Serrone: Flying high and free in the Ernici Mountains
We’ve written a lot about the beautiful views from the hills dotting Lazio, particularly the Ernici Mountains east of Rome. You can sit on a hillside, sip wine and look at the view forever. Now imagine hovering over the landscape, floating on air. You can do that in the little town of Serrone (pop. 3,000) on Mt. Scalambra 45 miles (80 kilometers) from Rome.
Serrone, once under control of the powerful Colonna family, is now a huge paragliding center. Even on a cold, rainy day in February, Serrone is worth a day trip. It features excellent, homey wineries, a 12th century sanctuary atop a huge hill and some of the weirdest scenery you’ll ever see in a centro storico. This place is different.
Things to do
1 • Paragliding. Serrone is one of Italy’s paragliding centers as the rounded edges of 1,420-meter (4,660-foot) Mt. Scalambra are perfect for leaping off and flying through the air. The operation is simple.
You are hooked up to flying professionals at a lookout point with benches.
A short run and you lift over the farms, hills and villages of rural Lazio. The rides last about 15 minutes. It’s available on weekends all year round, weather permitting.
Info: Freedome €100
Liveinup €120
2 • Cantina Mario Terenzi. As you enter town there’s a small unassuming shop that serves some of the most award-winning wines in Lazio. This winery has been in the Terenzi family for four generations dating back to 1912. They’ve won numerous awards such as back-to-back WineHunter Awards in 2023 and ‘24. His Nero dello Scalambra won the Medaglia d’Oro (Gold Medal) in 2015. Enter and Mario and his son, Emanuele, will give you some samples from the huge tanks of wine. You can even get a three-liter tub of their Cesanese for only €9. I bought a nice 2022 Cesanese Superior for €15. You can arrange wine tastings by appointment.
Info: Via Prenestina 587, 39-07-751-431-152,
www.antichecantine.it,
info@antichecantine.it.
3 • Hermitage of San Michele Arcangelo. The small stone hermitage site sits on a rocky ledge at 1,100 meters on Mt. Scalambia. You can drive up the windy road from Serrone or hike two hours up a clear path through an oak forest to the top. The hermitage offers spectacular sights of the Lazio countryside and is the perfect resting stop. The Benedictine friars of Subiaco Monastery started the church in 1100.
You can visit on request. Notice the statue of St. Michael on the crude altar. He has his foot on the neck of the devil, whom legend has it, he defeated on the same rocky ridge. The back of the church
narrows and resembles a dark cave.
A theatrical twist to a centro storico
Every hill town in Italy has a historical district. But Serrone has the most unique scenery I’ve seen in 11 years in Rome. Walk up the narrow, stone alleys and you’ll come across mannequins sitting on the side of the roads in period costumes. A woman in a long white gown and red bonnet holds a broom. A woman wearing a blue shawl sits on a chair at the foot of stairs looking as if she’s asking a question. A trio of women hang out looking bored.
They are all from the Permanent Exhibition of Theatrical Costumes of Serrone.
The costumes were donated by Beatrice Minori, who was born in Serrone in 1923 and worked
as a dressmaker for RAI, the state TV network, and various Italian directors.
Info: Via Alessandro Manzoni 1, 39-07-75-523-064,
View by appointment only.
Where is it:
Where is it: 45 miles (80 kilometers) east of Rome.
How to get there:
Cotral buses leave from Anagnina on the Metro A Line.
The 1-hour, 8-minute ride is €2-€4.
For more information:
Where to eat:
https://www.ducasette.it, info@ducasette.it,
Pasta dishes start at €12 and meat at €13. Try the scaloppina al limone, tender pieces of veal covered in lemon sauce.
