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Town: ALBANO LAZIALE
From the Capuchin's Convent starts one of the most beautiful path of
the Parco Regionale dei Castelli Romani, winding along the southern
slope of the Lake Albano, crossing a rich wood. The particular
morphology of the southern slope, very steep, prevented the
modifications of the landscape, which happened in the majority
of the Colli Albani's woods.
Here, it is possible to observe the ancient aspects of the original
wood of the Castelli Romani. Before starting our walk, visit
the Convent and the adjacent sacral wood, with its monumental
and very old trees. The Wood of the Capuchin's Convent
is part of the Parco Regionale dei Castelli Romani. Its five-hectare-wide
area belongs to a Partial Botanic Reserve.
Area's Natural Characteristics
The Convent's wood consists of numerous arboreal high
trunk kinds: oaks, lindens, maples, and a lot of great ilexes.
There is even a rare plant: the pimpinelloides, a Balkan plant
very frequent in Albano Laziale. Among the shrubs, there are
plants of holly and viburnum. There is also a rare kind: the
Job's Tears, whose oily and edible seeds are used as beads
for the rosary. The bay indeed was planted by man. The fauna
consists of numerous woodpeckers, singing and flying continuosly
from one tree to another. There are other species, which excavate
nesting cavities such as the dendrocupus major, the Jynx torquilla
and the great tits. Among the bird's singings, it can
be heard that of the serin and that of the Picus virdis; this
bird eats ants not along the tree's trunk but on the ground.
Place
To reach the Capuchin's Convent woods, from the centre
of Albano cross via S. Francesco, after the hospital “Regina
Apostolorum” on the right and the amphitheatre on the
left, you will find the wood's entrance to the right of
the steps leading to the church. For a longer walk follow the
Parco Regionale dei Castelli Romani's signs: from the
Capuchin's wood cross the road 72/b (Capuchins in Albano)
and near a kiosk where you can park, there is the path leading
to the Palazzolo Convent. This path is long 2,430 kilometres,
and it is not difficult. It will take you about an hour to go
through it. Along the path it is possible to come down to the
hermitage of S. Angelo in Lacu (430m).
Roads and Public Transports
By Car: From Rome, cross via Appia Nuova following the
road signs to Albano Laziale.
By Train: There is a train starting each hour from Rome.
It will take you 50 minutes to reach Albano Laziale. For information
on train timetable call the phone number: 848888088 or visit
the web page: www.fs-on-line.it.
The railway station is at a distance of 1 km from the Convent.
By Bus: Rome-Velletri. (Cotral bus service phone number
800431784, phone number 067222153) from the underground station
‘Anagnina' of the Linea A. It will take you about
40 minutes to reach P.za Mazzini in Albano Laziale. The bus-stop
is at a distance of 400 m from the Convent.
Topic
Botany
Visits
The entrance is always open. For information call the Azienda
autonoma di soggiorno e turismo "Dei Laghi e Castelli Romani"
via Risorgimento n.2, 00041 Albano Laziale (RM), phone 069324081/2,
fax 069320040.
Tourist signs
There are tourist signs to reach the Capuchins Convent. There
is an explanatory board at the beginning of the path, but not
along it.
Further Information
Web sites: www.castelliromani.it/Towns/albano/albano.htm,
www.castellionline.com, www.hurricane.it/castelliromani, www.xiTownstamontana.lazio.it/index2.html.
Books: AA.VV., 1996. Quattordici sentieri tra natura
e archeologia dei Castelli Romani e Prenestini. Editore
XI Townstà Montana del Lazio Castelli Romani e Prenestini,
via della Pineta 69, Rocca Priora (RM); Bassani P., Lotti L.,
1992. Alberi e arbusti del Parco Regionale dei Castelli Romani.
Edizioni del Parco, Rocca di Papa (RM); Marciano M., 1991. Guida
archeologica del Parco Regionale dei Castelli Romani. Edizioni
del Parco, Rocca di Papa (RM).
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