Lazio · Roma
Ariccia
The Castelli Romani town where a single Baroque architect's ensemble sits on a volcanic crater rim above Rome, and Saturday lunch means porchetta.
Picked by Peter Benei
Letter to come
Why Ariccia is on our list
It holds Città del Vino.
Subscribe and you get Ariccia's letter the day it comes out.
Visiting
- Best time
- Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
- By car
- 41 min from Rome
- By train
- Station in the comune
- Population
- 17,917
- J11°
- F13°
- M14°
- A16°
- M21°
- J26°
- J30°
- A30°
- S25°
- O20°
- N16°
- D12°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime air temperature, averages for 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
Why come
Ariccia sits on the rim of the Alban Hills volcanic complex, and the crater geography organizes everything about the place. The town center occupies the ridge; below it on the eastern side the ground drops into the deep crater valley of Vallericcia, crossed by the viaduct linking the town to the next ridge. The gorge itself became notorious after a series of suicides in the 1990s, now blocked with high railings.
Further east and below, the volcanic lakes and the papal estate sit in a cluster within a few kilometers of the town center, part of the same crater system that shaped Ariccia's position in the first place. The Roman past predates the Baroque town by centuries: Aricia was the first stage out of Rome on the original Via Appia, laid out in 312 BC, and the neighbouring lake was the site of the Latin League's federal sanctuary of Diana Aricina. The porchetta tradition is separate again: whole pork loin, deboned and seasoned with rosemary, garlic, pepper and wild fennel, slow-roasted on rotating spits in wood-fired ovens and served at room temperature in panini or by the etto.
The fraschette that serve it were originally outdoor wine vendors, marked with frasche, branches, as signs, and the town's status as a Città del Vino within the Frascati zone explains why the wine on the table is local rather than incidental. What makes Ariccia distinct among the Castelli towns is that these layers, Roman road terminus, crater rim settlement, unified Baroque set piece, and porchetta town, sit on top of each other in one small place rather than being scattered across the region.
How to get there
From Rome Fiumicino (FCO), about 43 min by car.
Naples (NAP) is about 2 h 25 min away.
By car from the center of Naples 2 h 30 min or Perugia 2 h 30 min.
There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.
Coming by train into Roma Termini? Ariccia is about 40 min away by road.
Every town within reach of Rome Fiumicino airport.
First time driving in Italy? Read our complete manual.
What to see
Palazzo Chigi + Piazza di Corte (Bernini)
The Chigi family's Baroque summer residence. The palazzo, the piazza and the church facing it were designed as one ensemble. The palazzo is preserved as a 17th-c interior museum.
Santa Maria dell'Assunzione (Bernini)
Bernini's circular church, domed and modelled on the Pantheon: small, perfect, often empty.
Ponte Monumentale
1854 triple-tier viaduct spanning the Vallericcia crater. Walk across for the panoramic view; the gorge below is wooded and undeveloped.
Porchetta in the fraschette
Vicolo Volta della Costa concentrates 30+ fraschette serving Ariccia porchetta IGP with Frascati. Saturday lunch is the regional ritual.
Lago di Albano + Lago di Nemi
Two volcanic crater lakes 3-5 km from town. Castel Gandolfo's papal estate, open since 2014, sits on Albano. Ferrari museum at Nemi.
Fairs and festivals
We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the organizer before you plan a journey around one.
Sagra della Porchetta
Usually held in September
The local makers of porchetta, Italy's roast pork, started this in 1950, and by tradition sellers in Ariccia costume work from decorated stalls. The moment everyone waits for is when porchetta sandwiches are thrown to the crowd in Piazza di Corte, now Piazza della Repubblica, the square Bernini planned for Pope Alexander VII, while the old taverns, the fraschette, serve local dishes through the festival.
From the guides
Where to eat
Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.
SintesiRistorante
Sintesi carries one Michelin star, plus two Gambero Rosso forks (83/100).
Before you sit down: how to order at a restaurant, how to spot a tourist trap, what aperitivo is and how the Italian bar works.
Living here
Could you live here?
Ariccia meets both of our rules for a small town.
- 17,917 people, inside our sweet spot of 5,000 to 20,000: a real town, still one community.
- Velletri, a city of 52,877, is 21 min by car. Closer than our 30 to 60 minutes: handy for everything, so check the town still keeps a life of its own.
- A station of its own. Trains are the overlooked way to get around Italy: no parking, straight into the center.
The rules come from our series Where to Move in Italy, written from the places we have lived: Part 1, The End of the Road · Part 2, The Small Town · Part 3, The City · Part 4, The Postcard · Part 5, The Other Half. The towns we would pick are in Part 6, The Best Towns.
- Population 17,917, down 4.5% since 2015
- Nearest city Velletri, 21 min drive
- Train station in the comune
- A national health service hospital in the comune · how healthcare works in Italy
- Homes in the center: €1,000 to €1,500 per m² to buy, €4.30 to €6.30 per m² a month to rent
Weighing a move here? See the moving year.
All the numbers Common questions, designations, lists and sources.
