the Church of Quo Vadis, the place where Saint Peter had the appearance of Christ who, picking him up in the act of figure from Rome, said to him “Quo Vadis?” i.e. where are you going? We all know that he remained and died a martyr.
With a short climb, you reach the Catacombs of San Callisto, famous for having almost 20km of underground tunnels. Remaining on the catacombs theme, we arrive at the Church of San Sebastiano with its homonymous catacombs. Continue along Via Delle Sette Chiese until you reach the Villa and Circus of Maxentius.
This architectural complex dating from the second century BC. C. is very important because it represents the last act of the transformation of an original republican rustic villa built in a scenic position on the slope of a hill facing the Alban Hills. The maximum splendour of this complex was precisely under Maxentius, and it was at this point that, at the beginning of the fourth century, he built the villa, the circus and the family mausoleum, where his very young dead son was deposited.
Continuing after Quarto Miglio you get to Santa Maria Delle Mole, and we are practically at the Castelli Romani, and I would say that it is better to go back.
Constellation Hand
03 Lake of Bracciano
Several cycling routes connect the villages around Lake Bracciano with the Martignano area, which to choose depends a little on your tastes, and I would say on physical fitness. The most panoramic road is undoubtedly the one that crosses the villages of Bracciano, Anguillara and Trevignano.
By following this cycling itinerary, you can alternate naturalistic and historical views. These villages are home to beautiful squares and palaces from the Renaissance period. There are several deviations, more demanding on a physical level that involve crossing beautiful poplar woods.
04 The Fiuggi area
The Paliano – Serrone – Fiuggi cycle path is an excellent example of what it means to redevelop the disused railway lines. This was a former rail link that was considered obsolete and turned into a comfortable and safe cycle path. If you are less trained, the ideal route would be to start directly from Serrone.
If you are qualified and want to test yourself cycling, start from Paliano. The Serrone – Fiuggi stretch is the most beautiful landscape, most comfortable, and also most protected by cars. You always ride on a cycle path separate from the road, in the middle of the countryside. Even the slopes are not demanding.
05 Veio park
The Parco di Veio area is a beautiful area to explore on foot or by bicycle, there are several itineraries, of varying difficulty and length. I advise you to inform yourself thoroughly on which to go before starting, based mainly on your level of training. There are 99 kilometres of trails, including a stretch that belongs to the Via Francigena.
A large part of the park runs along with the villages of Calcata, Magliano Romano and Sacrofano. I recommend you visit at least once in your life Calcata. This small ghost village was evacuated following an earthquake and then was inhabited by a large community of artists and hippies.
Today many buildings have been recovered, and the state of unusability has been revoked, it has become home for many Roman and foreign artists. A fascinating aspect of the Veio Park is that you pass through many important places for Etruscan archaeological sites.