One-Day Trip from Rome
Located about 50 km (31 miles) north of Rome lies a small seaside resort that takes its name from the 2nd-century Christian martyr called Santa Severa. It is a small medieval town with a magnificent 9th-century castle facing the sea. From a distance, it looks like a sand castle.
Accessibility
There is a train going directly from Rome’s central railway station. There is no need to change trains. Before boarding the train, first, get a ticket. We bought one of the self-serving machines.
You should also buy a return ticket. A one-way ticket costs 4.10 € (about 4.97 $). The train station in Rome is spacious, but you can find self-serving red machines everywhere. There is a choice of English language, and the rest is easy to operate. In the end, it will print the tickets.
After we bought our tickets, we needed to find the platform. We had about 30 minutes left before the train leaves and thought we could leisurely walk around and do some shopping. Beware, the central train station is huge. We decided to check first where our platform was, and it took us 20 minutes of waddling before we arrived. We made it in time to board the train.
IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER! Before boarding the train (any train in Italy), validate your ticket. Every platform has a yellow validation machine. Insert the ticket where it will be validated with a date stamp.
For a non-validated ticket, there is a fine of 200 € (about 243 $), and in Italy, they take it seriously.
Validate your ticket!
You should also validate your return ticket at the same validation machine. If you are going to Santa Sebera, VALIDATE it before boarding the train. We did not validate ours and were sweating when we wanted to board the train back to Rome.
The small train station in Santa Severa has no validation machine, and everyone speaks only Italian.
The train ride takes over 1 hour and is quite fast. As you get closer and closer to Santa Severa, the surrounding will change, and the seaside will greet you.
The train station in Santa Severa is cozy and small. No people were working, and apart from us, only one more person got off.
Do not expect any taxis or public transport here. Oh no! From the stazione, you have to waddle.
But do not worry. The distance to the castle is about 1.5 km (about 0.94 miles). Timewise it will take you about 20 minutes of waddling.
It is an easy waddle or hills, just a straight road. Watch out when crossing the main road. It is not particularly busy, but there is no official crossroad to get to the other side.
Welcome to Castello di Santa Severa
The castle is a perfect destination for anyone who wants to travel back into Medieval times and at the same time spend a day by the sea. It is well preserved and is one of the most evocative places of the Lazio region, along the Tyrrhenian coast.
A little bit of history
Although it looks like a Medieval castle, its history goes way back. Because of the strategic location – next to the sea yet close enough to freshwater – the Castle was a point of settlement since the beginning of time. In fact, the first discoveries made here are from the Bronze age.
During the Etruscan period, it became an important seaport, only 13 km (about 8 miles) away from the powerful Caere – then Cerveteri – of which it was the main port.
As centuries passed, the castle went through a lot of reconstruction. The castle’s structure, as it is now, dates back to the XIV century.
The first written documentation dates back to 1068 when Gerardo di Galeria – a Count of Norman origin – donated the Castle and the Church to the Abbey of Farfa in 1130 (I wish someone would give me a castle).
Later in 1428, Pope Sixtus IV donated it to the Order of the Holy Spirit, which stayed in their possession for 500 years. Sadly the castle also fell into a period of disuse when the German forces spotted its strategic location during Second World War and used it as a military base.
Now the castle is owned by Regione Lazio, and they opened its gates for the public to visit and see.
Read also about Castle Devín
Practical Information
Apart from Mondays, December 25th and January 1st, the castle is open all year round. On the 25th of April 2017, the castle opened its gates to the public for the first time.
November 1st to March 31st:
- Tuesdays to Fridays from 9.30 to 16.00
- Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 10.30 to 17.00
April 1st to June 30th
- Tuesdays to Fridays from 9.00 to 18.00
- Saturdays and Sundays from 10.00 to 19.00
July 1st to August 31st
- Tuesdays to Sundays from 11:00 to 20:00. The ticket office opens at 10:30.
August from 9th to 18th ordinary evening openings (whatever the ordinary hour are)
September 1st to October 31st
- Tuesdays to Fridays from 9.00 to 18.00
- Saturdays and Sundays from 10.00 to 19.00
What to say, not confusing at all! 😅
ADMISSION
The ticket office closes one hour earlier.
- Adults: 8 €
- Children: 6 €
- Penguins: free entry
There are some special family packages with reduced prices available as well. For more detailed information, check out their website.
We had to wait a few minutes before the tour guide came, and two more people were taking the tour apart from us. We were happy about their presence because the tour guide knew no English and they translated some parts for us.
However, even without an English tour guide, it was a blast to waddle through. All the signs inside are in English. We could read a lot from them.
Let’s waddle in
Every room we entered had some exhibition, something interesting to see, like the miniatures of the castles displayed. There is also traditional clothing displayed on various floors.
As we waddled on, we were excited to get to the top of the castle. The tower is 20 meters (about 65 feet) tall.
And the views from the top did not disappoint. Spectacular!
Whether you look at the land or enjoy the sea view.
The Medieval Village
The village is part of the castle complex, and you can waddle around it while enjoying more exhibitions.
The village is part of the castle complex, and you can waddle around it while enjoying more exhibitions.
The whole complex is covered in stone streets and was gradually formed with several phases of construction during the XV – XVI century. The large area consists of several buildings and squares where you can admire life as it was in the past with the exhibition or, for example, agriculture.
The rooms are set up so that you step back in time, with vehicles and tools displayed.
Amongst others, you can see a fountain in the center of the buildings, churches, or remarkable frescoes dating back to the end of the XV century. We enjoyed waddling around very much.
The more you waddle around, the more beautiful things you discover. We also recommend waddling around the castle before you leave for the beach.
Once at the beach, the further you are from the castle, the more it looks like a sand castle.
The weather was not truly beach weather, but we enjoyed it before returning to the city.
Whenever you are in Rome and have a day to spare, we strongly recommend visiting Santa Severa Castle. There is quite a lot to see, and it is a pleasant one-day trip.
