Lazio · Roma
Nemi
The smallest comune in the Castelli Romani, perched at 521 meters above a volcanic crater lake the Romans called the mirror of Diana.
Picked by Peter Benei
Letter to come
Why Nemi is on our list
It holds Borghi più belli d'Italia, Bandiera Arancione and Borgo dei Borghi.
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Visiting
- Best time
- Apr–Oct
- By car
- 52 min from Rome
- Population
- 1,861
- J10°
- F12°
- M13°
- A16°
- M20°
- J26°
- J30°
- A29°
- S24°
- O20°
- N15°
- D11°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime air temperature, averages for 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
Why come
Nemi sits at 521 meters on the rim of a volcanic crater, the smallest of the Castelli Romani and thirty kilometers southeast of Rome. The lake below was the Speculum Dianae, the mirror of Diana, with a sanctuary on its northern shore that covered around 45,000 square meters and drew pilgrims from across Latium. Emperor Caligula built two ceremonial ships on the lake, ninety meters of timber and bronze that sat on the water until they sank.
Mussolini drained part of the lake between 1929 and 1932 to recover them. They were destroyed by fire in 1944, almost certainly by retreating German troops. The Museo delle Navi Romane, built in 1940 to hold them, now shows scaled reconstructions and salvaged fragments.
Palazzo Ruspoli, a ninth-century castle restored by Valadier, anchors the centro storico. The wild strawberries grown on the inner slopes of the crater are sold from stalls along Via Roma and celebrated each June at the Sagra delle Fragole.
How to get there
From Rome Fiumicino (FCO), about 54 min by car.
Naples (NAP) is about 2 h 28 min away.
By car from the center of Naples 2 h 33 min or Perugia 2 h 40 min.
Coming by train into Roma Termini? Nemi is about 51 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 Ruspoli
Ninth-century castle of the Counts of Tuscolo, restored by Valadier, with cylindrical tower and hanging garden over the lake.
Museo delle Navi Romane
Lakeshore museum built in 1940 for Caligula's two recovered ships, destroyed by fire in 1944, now housing scaled models and fragments.
Santuario di Diana Nemorense
Remains of the federal sanctuary on the lake's northern shore, once 45,000 square meters of temple, porticoes and theater.
Lago di Nemi
Small volcanic crater lake 25 meters above Lago Albano, accessible by a steep road down through chestnut woods.
Belvedere di Nemi
Terrace at the top of the centro storico looking straight down into the crater, the classic photograph of the village.
Living here
Could you live here?
Nemi is a village with a town close by.
- A village of 1,861, with Ariccia (17,917 people) 15 min away for the shopping and a meal out. Our rule is a town within 15 minutes.
- Velletri, a city of 52,877, is 24 min by car. Closer than our 30 to 60 minutes: handy for everything, so check the town still keeps a life of its own.
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 1,861, down 2.6% since 2015
- Nearest city Velletri, 24 min drive
- Nearest national health service hospital Ariccia, 4 km as the crow flies · how healthcare works in Italy
- Homes in the center: €1,150 to €1,650 per m² to buy, €4.50 to €6.50 per m² a month to rent
All the numbers Common questions, designations, lists and sources.
More about living here
- Commuter belt
- Pharmacy: none mapped
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Full fibre reaches 97% of homes
- Primary school in the comune
- Earthquake zone 2, medium hazard
- Rome Ciampino airport (CIA), 29 min drive, the nearest with scheduled flights
- Regional capital Rome, 52 min drive
If you are moving here
Who lives here
9% of residents are foreign citizens, most often from Romania, Albania and India, against 9% across Italy. 21 of them come from English-speaking countries or western and northern Europe, mostly the United Kingdom. There are 271 people over 65 for every 100 children under 15, against 216 across Italy. 31% 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
The nearest emergency room is in Ariccia, 4 km as the crow flies. The nearest major one is in Rome, 28 km away. The nearest children's emergency room is in Rome, 28 km away. The nearest IB school is St. Stephen's School, 26 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, 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. 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 E, on a scale from A, the warmest, to F, the coldest, and heating may run from October 15 to April 15, up to 14 hours a day, unless the mayor changes it. The national maps show no residents in a high or medium flood zone. 15% 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
FRAGOLINE
Wild strawberries grown on the inner slopes of the crater, celebrated each June at the Sagra delle Fragole since 1922.
CALIGULA'S SHIPS
Two imperial ceremonial vessels recovered from the lake bed 1929-1932 and lost to fire in 1944, the museum reopened in 1953.
DIANA NEMORENSIS
Federal sanctuary of the Latin League dedicated to the goddess of the hunt, one of the major cult sites of pre-Roman Latium.
Common questions
- What is Nemi known for?
- Nemi is the smallest comune in the Castelli Romani, perched at 521 meters above a volcanic crater lake the Romans called the mirror of Diana.
- Where is Nemi?
- Nemi is a comune in the province of Roma, in Lazio.
- What is the nearest airport to Nemi?
- The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Rome Ciampino (CIA), about 29 min by car.
- How long is the drive from Naples to Nemi?
- About 2 h 33 min by car.
- When is the best time to visit Nemi?
- Best in Apr–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 30 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 15 rain days.
- Which other towns are like Nemi?
- Mergozzo, Ghiffa and Porto Ceresio.
- How many people live in Nemi?
- 1,861 residents, by ISTAT's count on 1 January 2025.
- Is Nemi a good place to live?
- By the rules in our Where to Move in Italy series, Nemi is a village with a town of 5,000 people within 15 minutes (Ariccia, 15 min). The nearest city, Velletri, is 24 min away by car. The nearest national health service hospital is in Ariccia, 4 km as the crow flies. Full fibre reaches 97% of homes.
Tags & data designations · numbers · sources
Recognized as
Landscape
The numbers
- Elevation: 521 m
- Population: 1,861
- Surface area: 7.33 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 Nemi appears in
- The 6 best wine towns in LazioLaziowine6 towns · smallest 1,861 residents
- The best hidden towns inside a nature park in the province of RomaRoma provinceinside a parkhidden6 towns · smallest 217 residents
- The prettiest small villages within 90 minutes of RomeNear Romewithin 90 minprettiest villagessmall6 towns · smallest 217 residents · closest 52 min away
- The 7 best lake towns in LazioLaziolake7 towns · smallest 1,650 residents
- The prettiest villages in the province of RomaRoma provinceprettiest villages7 towns · smallest 217 residents
- The prettiest villages inside a nature park within 90 minutes of RomeNear Romeinside a parkwithin 90 minprettiest villages7 towns · smallest 217 residents · closest 35 min away
Featured on
Nemi appears on this themed pick from our Collections:
Similar
Towns like Nemi
What all six share with Nemi: under 3,000 people · hill towns
Our guide
Our nearest guide, 75 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.