Let’s Go To…. Lazio!

Easily the most well-known and most frequently visited of the twenty regions that make up Italy, Lazio is home to the capital city of Rome.

Archaeological evidence places human occupation of this area to around 14,000 years ago, but the earliest evidence of a distinct culture that left their mark on this region were the Etruscans (who date back to the 10^th century BCE), followed by the very well-documented Roman Empire.  This region was also a central part of the Italian Renaissance, and today hosts approximately 16 million visitors from around the world each year. 

Ancient architecture in downtown Rome

The remains of Ancient Rome can still be observed all over the region, from the dominating Colosseum in the city of Rome to remnants of the aqueduct throughout the region – even a chunk of an old city wall is encased in glass on the lower level of Termini Station!  It is truly poetic to experience the ancient and the modern living side by side in this incredible region.

Remains of the Roman aqueduct in the Lazio countryside

With such a long history, Rome is home to some of the most incredible art and architecture.  As the seat of the Catholic church, Rome is home to four major basilicas, including the most famous, St. Peter’s in the Vatican City, as well as more than 900 individual churches.  These buildings, in addition to being artistic masterpieces themselves, are frequently filled with masterpieces adorning them – paintings and sculptures by the likes of Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Bernini, Raphael, and more.  To see these works existing simply in the quiet of a church instead of in the hustle and bustle of a museum, is breathtaking.

5th century CE Basilica of San Vitale, Rome

Rigatoni Carbonara

Another prominent feature of any visit to this region is the food.  Pasta is Rome’s specialty and the city claims credit for these four dishes – carbonara, amatriciana, cacio e pepe, and gricia.  The region is also a large producer of pecorino romano and mozzarella di bufala cheeses, is the producer of the Frascati variety of white wine, and has some of the best street food, like Suppli.

Fresh mozzarella di bufala and tomatoes

Keep your eyes on the BreyerFest Blog in the coming weeks as we explore many of the regions of Italy to learn more about each area’s unique history and culture.  Buon giornata!