Every design for Nettuno

Ever taken the train from Rome all the way to the end of the line? On the FL8 that last stop is Nettuno, a resort town on the Tyrrhenian Sea where the Roman Campagna meets the Agro Pontino. The Loricina canal and the Astura river both run through the comune, the Astura marking its southern border with Latina.

What sets Nettuno apart is how much of its past is still kept behind walls. The Borgo Medievale, the old castrum Neptuni, grew up in the Middle Ages, and to defend it from attack by sea the Borgias had Antonio da Sangallo the Elder build the Forte Sangallo. On his way to the Third Crusade, Richard the Lionheart passed through the castle. The town takes its name from Neptune, god of the sea and still its symbol, and even its rocks are unusual: perrierite-(Ce), a rare mineral, has its type locality here. The Antiquarium Comunale keeps the finds of older times, and the local wine, Cacchione, carries its own D.O.C. label.

If you know Nettuno, you know the harbour full of boats, the sea against the old walls and a glass of Cacchione at the end of a long day. Take that with you, wherever you go.