Frascati - Tusculum

From Frascati a recently constructed panoramic road winds its way uphill through beautiful scenery and areas of forest to the remains of ancient Tusculum, 5km/3mi southeast. This was the birthplace of Cato the Elder and a favorite resort of Cicero. Held during the early Middle Ages by warlike counts, it was destroyed by Rome in 1191. There are remains, much overgrown, of an amphitheater, a theater, the forum, a well-house and a stretch of the old town walls. It is a 15-minute walk up the hill above the site to a ruined castle (670m/2,211ft), which commands extensive views.