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ANZIO AND NETTUNO |
| About 40km south of Rome, and easily seen on a day-trip, ANZIO is
the first town of any note, centre of a lengthy spread of settlement
that focuses on a lively central square and a busy fishing industry.
Much of the town was damaged during a difficult Allied landing here on
January 22, 1944, to which two military cemeteries (one British, another,
at nearby Nettuno, American) bear testimony. But despite a pretty
thorough rebuilding it's a likeable resort, still depending as much on
fish as tourists for its livelihood. The town's seafood restaurants ,
crowding together along the harbour and not unreasonably priced, are
reason enough to come - try Pierino at Piazza C. Battisti 3 (closed Mon)
- while the beaches , which edge the coast on either side, don't get
unbearably thronged outside of August. Anzio is also a possible route on
to the island of Ponza, for timings of hydrofoils ( www.vetor.it ) which
leave daily in summer - ask at the tourist office on Piazza Pia 19 (daily
9am-1pm & 3.30-6pm; tel 06.984.5147). NETTUNO , a couple of kilometres down the coast (and walkable by the coast road), is more of the same, but with slightly less beach space and water that's not quite so clear and calm. Again it's a mostly modern town, but there's a well-preserved old quarter, still walled, with a couple of decent trattorias on the main square - information from the tourist office at the port (daily: summer 9.30am-12.30pm & 5-7.30pm; winter 9.30am-12.30pm & 5-7.30pm but closed Sun afternoon; tel 06.980.3335, www.eleweb.com/nettuno ). |