Apartments for rent
 Casa
Capena offers two beautifully restored apartments dating back to Renaissance
times and located in the historical centre of a thriving village of 5,500
inhabitants near the Sabine Hills. Despite its proximity to the city centre (it
lies just 35km north of Rome along the Via Tiberina) the village retains a very
distinct rural flavour – and many of the older residents have hardly ever set
foot in the metropolis.
The
apartments are located in and around the town’s ancient Rocca, a rocky outcrop
that initially housed a medieval fortress and settlement, later superseded by a
Renaissance monastery. The monastery was gradually sold off to private
individuals – many of them artists – in the seventies. One of the best-known
artists living and working in Capena today is Rosina Wachtmeister. The
sixteenth-century building then became the heart of a small separate community
made up of a picturesque jumble of houses, stairways and cobbled streets with a
relaxed bohemian feel.
 Capena’s
chief attractions are the warmth and friendliness of the residents, its wonderful cuisine, the local colour and
history, proximity to Rome and good road connections. During the summer, you
can swim and laze in one of three well-equipped local pools or choose to drive
to one of the nearby lakes (boasting many amenities): Lake Bracciano, Lake
Martignano or Lake Vigo in the crater of a volcano. The coast is 45 minutes’
drive away. During winter, the ski resort of Terminillo is less than an hour’s
drive away – or you could soak away the chill in one of the hot springs that
abound in the area.
The
main motorway to Florence is just 5 km away, giving easy access to places of
interest to the north and south of Rome. Rome’s airports, Leonardo da
Vinci (Fiumicino) and Ciampino, are both 45 minutes‘ drive away.
Romans
drive out to Capena in the summer to eat at its excellent, reasonably priced
restaurants, but few foreign tourists can be seen. The village has several good
food shops. Two shopping malls containing large supermarkets can be found
slightly further afield (about 5–10 minutes’ drive away).
 Comune
di Capena site (in Italian)
| 
