🍁 “When the trees undress, Tuscia dresses in magic”

Giano di Vico
Oct 18
3 min read

The season of slow breathing

There is a time of year when Tuscia seems to hold its breath. The hills soften their lines, the woods glow with copper light, and the air smells of earth, chestnuts, and rain.It is autumn, the season when foliage turns the landscape into a golden, wistful mosaic. Here, between Viterbo, Ronciglione, Caprarola, and Torre Alfina, nature performs like a Renaissance fresco: every leaf is a brushstroke, every ray of light a divine gesture.

The Beech Forest of Monte Cimino: the golden heart of Europe

Climbing up Monte Cimino, the world grows quiet, and all that remains is the sound of footsteps on fallen leaves.The ancient beech trees, solemn and towering, filter the light into a thousand shades of amber, gold, and carmine.Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this primeval forest is a temple of silence—a place one enters softly, almost reverently.The trail leading to the prehistoric acropolis feels like a journey through the memory of the Earth.Every turn opens a view that seems born from a Nordic dream, yet with the Mediterranean soul that only Tuscia can give.Sit for a moment—listen to the wind breathing through the trees. It is the same autumn voice that has spoken for centuries.

Monte Fogliano and Lake Vico: where the water reflects time

Below Monte Fogliano lies Lake Vico, a mirror that multiplies beauty.The beech woods lean toward the water, tinting its surface with flaming reds, golds, and soft greens. It is a place of deep, untouched peace, where one’s steps slow down and the heart softens.The trail to the Hermitage of Saint Jerome is a small spiritual adventure: climbing between volcanic rocks, moss, and twisted roots, you reach the stillness of a 16th-century hermitage carved into stone.Those who arrive find a silence that is not empty, but filled with memory. The wind tells tales of monks and travelers, echoing along the ancient Roman roads that cross the forest.

The Forest of Sasseto: the enchanted garden of Count Cahen

At Torre Alfina, on the border with Umbria, another world opens up.The Bosco del Sasseto feels outside of time: ancient, gnarled trees twist around moss-covered volcanic boulders, while morning mist drifts between their roots.It is a gothic fairytale landscape, suspended between life and dream.Along the path, you find remnants of forgotten history—ice houses, springs, water pumps—until you reach the neo-Gothic mausoleum of Count Edoardo Cahen, who wished to rest forever among the trees he loved.The Sasseto is not a forest to cross—it’s one to contemplate. It asks for silence, as if standing before a prayer.

An itinerary of light and stillness

Three places, three souls of the same land.Cimino teaches solemnity, Fogliano reflection, Sasseto wonder.Together, they tell the story of Tuscia in autumn—a land that cannot be captured by photos alone, but must be lived: breathing softly, touching bark, listening to the distant bells of its villages.

Bring a notebook, a blanket, and a bottle of local wine. Stop where shadow meets light.And if you lose your way among the trails, let the forest be the one to find you.

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