On a hilltop, 80kms south-east of Rome, lies the quaint medieval village of Sermoneta with spectacular aerial views; far removed from the throng of summer tourists.
Surrounded by a curtain wall it is home to 9000 people and a grand 13th century castle which for over 700 years has been managed by the same family.
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| The medieval village of Sermoneta and Caetani Castle |
The villages intriguing characteristics are the narrow and winding stairs that make up the majority of the streets of Sermoneta. Very little driving is possible in the village simply because road access is limited to only a handful of streets.
The fun part of walking around this village is that unless you live here, you don't know where it leads you. Each time you think you reached the end, another narrow winding set of stairs presents itself.
Throughout it all Trinity charged on like a little trooper. No amount of too deep, too high, too narrow, too anything kind of stairs were going to deter her from tackling them. And if, just if, things got a little tough Aunty Annie and Uncle Alex came to the rescue.
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| I can do it mummy |
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Ooooh just one more step.
How many more to go?? |
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| Rescued by Aunty and Uncle |
The central piazza had three outdoor cafes, where shots of coffee, nice cold beer and juices were enjoyed.
With some intrigue and a great deal of respect we observed four sexagenarians (or thereabouts) dismount their bicycles. Fully decked out in cycling gear with possibly the greatest pair of legs I’ve seen on men of their age, they seated themselves beside us for a cool drink. My aunty with very little shame approached the cyclists and requested to have their photo taken. With aplomb, the cyclists primped themselves and gladly posed.
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| Coffee, beer, juice and ice cream time |
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| Just check out those legs.... va va voom |
The nearby pottery shop, whilst small, was very prettily presented with locally made products.
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| This chair would look great in a cottage garden |
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| This platter may not be overly functional but it sure is creative |
Sermoneta was full of surprises, vistas and great Italian coffee. On a quiet summer’s day, the peacefulness of the village was delightful, the architecture ancient and the company divine.
To any traveller visiting Italy, spare a day in Sermoneta and lose yourself in a village that began five years before Christianity, making it approximately 2016 years old.
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| Castle Caetani |
