The villages
of Tuscia.
Tufa towns suspended above ravines, squares where time slows down, murals and Renaissance gardens: our guides to the villages worth seeing, all a short drive from Bassano in Teverina.
An hour from Rome,
another century.
Tuscia is one of the few corners of Italy where the villages are still real: you park outside the walls, walk up on foot, and hear the echo of your own steps. Civita, dying for centuries; Vitorchiano clinging to its rock; Calcata and its artists; the monster-filled wood of Bomarzo.
From Villa Vacanze Valentina almost all of them are barely half an hour away: below are the guides, written one by one and verified on the spot.
7 min · Guide
Lake Vico in autumn: what to do between the crater and Monte Venere's beech wood
Lake Vico in autumn: the Monte Venere beech wood, chestnut groves, the reserve's trails and the rules on swimming and boats. 40 minutes from the villa.
Read the guide →
6 min · Guide
Autumn foliage near Rome: the Monte Cimino beech forest
The best autumn foliage near Rome is in Tuscia: the ancient beech forest of Monte Cimino, a UNESCO site. When to go, the easy loop and the rocking stone.
Read the guide →
7 min · Guide
What to do in Tuscia in winter: hot springs, empty villages and firelight
Tuscia in winter has no queues: free thermal pools surfacing at 58 degrees, villages like Civita and Vitorchiano all to yourself, and evenings by the fire. One hour from Rome.
Read the guide →
7 min · Guide
What to See in Calcata, the Artists' Village an Hour from Rome
What to see in Calcata: the tuff village condemned in 1935 and saved by artists — the workshops, the terraces over the Treja valley, the Opera Bosco open-air museum and the Monte Gelato waterfalls, an hour from Rome.
Read the guide →
6 min · Guide
Where to stay near Civita di Bagnoregio: in the village, in Bagnoregio or in the countryside
Where to stay near Civita di Bagnoregio: inside the village (a handful of beds, reached on foot only), in Bagnoregio town, or in a holiday home in the Tuscia countryside — honest advice from locals, for the sunset and the autumn fog.
Read the guide →
10 min · Guide
What to see in Viterbo in one day: a walking itinerary through the city of the Popes
What to see in Viterbo in a day, on foot: San Pellegrino, the Palace of the Popes and the longest conclave in history, the squares and their fountains, two museums, what to eat and the thermal baths — half an hour from the villa, an hour from Rome. With opening times, tickets and FAQs.
Read the guide →
7 min · Guide
The Moai of Vitorchiano, the only one carved outside Easter Island, and the Hanging Village
A hanging village of grey peperino and the only full-size Moai carved outside Easter Island, an hour from Rome. What to see, how to get there, the 2026 news.
Read the guide →
8 min · Guide
Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola: what to see, opening times and getting there from Rome
Villa Farnese in Caprarola, an hour from Rome: the Scala Regia, the Map Room, the gardens. What to see, opening times, how long you need, what to pair it with.
Read the guide →
6 min · Guide
Sant'Angelo di Roccalvecce, Tuscia's Fairy Tale Village: What to See with Kids
A village where houses tell fairy tales: 50+ murals with Alice, the Little Prince and the Grimms, free and always open. What to see and how to get there from Rome.
Read the guide →
9 min · Guide
Visiting Rome without staying in Rome: by train from Orte, back to the countryside at night
See Rome in a day from Tuscia: the train from Orte to Termini in about 45 minutes, why to leave the car, a short walking route and which tickets to book ahead.
Read the guide →
8 min · Guide
Marmore Falls: water release times, tickets and trails, month by month
When Marmore Falls is switched on, what it costs, which viewpoint to choose and how to see the Lovers' Balcony. 1h30 from Rome, 50 minutes from Tuscia.
Read the guide →
9 min · Guide
Celleno, Tuscia's ghost village: what to see and how to get there
Celleno, Tuscia's ghost village: its story, Enrico Castellani's castle, the rebuilt houses of memory and the badlands. How to get there, where to park, when to go.
Read the guide →
7 min · Guide
Villa Lante in Bagnaia after the restoration: what to see, hours and tickets
Villa Lante's gardens reborn after the 2026 restoration: the water chain, the Fountain of the Moors, the secret garden. Hours, tickets and getting there.
Read the guide →
10 min · Guide
Lake Bolsena: beaches, villages and things to do — the 2026 guide
A guide to Lake Bolsena, an hour from Rome: the volcanic sand beaches, Bisentina Island and its real prices, the villages from Bolsena to Gradoli, water sports, events and what to eat. By people who live here.
Read the guide →
10 min · Guide
Orvieto in one day: what to see, from the Duomo to St Patrick's Well
Orvieto in one day, on foot: the Duomo and San Brizio Chapel, Torre del Moro, St Patrick's Well and the underground city. Hours, tickets, parking and Civita.
Read the guide →
7 min · Guide
Bomarzo Monster Park: a surreal day trip in Tuscia, Italy
The complete 2026 guide to the Sacred Wood of Bomarzo: opening hours, updated prices, the sculptures you cannot miss, the story of Vicino Orsini and Salvador Dalí, and practical tips from hosts who live 10 minutes away.
Read the guide →
7 min · Guide
Civita di Bagnoregio: visiting Italy's dying city
Civita di Bagnoregio, the dying town: the complete 2026 guide with tickets, parking, the footbridge, what to see in the village, when to go and practical tips for visiting from Tuscia.
Read the guide →9 min · Guide
Bassano in Teverina: what to see in the village of the hidden bell tower
One of Italy's most beautiful villages: a tower hiding a Romanesque bell tower, the palazzo where Cy Twombly painted, walls above the Tiber. By the people who live here.
Read the guide →Villages by day.
Greenery by night.
Villa Vacanze Valentina is a holiday home with a pool near Viterbo, in Bassano in Teverina, at the centre of this map: two apartments in the villa for families, the Lovers' Cottage for couples, a pool and a large garden. The ideal base for exploring the villages without ever repacking your bags.
Before
you go.
What are the most beautiful villages in Tuscia?
Civita di Bagnoregio, the 'dying town' suspended above the badlands; Vitorchiano, perched on its tufa spur and home to a Moai statue; Calcata, the artists' village above the Treja valley; Bomarzo with its Park of the Monsters; and then Celleno, Sant'Angelo di Roccalvecce with its fairy-tale murals, Caprarola with Palazzo Farnese. Each village has its own verified guide on the blog.
How far are the villages from the holiday home?
Villa Vacanze Valentina is in Bassano in Teverina, right at the centre of the map: almost every village in Tuscia is a 10-40 minute drive away. Bomarzo is ten minutes away, Orte fifteen, Vitorchiano a quarter of an hour, Viterbo twenty-five minutes.
Can you visit the Tuscia villages on a day trip from Rome?
Yes: the Orte exit on the A1 motorway is an hour from Rome, and from there Tuscia opens up within minutes. But the best way to see the villages is to stay in the area: you can visit two or three a day without rushing, and come back in the evening to the quiet of the countryside.
How many days do you need to visit Tuscia?
A weekend covers the essential villages; with three days you can add Viterbo, the Renaissance gardens and a slow lunch in a village trattoria. Our guides on the blog help you build an itinerary season by season.
There's a village waiting for you.
And a house in the green to come back to.
Book directly on our site, with no booking-portal commission. Or write to us: Stefano will answer you personally.