San Polo di Tarano

San Polo di Tarano is an ancient medieval village in the countryside but just 45 minutes from Rome. The village sits at the Lazio-Umbria border in the tranquil hills.

You'll find the church of San Paolo, of course, which retains interesting sixteenth-century votive frescoes. There is also a church dedicated to St Barnabas, of ancient origin but rebuilt in the sixteenth century.

The tiny village is strung along a low hill, built of stone. It is captivating in its simplicity and historical appearance. Its founding was tied to the Farfa monastery in 1102, and was under the domain of the powerful Orsini family from 1368 until the death of Enrico Orsini in 1604.

San Polo di Tarano is in the "Bassa Sabina" with its vinyeards, hills and hiking paths. San Polo is in the "wild" part of Lazio, a land of green hills, nature preserves and tiny towns that seem a world away from Rome. Yet it is less than an hour from the capital city of Rome as well as to Rieti; it is in reach of southern Umbrian towns like Narni and Amelia. The Monster Park of Bomarzo and the fascinating Civita di Bagnoregio is less than an hour away, too. The fascinating area known as Tuscia, where the ancient Etruscans roamed, and Umbria's gems are able to be explored from this location.