Off the usual path

The experience of the sacred is so important to Christian pilgrims when visiting Italy. And the opportunities abound. Of course, there are the standard spots - The Vatican and the three other big basilicas in Rome, the burial sites of saints and holy people, the relics which are interred around and under altars in churches all over Italy . . .

I have been fortunate to see some of the less-visited sites with Reginald Foster, who is not only a great Latin teacher, but an inspiring leader of pilgrims. If you have the opportunity and time during your visits in Rome, may I suggest visiting a few of the following by train:

1. History buff? Visit Cicero's tomb in Formia (along the train line going from Rome to Naples - take the Regionale), and enjoy seeing the ancient fish-holding tanks down by the shore. A day in Formia is totally worth it - they have a nice archaeological museum, and it's always nice to spend an afternoon by the seashore. Just allow time to walk back up to the train station!
2. Seeking the sacred? Fossanova Abbey, located near the Priverno train stop (along the same line as Formia), is the location of St. Thomas Aquinas' death. The walk to the Abbey is beautiful, and remote, but not without a great family-owned pizzeria on the way. While the church itself is BEAUTIFUL, you can also find St. Thomas' mule's hoofprints and a beautiful upper-room chapel where St. Thomas stayed until his death.
3. Lake Albano has some beautiful small towns around it - even the Pope agrees - which is why he summers at Castel Gandolfo. CUTE spot to visit!!! It also appeases you if you're a history buff - they say that it's where the city of Alba Longa was located . . .
4. WWII fan? You can't go to Italy without visiting Monte Cassino, which was a long-standing Monastery in southern Lazio (just before you get to Campania). In WWII, rumors were that it was housing important Axis powers' stuff, and the Allies bombed it, to learn that there was nothing in there worth the destruction. On the Cassino train stop, you can make the stroll all the way up to the modern monastery for a tour of an amazing historical location! From the freeway, it's a forbidding-looking fortress.

SPI friends, we'll be driving by Monte Cassino, and might get a quick glimpse of Formia, but these are definitely experiences to have when you return to Italy to do your own traveling (and use your Italian skills)!

L :)