A Picturesque Italian Town with Strawberry Blooms and Ancient Ruins Just an Hour from Rome

The gently undulating hilly landscape of Italy is replete with majestic landmarks. From the dramatic mountain cliffs of Seceda in the Dolomites to an underrated island with historic churches and legends of dragons, the sights of Italy will take your breath away. But you don’t have to travel that far from Rome to discover the country’s hidden gems. Just about an hour’s drive from the Italian capital, situated on a forested bluff above a serene blue lake, is a small town called Nemi. An idyllic commune of romantic cobbled streets, Nemi’s history stretches back thousands of years: ancient villas from Rome’s late Republican period (roughly between 200 and 27 B.C.) have been excavated in the area, and dominating the town’s skyline is the Palazzo Ruspoli, an imposing medieval fortress. You probably won’t see many other tourists here, so it will be a peaceful interlude to the hectic activity of Rome.

In the late 1920s, two ships belonging to the Roman emperor Caligula (which he used as floating party villas) were pulled from the waters of the nearby lake, also called Nemi, and are now housed in the town’s Historical Archaeological Museum of Roman Ships. Though not much of the 2,000-year-old vessels remain, the museum is still worth seeing for the fascinating original artifacts on display, such as naval equipment, pottery, and pieces of the ship’s adornments. In the summertime, the winding hilltop alleyways of Nemi come alive with all things strawberry-related, from strawberry aperitifs to strawberry-flavored rice. This is all thanks to the “fragoline,” or wild strawberries, which grow in abundance around the lake’s rich volcanic soil. With so much to see, Nemi is perfect for a day trip from Rome, or consider staying overnight in a quaint bed and breakfast to get a true taste of “la dolce vita,” as the locals put it.

Strawberries grow in Nemi throughout the spring and summer, but a dedicated Strawberry Festival is held on the first Sunday of June, which involves young ladies dressed in traditional garb handing out strawberry baskets to passersby. The festival first began in the 1900s, but is rooted in ancient history. Purportedly, the Roman goddess Venus, while weeping over the body of her slain lover, Adonis, transfigured the mixture of her tears and his blood into the first strawberry plant, and thus the sweet heart-shaped fruit was born. Romans celebrated this creation myth by handing out strawberries at the city’s Campo de’ Fiori, and the tradition eventually made its way to Nemi.

As the festival begins, strawberry bunting is strung from the rooftops, and the streets burst to life with marching bands and live music performances. Wander through town and you’ll find curiosities like sweet strawberry pizza, stalls selling strawberry pastries and liqueurs, and crates filled to the brim with the succulent red berries, which you can purchase in bulk and carry home if you’ve got the baggage space. The festival typically ends with evening fireworks over Lake Nemi, so an overnight stay means you’d be able to enjoy the celebrations to their fullest.

Other attractions to visit while in Nemi are the Sanctuary of the Holy Crucifix, a chapel built in 1637, where sweeping lake views can be seen from the lovely terrace garden. And not to be missed is the stunning Papal Palace in Castel Gandolfo, the Pope’s summer villa away from the Vatican, which is actually one of the easiest day trips from Rome if your schedule is limited. Just a 20-minute drive from Nemi, the Papal Palace, built during the 17th century, boasts gorgeously frescoed interiors and sprawling gardens.