Canterano (a comune of approximately 350 inhabitants in the Metropolitan City of Rome, in the Valle dell'Aniene east of the city, at 720m above sea level on a ridge of the Monti Simbruini) is the kind of Lazio hill village where the visitor who arrives and walks through the medieval center for 30 minutes has a better understanding of what Italian hill village life actually consists of than any number of visits to the heavily visited Castelli Romani. Canterano has no specific monument of national importance, no famous association that has made it a destination, and no tourism infrastructure, what it has is the Palazzo Borghese-Santacroce (the 16th-century noble residence that the Borghese family built in this remote valley for reasons that probably had more to do with hunting than with any aesthetic appreciation of the location), the specific medieval layout of the village on its ridge, and the Aniene valley view that compensates for the 70km drive from Rome.
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Canterano and the Valle dell'Aniene
The Aniene Valley: Rome's Eastern Mountain Escape
The Valle dell'Aniene (the valley of the Aniene river, which flows westward through the Monti Simbruini and Monti Tiburtini before joining the Tiber at Rome) is the primary eastern mountain escape for Rome, the valley road (Via Tiburtina and its continuation as SS5 Tiburtina Valeria) has been the route from Rome to the Adriatic coast since Roman times, and the medieval villages that dot the valley sides (Subiaco with its Benedictine monasteries, Arsoli, Cervara di Roma, Canterano, and Vallinfreda further east) have been benefiting from or suffering from that proximity for centuries. The Aniene valley is greener and more alpine in character than the volcanic Castelli Romani to the south, the limestone peaks of the Simbruini, reaching 2,000m in the core of the national park, produce a different landscape character and a different microclimate (cooler, wetter, with beech forests replacing the Mediterranean scrub of the lower hills).
Canterano: tours & tickets
Compare guided tours, skip-the-line tickets and day trips for Canterano.
See availability & prices →Compare tours on Viator →We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.Subiaco: The Nearby Benedictine Reference
Subiaco (15km northeast of Canterano) is the primary cultural destination of the upper Aniene valley: the Monastero di San Benedetto (the monastery complex built into the cliff above the Aniene gorge where Saint Benedict of Norsia lived as a hermit before founding the Benedictine order in the 6th century) and the adjacent Sacro Speco (the cave where Benedict lived, the oldest extant fresco cycle of Saint Francis of Assisi, dating from before his canonization in 1228, is preserved in the upper church). Subiaco is the anchor for a Valle dell'Aniene day trip that includes Canterano as the authentic village component without the monastery visitor infrastructure.
Q&A: Canterano
How do I combine Canterano with other Aniene valley sites?
The Valle dell'Aniene day trip from Rome: drive east on Via Tiburtina (SS5) approximately 70km to Subiaco (1.5 hours from Rome). Visit the Sacro Speco and San Benedetto monasteries (2-3 hours). Drive 15km south on the SP26 to Canterano for the village walk and the Palazzo Borghese-Santacroce exterior (30-45 minutes). Return to Rome via the SS411 Sublacense (a different road, passing through Tivoli, adding the Villa Adriana and Villa d'Este option on the return). Total circuit: approximately 150km, 7-8 hours including visits.
Internal Links
- Borghi Abbandonati: L'Altro Lato dei Simbruini
- Lazio Autentico: La Valle dell'Aniene
- Simbruini in Primavera: Fioritura e Trekking
- Lazio Est in Autunno: I Colori del Faggio
- Benedettini nel Lazio: Il Circuito Monastico
- Valle dell'Aniene: La Fotografia del Paesaggio
- Lazio Nord vs Lazio Est: Due Territori a Confronto
