Villas, Palaces and Fortresses: Torre Astura in Nettuno

Today is a cold rainy November day, so I am sitting here in my warm dry house with slippered feet writing about som wolf he sunny days gone by. I want to tell you about a few of the places that are rich in history as well as beauty just a stones throw from my house,

There are so many treasures of history in Italy that most people only get to scratch the surface: Rome, Florence, Venice and the Cinque Terra. These places are rich in history and beautiful to see, they SHOULD be on everyones top ten list of things to see in Italy. However, living here gives me the opportunity to spend time in the less known corners of Italy and it is surprising to me how many treasures lie quietly in the sands of time right next to me.

For Example, Nero’s summer Villa lies in crumbles on the shores of Anzio, a city just a 5 minute drive from my home in Nettuno. Nero become the Caesar of Rome a few years after Jesus death and was the one that was alleged to have burned Rome and blamed the Christians. Nero killed himself during the first Roman raid on Jerusalem in 68 CE leaving room for several “would-be” emperors to take his place. This is known in history as “The Year of the Four Emperors”. First up was Galba who was killed by the Praetorian Guard, quickly followed by Otho who also took his own life. Then Vitellius gave it a try but was soon displaced by Vespasian who had received a special command from Nero before he died to put down the revolt in Jerusalem.

So Vespasian commissioned his son Titus to deal with the Jewish revolt in Jerusalem. The rest is fulfilled bible history when Titus and his troops conquered Jerusalem and destroyed it, carrying all of the prisoners of war and treasures from the temple back to Rome.

In the Roman forum you can walk the triumphal procession route that Titus and his troops took through Rome and stand under the Arch of Titus. There on the Arch you can look up at the carvings of the troops carrying off the precious candle stands that had stood in the temple.

In previous articles I have written about the caves of Tiberius that still exist near Sperlonga a couple of hours south of my house in Nettuno. These are the caves that Tiberius would swim in during the summer months. He had the caves decorated with statues and mosiacs that can be seen in the museum nearby. Tiberius was the emperor during the life, ministry and death of Jesus, his summer home and caves can still be visited here today.

An hour south of Rome, near my home in Nettuno is another castle standing resolutely in the sea with a walkway that bridges land and water. This castle stands as a testimony of the rich and noble that preferred to holiday along this shore during the times of the Caesar’s. I will introduce you to Torre Astura, a beautiful castle and villa that still stands the test of time, looking “move in” ready. Many Caesar’s stayed here including Augustus, Tiberius and Caligula who is a gritty emperor that I wrote about in past articles. This area was popular in the days of the Caesar’s because of its proximity to Rome and it’s warm sunny beaches. Torre Astura held a strategic position as one of the stations along the Appian Way, the super highway of Roman Times. Even the Apostle Paul traveled along this road.

The Torre Astura is visible from our shores in Anzio and Nettuno and can be seen from the San Felice headlands to the south. It is the only object that breaks up this endless stretch of beach. There have been found in this area remains of villas that date back to 46 BCE but our Torre Astura has medieval origins dating back to 1268 when the Frangipani family built on the foundations of a large Roman Villa. The Franagipani family is mentioned as far back as 1014. Their great claim to fame was achieving the election of Pope and holding control of the Colosseum in Rome. In 1426 Torre Astura was rebuilt by the Colonna family giving it its current appearance. Elegant Renaissance Style was added over the years to the Roman foundations and Medieval construction.

On this day, however, we take a walk through the remains an ancient forest of pine trees, unique to this part of Italy until we cross the river. There is a military shooting range that also prevents entry to this little historical paradise outside of the summer months. These things keep most of the tourists at bay but we take the long stroll down the sandy coast that soon gives us our first view of Torre Astura. As we walk down the sandy beach we approach the Torre Astura in all of its Medieval glory. Just beneath the sand at the foot of the castle we see the remains of another villa that long ago yielded to pirates, marauders, war and the unrelenting waves of the sea. The ruins are visible just under the gentle lapping waves. An impressive walkway leads out to an imposing looking fortification, holding vigilance as it bravely faces the sea.

Very few windows exist on the fortification giving tribute to the dangers of life in Medieval Times. There was always someone looking to conquer and consume. Today it is hard to imagine this difficult life as we stroll down the walkway to get a closer look. Once we arrive at the fortification gates we look back at the shore. The sun is shining and flowers are blooming against the ancient villa that still stands. The villa stands on top layers of ancient villas from Roman time, but this villa is not so old. It’s peeling paint shows signs of another life with layers of mustard and teal blue reflecting the sea. What a life it would have been to live in this villa with such a scenic view of Torre Astura and sunsets each night. I can only imagine strolling down the warm golden beach on sunny summer afternoons.

This day we had the beach to ourselves, we spread a blanket and opened our sun umbrella. We sat with our toes in the sand looking out over a turquoise sea reflecting a crystal clear blue sky. The golden hues of Torre Astura stand as a fortification firmly anchored in the sea, just as it has for centuries. The mustard colored villa meekly stands nearby, empty and lonely, remembering its days of glory from long ago. In the waters at the foot of Torre Astura reveal tha ancient Villas foundations from the days of the Caesar’s and we reflect on the centuries that have past, the people who swam in these waters and lives that were lived here on the shores of Nettuno.