More about living here
- Commuter belt
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Full fibre reaches 92% of homes
- Primary school in the comune
- Earthquake zone 2, medium hazard
- Rome Ciampino airport (CIA), 18 min drive, the nearest with scheduled flights
- Regional capital Rome, 41 min drive
If you are moving here
Who lives here
8% of residents are foreign citizens, most often from Romania, Albania and Pakistan, against 9% across Italy. 63 of them come from English-speaking countries or western and northern Europe, mostly France, Germany and the United Kingdom. There are 234 people over 65 for every 100 children under 15, against 216 across Italy. 14% of homes have no resident, holiday homes and empty ones counted together, against 27% across Italy. Rome province ranks 46th of 107 in Il Sole 24 Ore's quality of life ranking for 2025.
Health and schools
There is an emergency room in the comune. The nearest major one is in Rome, 25 km away. The nearest children's emergency room is in Rome, 25 km away. The nearest IB school is Ambrit International School, 24 km as the crow flies. There are 3 within 30 km. The nearest school listed as international is Children's Castle International, 4 km away.
Information, not medical advice. Confirm with a professional.
Taxes
A home that is not your main one pays 1.06% a year in property tax at the 2025 rate, charged on the cadastral value rather than the price. A main home pays none unless it is in a luxury category. The town adds 0.8% to your income tax, with nothing due on income under €12,000. 7% pensioner tax: this town is not in a qualifying area.
Information, not tax advice. Confirm with a professional.
What it costs
The average household in Lazio spends about €2,270 a month, €580 of it on food, against about €2,170 across Italy. A family of three pays about €647 a year for water, on the Lazio average. In Rome, the provincial capital, in September 2026, an espresso cost €1.21, a meal in a pizzeria €11.54 and a man's haircut €17.23.
Climate and risk
It is in climate zone D, on a scale from A, the warmest, to F, the coldest, and heating may run from November 1 to April 15, up to 12 hours a day, unless the mayor changes it. 3% of residents live in a zone the national maps rate high for floods. 3% live in a zone rated high or very high for landslides.
These shares cover the whole comune, not any one street. Check an address on IdroGEO.
Moving from abroad? Which visa you need. Sources: ISTAT, the Ministry of Health, ISPRA, the Finance Ministry, the Ministry of Enterprise, Poste Italiane, the comuni, the IB, International Schools Database, Il Sole 24 Ore, Cittadinanzattiva.
Known for
PORCHETTA CAPITAL
Ariccia porchetta IGP. 30+ fraschette in the town. Saturday lunch with Frascati from the next hill is the Castelli ritual.
BERNINI'S TOWN
The Chigi popes hired Bernini to redesign the whole centro 1661–72. Palazzo, church and piazza are one unified Baroque project.
CASTELLI ROMANI
On the rim of the Alban Hills volcanic crater. Lago di Albano, Lago di Nemi and the Castel Gandolfo papal estate all within 5 km.
CITTÀ DEL VINO
Inside the Frascati DOC zone. Cellars in town and across the surrounding crater walls.
Common questions
- What is Ariccia known for?
- Ariccia is the Castelli Romani town where a single Baroque architect's ensemble sits on a volcanic crater rim above Rome, and Saturday lunch means porchetta.
- Where is Ariccia?
- Ariccia is a comune in the province of Roma, in Lazio, at 412 meters above sea level.
- What is the nearest airport to Ariccia?
- The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Rome Ciampino (CIA), about 18 min by car.
- Can you get to Ariccia without a car?
- Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
- How long is the drive from Naples to Ariccia?
- About 2 h 30 min by car.
- When is the best time to visit Ariccia?
- Best in Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov. July is the warmest month, averaging 30 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 14 rain days.
- Which other towns are like Ariccia?
- Montefiascone, Narni and Isola del Liri.
- How many people live in Ariccia?
- 17,917 residents, by ISTAT's count on 1 January 2025.
- Is Ariccia a good place to live?
- By the rules in our Where to Move in Italy series, Ariccia is a small town that meets both of our rules. The nearest city, Velletri, is 21 min away by car. There is a national health service hospital in the comune. Full fibre reaches 92% of homes.
Tags & data designations · numbers · sources
Recognized as
Landscape
The numbers
- Elevation: 412 m
- Population: 17,917
- Surface area: 18.59 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
The ranked lists
Lists Ariccia appears in
- The 6 best wine towns in LazioLaziowine6 towns · smallest 1,861 residents
- The best hill towns inside a nature park within 90 minutes of RomeNear Romehill towninside a parkwithin 90 min6 towns · smallest 217 residents · closest 37 min away
- The best hill towns that eat well within 90 minutes of RomeNear Romehill townwithin 90 mineats well6 towns · smallest 6,707 residents · closest 31 min away
- The best hill towns you can reach by train within 90 minutes of RomeNear Romehill townby trainwithin 90 min6 towns · smallest 3,696 residents · closest 31 min away
- The best towns inside a nature park that have a serious restaurant in LazioLazioinside a parkserious restaurant6 towns · smallest 6,707 residents
- The best hill towns in the province of RomaRoma provincehill town7 towns · smallest 217 residents
Similar
Towns like Ariccia
What all six share with Ariccia: over 10,000 people · hill towns · have a railway station in the comune
Our guide
Our nearest guide, 73 km away
Tuscia: the towns, when to go, how to get there
The Tuscia guide came out of the letter. Letters from the towns we visit. Free.
Read the guide: The land Rome took twice. 16 towns, the drive and train times, the months, where to eat and sleep.
Paid plans, the moving year and the books are on the membership page.