Macchia Grande Wood is one of the most green and striking areas you can find near Rome. The Wood is located in Manziana and it occupies a surface of 580 hectares. Its flora is mostly composed by oaks, maples, hornbeams and centuries-old majestic turkey oaks. These hundred-year-old trees make the visitor feel like he lived in an ancient age. The underbrush is formed by ferns, roses, butcher’s brooms, different types of flowers and mushrooms. The fauna is rich too: you can find mammals as porcupines, hedgehogs, foxes, badgers and weasels, and birds as green woodpeckers, nutcrackers, owls, and grey herons.
The whole Wood is crossed by an ancient Roman road, Mezzamacchia street, that forks in smaller paths, each of which is marked by a letter and a colour. By following the paths the visitor can reach various sights:
The Torara Tomb: The Tomb is an Etruscan burial dated at the VI century B.C. entirely dug in tuff stone. It is divided into five rooms and it is interesting from an architectural viewpoint. There are four thrones in the entrance hall; this makes historians think that the Tomb probably belonged to an upper-class family;
Devil’s Bridge: The bridge was built by the Romans during the third century B.C. It allowed people to cross a trench. It was named “Devil’s Bridge” during the XIX century, when the area was thought to be damned;
The sulphur mine: It is a fascinating old mine now disused;
Camillo Lawn: It is an extended field where the visitors can relax after the adventurous excursion; Camillo Lawn is characterized by the huge presence of camomile flowers.
Macchia Grande Wood is provided with a picnic area and barbecues.
Place to sleep
Near Manziana, you can find Borgo Paola, a bed and breakfast that offers many facilities: a swimming pool and dressing room with showers; a laundry service; transfer to/from Fiumicino and Ciampino airports and to Bracciano train station.
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