Guidonia Montecelio between Museum, Rocca and Nature

History between the Museum and Rocca

Guidonia Montecelio brings together striking examples of history, architecture and landscape.

The Museo Civico Rodolfo Lanciani preserves the sculpture group of the Capitoline Triad. The archaeological tour spans the period from prehistoric times through the Roman era to the 17th century. The Museo Civico Rodolfo Lanciani is located on the ground floor of the former San Michele Arcangelo monastery complex. The museum, its exhibits and the historic building thus offer several chronological layers without mixing the individual themes.

The Rocca di Montecelio offers a different architectural and historical perspective. It includes a small temple from the imperial period, built between the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. The original walls of the Rocca are about two metres thick. A 14th-century pentagonal tower guarded the eastern entrance to the Rocca di Montecelio.

Aviation History and Local Imagery

Aviation history is also one of Guidonia Montecelio’s defining themes. The “Directorate of Superior Studies and Experiments” was established at Guidonia-Montecelio Airport on 23 June 1927. Along the DSSE route, three buildings of the aerodynamics department with their former wind tunnels are still visible. The route and the surviving buildings thus point to a period when scientific experiments and aviation technology shaped the character of the place.

A distinct combination of religious imagery and aviation can be seen in the apse fresco of the Parrocchia Beata Vergine di Loreto. It depicts Mary with the Child on the House of Loreto; beside and below them are Guidonia’s hangars and aircraft in flight.

Nature and Archaeology in Parco dell’Inviolata

Parco dell’Inviolata encompasses waterways, wetland vegetation, gallery forests, cultivated land and pastureland. This combination of different landscape elements forms a clear contrast to the walls, towers and museum spaces of the historic sites. For those interested in nature, the focus here is on the variety of the land and water areas.

Parco naturale-archeologico dell’Inviolata also contains the remains of Roman mausoleums, villas, burials and roads. Landscape and the past therefore emerge as separate but highly compatible areas of interest. Those wishing to include both archaeological traces and open landscapes in their trip will find correspondingly different points of interest in Guidonia Montecelio.

The access requirements are important when specifically planning a visit to the DSSE: individual visitors and families may visit the DSSE on Saturdays and Sundays only by prior registration. This rule should be taken into account when planning the schedule, while the museum, Rocca, fresco and areas of Inviolata Park each offer their own cultural or landscape highlights.

More Destinations

Monte Porzio Catone, Velletri, Tragliata, Fiumicino, Pisciarelli, Castel Giuliano, Lido Di Castel Fusano and Osteria Dell'osa

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