Abandoned Villages of Lazio, the Most Fascinating to Discover

Which are the most beautiful abandoned villages in Lazio to visit? The Lazio region is dotted with ghost towns, abandoned for various reasons.

Many are easily reachable from Rome, while most are located in the province of Viterbo.

Let's take a tour to discover the abandoned villages of Lazio for a trip through its decaying history.

Antuni, in the province of Rieti, is situated on a hill completely surrounded by Lake Turano and connected to the mainland only by a narrow isthmus.

The artificial lake was created in the late 1930s, while the history of the village came to an abrupt halt during World War II when the town was mistakenly bombed instead of the bridge over Turano.

The medieval village was partially restored in the 1990s and is only accessible with a guide, departing from the municipality of Castel di Tora.

North of Rome, in the Natural Reserve of Monterano, lie the ruins of Ancient Monterano, one of the most fascinating abandoned villages in Lazio. Once a glorious fiefdom and duchy owned by prominent families, it now presents a picturesque collection of charming ruins.

The town lost its significance in the 1700s and was definitively abandoned in just a few decades due to malaria.

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The fortress of Monterano was transformed by Bernini into a ducal palace, featuring the intact fountain with the lion sculpted by the artist. It is the perfect destination for a day trip from Rome.

Ancient Norba, in the province of Latina, is located just a few hundred meters from the town of Norba.

The Archaeological Park of Ancient Norba contains the collection of Roman and medieval ruins of what was once a glorious city.

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Just steps from the village of Santa Maria di Galeria lie the remains of the ancient town, partially buried by vegetation.

Higher up, on top of the tuff spur, are the remnants of the city with its streets, crumbling buildings, and greenery taking over.

The village, which was an important city during the Etruscan era and remained populated until the 1700s, was abandoned following Saracen incursions and the malaria that plagued the Roman Agro at that time.

Halfway between Fabrica di Roma and Civita Castellana are the ruins of Faleri Novii.

The city was once an important Etruscan center that soon fell under Roman domination. It was populated even in the Middle Ages but was abandoned in the 1700s when battles between the French and Bourbons partially destroyed the settlement.

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Today, the uncovered ruins showcase all the architectural and cultural stratification of the town surrounded by almost untouched countryside.

You can see the houses, a Romanesque church, an abbey, the theater, and urban streets including a stretch of the Via Cimina.

Not far from Celleno Nuova is another abandoned city founded during the Etruscan era. Like other cities in the area, it suffered under Roman rule and remained a significant communication hub for a long time.

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In 1696, a devastating earthquake severely damaged the town. The Napoleonic wars, epidemics, and yet another earthquake caused the surviving inhabitants to rebuild a new city a little further away.

Visitors can explore the red tuff houses, the incredible Orsini castle with its moat, and the churches as well as what remains of the streets of Celleno.

Camerata Vecchia is located not far from Subiaco. The village is in a deep state of ruin and is not easily accessible, perched at an elevation of 1200 meters.

However, for this reason, the view is breathtaking, and it is poignant to imagine that only a century and a half ago, people lived and worked there, forced to escape from a massive fire.

Norchia was a great Etruscan city, now famous mainly for the large necropolis scattered around the town and on the tuff slopes of the hill.

Besides being Etruscan, the city also had a Roman and medieval phase. This is evidenced by the remains of the castle and the tombs that were used in the Middle Ages as cave dwellings. Norchia was abandoned in the mid-1400s due to a severe malaria epidemic.

Ninfa was a prosperous city, rich in water and a robust economy, particularly due to its strategic location along the foothills, which was the only access route to the south during the Middle Ages.

Today, the ruins of the ancient city, abandoned around 1400, with the tower and the Caetani castle, form an immense and beautiful garden known as the Oasis of Ninfa.