Nettuno: a tourist locality near Rome

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22 July 2021

Nettuno: History, Sea and Relaxation Near Rome

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Nettuno is a lovely town on the coast of Latium near Rome. It is full of restaurants and pubs which are located both in the marina and the seafront, but also in the central streets and especially in the medieval village.

Perhaps the latter is one the most important attractions, especially during the evening when the smell of Mediterranean dishes comes from the numerous restaurants located in the area. There is a bookshop which remains open also in the evening, for enthusiastic readers; then, there are ice-cream parlors and frozen yogurt shops to refresh the palate while walking in the lightened little streets.

There are two main staircases that lead from the village to the harbour: one departs from the main square where one of the tower stands out, while the other is more internal and passes next to the Old Fountain (Fontana Vecchia), illuminated by colorful lights. It can be visited on request with a tour in the underground aqueduct wearing a helmet as real speleologists.

The marina, dominated by the Coast Guard building, is home to dozens and dozens of boats – from motorboats, sailing boats to the most luxurious yachts – lined up along the moorings. Together they give you an architectural vision of the area, with the Sanctuaries of Our Lady of Grace and Santa Maria Goretti and the monumental and particular, Hotel Scacciapensieri in the background.

Nettuno comes alive especially during the summer months, when holidaymakers and locals can participate in a lot of events organized by the cultural local associations, admiring the fireworks on the seashore, walking through the stalls of clothes, books and objects, or seeing the procession of the statue of Our Lady on the sea water on the 15th of August. Seaside tourism is the main form of tourism that can be found here, but people visit Nettuno also to see the sanctuaries or the American War Cemetery, a place of commemoration in honour of the fallen of the Second World War.

The last tourist bulwark of the town is Forte Sangallo, built between 1501 and 1503 by Antonio da Sangallo on the will of Cesare Borgia for defensive purposes. Inside you can find the Museo Dello Sbarco and the Antiquarium Museum with the paleontological and Roman section, open and visitable according to the calendar established by the Municipality. This site hosts cultural and artistic events. In front of Forte Sangallo, there’s the church dedicated to Saint Francis, built in the 13th century on a previous ancient Roman structure. Inside a painting by Andrea Sacchi, dating back to 1624, is preserved.

Those who love the green countryside instead, can just move beyond the centre of Nettuno towards the extendend military area. They can enjoy a regenerating walk to lake Granieri, Bosco Foglino or visit the beach of Torre Astura, which offers spectacular views at sunset with the tower built around 1200. The property of the tower has been passed between different noble families such as Caetani, Colonna and Orsini.