There are places that seem to have stopped in time, suspended between what they once were and what they might still become. Vicarello is one of these places — and perhaps it is precisely this sense of incompleteness that makes it so evocative.
A hamlet of the municipality of Bracciano, it is a small, semi-unknown gem, largely in a state of abandonment. Almost hidden by vegetation, it rises on a tuff hill overlooking Lake Bracciano. The charm of Vicarello lies in the mystery of the ancient remains it preserves, only partially known today.
In Roman times, it was part of a 1,015-hectare estate belonging to Emperor Marcus Aurelius, known as Vicus Aurelius (from which the current name is believed to derive). However, the area was already frequented in Etruscan times for its thermal waters, as shown by numerous remains and artefacts discovered starting in 1852 in the thermal area (which remained active until the 1970s).
Among the most famous finds are the Vicarello Cups (or Vicarello Vases), four silver goblets currently housed in the National Roman Museum at Palazzo Massimo in Rome. Dating back to the 1st century AD, they are cylindrical in shape and bear engraved on their surface the Itinerarium Gaditanum, step by step: the route from Gades (Cádiz) to Rome.
The Vicarello estate is also documented in the medieval period, but the current village dates back to around the 18th century, when an olive plantation made it necessary to establish an agricultural estate. Within the olive grove stands a Roman-era building known as the Casa di Ledo, restored in 2005 to serve as a visitor centre for the Bracciano–Martignano Regional Natural Park.
In 1753, the village was completed with the construction of the Church of the Annunziata, built to replace an older church that had fallen into ruin. In front of the village, on the opposite side of the road, stands the panoramic Orsini Hunting Lodge, also known as Casina Valadier, named after the architect who acquired it in 1789. It is believed to have been built on the remains of an ancient Roman villa connected by a paved road to the Via Clodia, which ran along the western shore of the lake.
Just a few hundred metres from the village, visitors can admire the remains of the Trajan Aqueduct, built in 109 AD by the emperor to supply the Regio XIV Transtiberim, today’s Trastevere district in Rome. Stretching over 50 km, the aqueduct reached Rome through a largely underground route along the Via Clodia and Via Trionfale, then continued on arches towards the Via Aurelia and finally ended on the Janiculum Hill. Near its source, the magnificent complex of the Nymphaeum of Apollo was discovered, identified after the finding of the so-called Apollo of Vicarello. The statue, made of Pentelic marble and dating to the 2nd century AD, depicts a young Apollo without a beard, wearing a cloak fastened with a rounded clasp, and is now preserved in the Civic Museum of Bracciano.
Today, the village retains a quiet, almost suspended atmosphere: few buildings, traces of ancient architecture, and a strong sense of isolation make it a perfect destination for those seeking authenticity and silence, far from mass tourism.
L’Albergo della Posta is the ideal starting point to discover these places. Located in the heart of Bracciano, it offers a welcoming and strategic base to explore the area at a relaxed pace and immerse yourself in its most authentic atmosphere.
