“Is this book about the football club?”
For many people, Lazio is equivalent to the footballing sister of AS Roma. Società Sportiva Lazio is the name of that club. No, not really.
Lazio, the region, is relatively unknown. People know Tuscany and Umbria, and of course Rome. But the area around Rome is a white spot. Too bad. I know of no other region with such a varied landscape, such a rich history that can hardly be captured in a book, so many monuments and a country that has produced so many ‘famous people’: from Cicero and Augustus to Thomas of Aquino and Marcello Mastroianni.
Lazio is largely hilly (200-600 meters), just like Tuscany, which is quite reminiscent. On the east side there are mountains. The highest mountain peak is almost 2500 meters. An ideal area for walking, sports and spotting animals. The coast is flat, including the part called the Maremma, the rugged agricultural area of cowboys and Etruscans.
In this book I have set out ten routes in Lazio. The route description is always given in a short text box. In the current text I will not tire you with “go straight and then left” and that kind of stuff.” An eleventh route goes through Rome. The route links up as much as possible with monuments, people and events (but not with football clubs) from the rest of Lazio.
