Montepietraia and San Martino are immersed in the olive groves of L’Olivaia, an organic farm with over 6.000 olive trees.
The farm is located on the Via Francigena. The pilgrims who traveled from beyond the Alps to Rome helped transform Tuscia into an area rich in traditions and artworks. Still today pilgrims walk along the same route armed with backpacks and comfortable shoes. The Via Francigena was tracked by Sigerico, the Archbishop of Canterbury. He left a Diary in which he listed the 79 landmarks and the 1,60 kilometres to reach Rome on foot. The pilgrims set off from Canterbury, getting to Calais across the English Channel via the white cliffs of Dover, reaching Reims stopping at the beautiful cathedral dating back to the year 1100. They then crossed the Alps, the Aosta Valley and headed down towards Pavia, Parma and Piacenza. In Tuscany they passed through Pontremoli, Lucca, Poggibonsi and Siena. They entered Lazio at Viterbo and headed to the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul. The European Union has recognized the path created by Sigerico as a Great Cultural Itinerary, keeping the path as close as possible to the historical route through dirt tracks and quiet roads.
L’olivaia is surrounded by two golf courses which host important international competitions and tournaments: ‘Golf Nazionale’ with the international golf school designed by George and Jim Fazio and ‘Golf Terre dei Consoli’ designed by Robert Trent Jones. There are many excursions to discover places of archaeological, historical and natural interest throughout the Tuscia area: the ‘City of Popes’, Viterbo (40 Km away), with its large Thermal Center; Tarquinia with its Etruscan necropolis; Vitorchiano (39 Km away) with peonies blooming in the Moutan Botanical Center; Sutri (8 km away) with a Roman amphitheater and the Doebbing museum directed by the famous art critic Vittorio Sgarbi; Nepi (2.5 Km away) dominated by its Borgia Fortress. Astonishing excursions to the Monti Cimini Park (10 km away) at an altitude of 1058 m. From the Monti Cimini you can admire the lake Vico and its impressive beech woods; Caprarola (15 km away) and the famous Palazzo Farnese, which was chosen by Prince Charles as a destination for his studies. For a walk along the beach you can reach Trevignano Romano (3.5 km away) surrounded by Lake Bracciano, dominated by Odescalchi Castle, a prestigious location for international events such as Tom Cruise’s wedding. Following the via Cassia you can also visit Rome (46 Km away), the caput mundi.