Casa Capena offers two holiday homes, one dating back to Renaissance times, located in the historical centre of a thriving village of 5,500 inhabitants near Rome and the Sabine Hills. Despite its proximity to the city centre (it lies just 35km north of Rome along the Via Tiberina) the village retains a very distinct rural flavour with a refreshing lack of tourists but a small established international community of artists, the best known being Rosina Wachtmeister.
The apartments are located in and around the town’s ancient Rocca, a small traffic-free community made up of a picturesque jumble of houses, stairways and cobbled streets with a relaxed bohemian feel. Life in the old town centre is a little like stepping into a Fellini film or Cinema Paradiso, with life played out around the natural arena of the old town square, Piazza del Popolo.
Capena’s chief attractions are the warmth and friendliness of the residents, its wonderful cuisine, the local colour and history, proximity to Rome and good road connections. With good transport links to Rome and an array of good local shops and restaurants, it is easy to do without a car as well.
During the summer, you can swim and laze in one of two well-equipped reasonably nearby local pools or choose to drive to one of the nearby lakes (boasting many amenities): Lake Bracciano, Lake Martignano or Lake Vigo in the crater of a volcano. The coast is 45 minutes’ drive away. In winter, the ski resort of Terminillo is less than an hour’s drive away – or you could soak away the chill in one of the hot springs that abound in the area. Rome and the Sabine Hills are on your doorstep waiting to be discovered at any time of year.
The main motorway to Florence is just 5 km away, giving easy access to places of interest to the north and south of Rome. Rome’s airports, Leonardo da Vinci (Fiumicino) and Ciampino, are both 45 minutes’ drive away.
Romans drive out to Capena in the summer to eat at its excellent, reasonably priced restaurants. Two shopping malls containing large supermarkets can be found slightly further afield (about 5–10 minutes’ drive away).
