|
Town: MONTE PORZIO, GROTTAFERRATA, FRASCATI
The Romans built their villas and a theatre right in this place and not by
chance. The panorama in fact is one of the most beautiful of
the Castelli Romani's area; it is possible to see the
morphology of the volcano and individuate the evolution of this
territory. Tuscolo finds on the outer promontory of the Tuscolana-Artemisia
mountain, on the crest. Near the cross, it is possible to see
volcanic rocks and individuate the ancient crater's structure.
The history of this place began more than 600.000 years ago.
The Tuscolana ridge together with the homonymous mounts finds
on the eastern side about the Colli Albani and together with
the Artemisia mounts, on the southern side, form what is left
of the ancient laziale volcano, and it is called “external
ring”, originated during the first volcanic eruptions.
Area's Natural Characteristics
Within the peak's woods, there is the celtis australis,
also known as “spaccasassi” (stone breaker), as
its very strong roots can penetrate in the rocks and grow notwithstanding
the difficult conditions. Its fruit, like a small cherry, is
the birds' preferred one for its sweet pulp, and by eating
it they spread also its seeds. The Tusculum pine woods is very
characteristic; it extends over a two-kilometre-wide area, following
a slight slope, from east to west, towards south. It consists
mostly of pines, cluster pines, and Aleppo's pines. The
pine's seeds are well-known for its culinary use, but
the Latin historian Plinio in his written works ascribe to them
aphrodisiac properties. The wood of the Aleppo's pine
was used to build vessels. Caligola's vessels found under
the Nemi's lake, had been built with this type of wood.
Undergrowth consists of different kinds of plants among which,
the fraxinus ornus, whose yellow colour in autumn is really
charming.
If you sit down for a while near the cross, you will see a lot
of the invertebrate kinds inhabiting this place. There are coleopteran
kinds similar to the scarab beetle, that form pieces of dung
into a ball, bring them in their den in order to eat it or to
lay eggs. Among the coleopteran kinds there are the Carabidae,
which have long legs to run speedy and robust curved mandible,
revealing their predatory nature. They are considered essential
for the agriculture as they eat caterpillars of the procession
moths. As far as the vertebrate is concerned, it is possible
to see the heaps of soil made by the moles, an insect-eating
mammal, living underground with tiny eyes and with forelegs
fit to excavate tunnels and with ears not visible on the outside.
You can see the buzzard flying in the sky, a daily middle-sized
bird of prey, and the kestrel flying in vertical to better sight
its victims, which are generally small rodents and lizards.
In this area there is also the timid hare, hidden among the
bushes to sleep. In the surrounding woods and on the meadows
it is possible to see traces of the nocturnal activity of the
wild boar, turning up clods while trying to find bulbs, larva
and worms.
Place
The Tuscolo can be reached from Grottaferrata, Frascati e Monte
Porzio Catone, following the tourist signs. The best way to
reach Tuscolo, is from Piazzale G. Marconi of Frascati: cross
via Catone and turn to the right on via Tuscolo. The square
in front of it is also a parking area. Tuscolo finds at a distance
of three kilometres from the centre of Frascati and there are
not public transports.
Roads and Public Transports
By car: From Rome cross the via Tuscolana, S.S. 215 (slip-road
21 of the G.R.A.) or cross the highway A1 Rome-Naples (slip-road
Monte Porzio Catone) following the road signs for Frascati.
By train: Line Rome-Frascati. There is a train starting
each hour from Rome. It will take you half an hour to reach
Frascati. For information on train timetable call the phone
number 848888088 or visit the web page www.fs-on-line.it.
Through series of steps you will reach piazzale G. Marconi.
By Bus: Rome-Rocca Priora. (Cotral bus service phone
number 800431784, phone number 067222153) from the underground
station ‘Anagnina' of the Linea A. It will take
you 20 minutes to reach the bust stop “Piazzale Marconi”
in Frascati.
Topic
Landscape, Botany, geology, fauna.
Visits
There is a guided visit of the Tuscolo's area every Sunday
morning at ten o'clock. The meeting place is on the square
in front of Tuscolo. This visit is free and it is organized
by the archaeological association Gruppo Archeologico Latino,
and it lasts about two hours.
For information phone to the XI comunità montanta Townstà
Montana del Lazio - Castelli Romani e Prenestini", Via
della Pineta n.69, 00040 Rocca Priora (RM), phone number 069470820,
or to the Azienda Autonoma di Soggiorno e Turismo I.A.T., sita
in Piazzale G. Marconi, 1- 00044 Frascati, phone number 069420331.
Tourist signs
There are only tourist boards.
Further Information
Web sites:www.xiTownstamontana.lazio.it , www.castellionline.com,
www.hurricane.it/castelliromani.
Books: Del Nero R., 1996. Tuscolo-Guida ai Monuments
e al panorama. Ed. Libreria Cavour, Frascati; Marciano M.,
1991. Guida archeologica del Parco Regionale dei Castelli
Romani. Edizioni del Parco, Rocca di Papa (RM); 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).
|
