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At just 20km from Rome, FRASCATI is the nearest of the Castelli towns and also the most striking, dominated by the majestic Villa Aldobrandini , built by Giacomo della Porta in 1598 for one Cardinal Aldobrandi. Since it still belongs to the family you can't actually get inside, but the gardens are open to the public (Mon-Fri: summer 9am-1pm & 3-6pm; winter 9am-1pm & 3-5pm; free). These are somewhat neglected these days, and sadly the potentially spectacular water garden at the rear of the villa is often switched off. But the view from the terrace in front of the house is superb, with Rome visible on a clear day. Frascati is also about the most famous of the Colli Albani wine towns: ask at the tourist office on Piazza Marconi 1 (Tue-Fri 8am-2pm & 4-7pm, Sat 8am-2pm; tel 06.942.0331) for details of local wine producers that run tours and tastings, or simply indulge in lunch at one of the many trattorias in town. Better yet, pick up a porchetta (whole roasted pork) sandwich from one of the stands on Piazza del Mercato and head for one of the town's many cantine - you can take food in with you - where wine is sold by the litre from giant wooden barrels.

The tourist office can also give you more details of Tusculum , beautifully sited on a hilltop just outside Frascati. This was a favourite retreat of Roman patricians: Cicero had a villa here, but the resort was destroyed in 1191 by Pope Celestine III, the inhabitants moving down the hill to modern-day Frascati. Most of the Roman remains seem to have disappeared forever beneath the undergrowth; there's a small theatre, and the views, again, are fine.

Three kilometres or so down the road, GROTTAFERRATA is also known for its wine and its eleventh-century Abbey - a fortified Basilian (Greek Orthodox) monastery surrounded by high defensive walls and a now empty moat (daily: summer 6am-12.30pm & 3.30-7pm: winter 6am-12.30pm & 3.30-sunset; free). It's a timeless spot, the little church of Santa Maria inside with a Byzantine-style interior decorated with thirteenth-century mosaics and, in the chapel of St Nilo off the right aisle, frescoes by Domenichino. Through the inner courtyard there's a small museum (closed for restoration) displaying classical and medieval sculptures. MARINO , another 4km further on, isn't a particularly attractive place, though its wine is perhaps the region's best after Frascati and is distributed free on the first Sunday of October during its Sagra dell'Uva festival.