Mentana between history, nature and local cuisine

Mentana between memory and nature

Mentana combines traces of the Risorgimento and antiquity with a regional nature reserve, short hiking stages and a typical speciality. If you are looking for a place for your trip to Italy that offers historical substance and concrete opportunities for culture, nature and local cuisine, different interests can be brought together here in a clear one-day itinerary.

Historical sites and museums

The MuGA – Museo Garibaldino – displays historical memorabilia, weapons, uniforms, letters and flags relating to the Battle of Mentana on 3 November 1867. The museum was founded to preserve the memory of the Risorgimento and the associated memorabilia.

Palazzo Crescenzio was probably built in the 10th century over the remains of an older military fortress. Its present form dates from the period between the 16th and 17th centuries. The municipal library is also located in the palazzo, in the historic centre of Mentana.

In Parco dei Cinque Pini, the Roman cistern “La Torretta”, dating from the 2nd century AD, has been preserved. Significant archaeological remains of ancient Nomentum lie beneath the park. Parco della Rimembranza comprises a 3,000-square-metre garden with lawns and centuries-old pine trees.

The MuCaM offers another insight with a mapped route through the historic centre of Mentana, where visitors can see ancient marble pieces from Nomentum. The Museo delle Maschere Teatrali e dei Burattini is located in a room of Palazzo Borghese in Mentana. It contains hundreds of masks by the master Giancarlo Santelli, including, in particular, leather masks for major performances of Greek and Roman theatre as well as the Commedia dell’Arte; it also includes its own puppet theatre.

Hiking in the nature reserve

The Macchia di Gattaceca e Macchia del Barco Regional Nature Reserve extends across Mentana, Monterotondo and Sant’Angelo Romano. It has a connected network of CAI hiking trails 437, 438 and 439, which can be walked and, with some difficulty, also cycled. The blue CAI trail 438 is 2.6 km long, takes around 40 minutes and has a medium/easy difficulty rating. It starts at the entrance to the nature reserve on Via Basento in Mentana and follows white and red trail markings. This trail therefore offers a clearly described, short stage for your planning; the network of trails also provides further opportunities for exercise in the protected landscape.

A speciality from Mentana

The local cuisine includes ciammella a cancellu, a speciality typical of Mentana. This savoury anise ring is made from flour and Sabina DOP extra virgin olive oil. The speciality adds a tangible taste of the region to the cultural and scenic impressions.

Discover more destinations

If you would like to compare other places beyond Mentana, you can find La Massimina-casal Lumbroso, Guidonia Montecelio, Vitinia, Labico, Albano Laziale, Lariano, Casalotti and Montelibretti here.

For the higher-level travel overview: Rome.