Stocking up on traditional bread and pork in Genzano, Italy

My youngest son is a sprinter, and I spend lots of time on weekends dragging him around to races in various towns across the region of Lazio.

This year, we had lots of races in the pretty area of ‘Castelli romani’, an area in the foothills south of Rome.

The traditional Genzano bread

After my son’s races, we would have fun exploring the towns, having lunch or dinner (depending on race time) and stocking up on the local specialties to bring back home – especially the Genzano bread and the porchetta (smoked pork), from here and neighboring Ariccia.

In recent years, Genzano and its neighbors have built up to serve as bedroom communities for Rome, but in the past, these towns were filled with gracious villas and splendid palazzi of the noble families who would escape Rome’s heat in the summer.

Today they are nice destinations from Rome- especially in the summer, when the temperatures are slightly cooler.

On clear days, there are also nice views out to the sea from the towns of the Castelli, including Genzano.

So if you are in this region south of Rome (for running races or just passing through), enjoy your wander around town, and be sure to stock up on all the local specialties.