canyon exploring with Michele Angileri

Cascate di Castel Giuliano

A little range of woody hills called Monti Ceriti divides Lake Bracciano from Tyrrhenian Sea. Its name comes from Caere, the latin name of the ancient city of Cerveteri, which is situated at the foot of the hills, face to the sea.
Caere was among the most important Etruscan towns (they called it Cisra). The very high level of civilization attained by Caere is evidenced, among other things, by the extraordinary necropolis surrounding the city, an archaeological and artistic treasure of inestimable value. In particular, the necropolis of Banditaccia, archetype of the monumental cemetery, is a place of extreme suggestion, one of the most significant places of Italy.

The Etruscan civilization developed also thanks to the possibilities offered by the tuff, the soft rock that characterizes most of the volcanic region of Lazio. In the tuff and by the tuff the Etruscans built architectures that can withstand thousands of years of abandonment and neglect, including, of course, the city, the aqueducts and the necropolis of Caere.
However, Monti Ceriti are not made of tuff: they are basalt domes, not good for farming. So they are still covered by mediterranean woods and bush, which give them a wild look.
The creeks of Monti Ceriti feature beautiful waterfalls due to steps of columnar basalt. Some people use to rappel them, but it's not needed because you can reach the edge and the foot of cascades with a simple hike.

Most waterfalls are concentrated in Ferriere valley, between Cerveteri and the small Castel Giuliano village.
The hiking trail to Castel Giuliano waterfalls is among the most beautiful hiking trails in Lazio.

I remember ...

Actually the Ferriere valley is wilder than it was in the past. In the valley there were numerous mills and factories (including the "ferriere", factory for the manufacture of iron that give the valley its name) that exploited the energy of falling water.
Of these works and the roads that reached them, evocative ruins remain at present.

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