Trekking in the Monti Lucretili, between Licenza and Horace's villa

The Monti Lucretili are the first real mountains you meet climbing from Rome towards the Sabina, and yet they remain a mystery to most people. This regional park, made of hills planted with olives and wooded peaks, is crossed by paths that are almost always deserted, dotted with medieval villages perched on the ridges and steeped in a history that reaches back to the Romans. Here the poet Horace had his beloved country villa, the retreat where he wrote far from the chaos of the city: a detail that alone captures the spirit of these places, made for slowness and for thought.

The most evocative starting point is Licenza, a small village perched in the valley of the same name. Not far off lie the archaeological remains of the so-called villa of Horace, with its mosaic floors, baths and foundations that can be visited surrounded by greenery, accompanied by a small antiquarium gathering the finds. From here numerous paths set off, climbing towards the park's peaks. Among the villages not to be missed are Percile, with its natural little lakes known as the Lagustelli, San Polo dei Cavalieri overlooking the Roman countryside, Marcellina at the foot of the massif and Palombara Sabina with its Savelli castle. Each is a balcony over the valley and a little world of stone and silence.

The hikes

The hikes proper lead towards the main summits, such as Monte Gennaro and Monte Pellecchia, the highest peaks of the group, from which the gaze embraces on one side the Roman countryside all the way to the sea and on the other the mountains of the Sabina and the Apennines. You walk among centuries-old olive groves, oak and beech woods, high-altitude meadows where animals graze and spectacular blooms in spring. The landscape changes constantly, from the silvery expanses of olives on the valley floors to the shady beech woods of the higher elevations, giving a sense of variety that is rare in an area so close to the capital.

Getting there

To get there, from Rome you head up along the Via Tiburtina or the motorway towards the Sabina, exiting towards the villages that act as gateways to the park such as Marcellina, San Polo dei Cavalieri or Palombara Sabina, then climbing towards Licenza in the inner valley. The car is the most practical way to reach the various trailheads, although some villages are served by buses from the Tivoli area. Once on site, you move on foot following the park's waymarked paths, which allow you to build short walks suitable for everyone or more demanding traverses towards the peaks.

When to go

The ideal time is spring, between April and May, when the meadows burst with flowers, the olives are a tender green and the air is crisp and cool, perfect for climbing. October is splendid too: it is the olive-harvest season, the woods begin to colour and the villages smell of new oil. In these months you escape both the summer heat, which here can make the more exposed paths heavy going, and the winter damp. The most surprising thing is that, despite being a stone's throw from Rome, these mountains remain almost unknown: those seeking the mountains go farther afield and those wanting art stay in Tivoli, so the Lucretili remain an oasis of silence even at weekends.

Practical tips

A practical tip: always pair the trekking with the discovery of the villages and Horace's villa, because it is the combination of nature, Roman history and olive-oil culture that makes this area unique. Check the opening times of the archaeological site and the antiquarium of Licenza, which can vary with the season, and set off early in the morning to enjoy the peaks in the cooler hours. Finally, stop to buy the Sabina extra virgin olive oil directly from the producers: it is one of the best in Italy, and taking home a bottle is the tastiest way to remember these mountains.