Alessandro Sebastiani

Sometimes, along the path intended to lead you to a particular destination, you unexpectedly stumble upon another place, hidden and quite difficult to reach. A few dozen kilometers from Civitavecchia, nestled within a natural reserve enriched by sulfur mines, lies the site of Monterano.

Its recent abandonment should not deceive the visitor; the walk to the ruins reveals a tapestry of ancient tales, spanning from prehistory through the Etruscans and Romans. The early Middle Ages, concealed beneath the imposing walls, recall the ill-fated conspiracy of Tiberius Petasius. Then there are the village constructions, including a church recently repaved yet open to the sky, and the grand palace sculpted by the masterful intellect of Carlo Fontana, with its visual alignment to the Lion Fountain, evoking a bygone era.

Wandering today through the ruins, now shrouded in vegetation that weaves between the walls, while underground passages seem to guide us toward its ancient history, recreates the ambiance of a Grand Tour. It mesmerizes the visitor, conjuring images of faces, people, and stories etched into the folds of time.