Holiday apartment in Grottaferrata – discover the abbey, catacomb and villas

Those choosing a holiday apartment in Grottaferrata can organize their stay around clear cultural highlights. The Greek Abbey of San Nilo was founded in 1004 by a group of Greek monks from southern Italy under the leadership of Saint Nilus of Rossano. Numerous frescoes and funerary inscriptions have been preserved in the Ad Decimum Catacomb.

San Nilo Abbey and the Ad Decimum Catacomb

The abbey includes a library that preserves more than 1,000 ancient manuscripts and around 50,000 valuable volumes. This means that a look at San Nilo extends from its founding history to the written records preserved there. The Ad Decimum Catacomb offers a different way of accessing the past: it consists of two barrel-vaulted galleries carved into the tuff. These branch off into smaller side passages and are 225 metres long in total.

Its former function is also clearly defined in terms of time. The Ad Decimum Catacomb was used as a cemetery from the end of the 3rd century to the first half of the 5th century AD. The frescoes, funerary inscriptions and underground layout make it a destination in its own right for visitors interested in early history and surviving evidence from past eras.

Visiting hours and Villa Grazioli

The Ad Decimum Catacomb is open on Sundays from April to September from 10:00 to 12:30 and from 16:00 to 18:30, and from October to March from 10:00 to 12:30 and from 15:00 to 17:00. You can take these fixed time windows into account when planning your day.

Villa Grazioli, now used as a hotel and restaurant, features valuable painting cycles from the 16th to the 18th century depicting its history. Visits to Villa Grazioli can be arranged by calling the hotel in advance at 06 945400.

Villa Cavalletti and the Regional Natural Park

Villa Cavalletti dates back in its origins to the second half of the 16th century. The Villa Cavalletti Monumental Park comprises the areas surrounding the villa, enclosed by clipped hedges and featuring dense groves of laurel and coniferous trees. In addition to these landscaped areas, Grottaferrata is part of the Regional Natural Park of the Castelli Romani. When choosing your holiday apartment, you can therefore consider whether historic grounds, underground history, or the combination of villas and parkland should be the main focus of your stay.

Markets, specialities and local festivals

At the end of March, the Fiera Nazionale dell’Artigianato e dell’Enogastronomia takes place in front of San Nilo Abbey, and has done so for more than 400 years. More than 200 exhibitors offer a culinary tour where Italian specialities can be tasted and purchased.

Another fixed date is the patronal festival of San Nilo da Rossano on 26 September. It is held in remembrance of the saint’s death and is accompanied by a large market featuring agricultural, handicraft and gastronomic products. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Grottaferrata, such dates can influence the character of your trip: you can focus your stay more strongly on abbey history, art, nature or regional products, without any single focus fully explaining the town.

Discover more places

If you would like to extend your travel plans beyond Grottaferrata, you can find more places here: Albano Laziale, Frascati, San Polo Dei Cavalieri, Villaggio Azzurro, Castelverde, Finocchio, Santa Marta and Santa Maria Di Galeria.

To the higher-level travel overview: Rome.