The Marturanum Regional Nature Park protects over a thousand hectares around Barbarano Romano. It's one of the places where Tuscia's typical landscape reads most clearly: tuff plateaus carved by streams, rock walls, woods, pastures and ancient paths descending into ravines. Established in 1984, the park is a place where nature and archaeology are inseparable — the Etruscan necropolis of San Giuliano lies at the very heart of the protected area.
Walking through the ravines
Trails start from various points around Barbarano Romano and cross very different environments within just a few kilometres: open plateaus give way quickly to woodland, following valleys carved by water and ancient paths cut into the rock. It's this alternation between open spaces and deep tuff ravines that gives Marturanum its wild character.
The San Giuliano necropolis
One of the main reasons to visit the park is the chance to come across monumental Etruscan tombs along the way. Carved facades, cube tombs, tumuli and access paths appear between woods and rock, turning the hike into an archaeological route too — San Giuliano also has its own dedicated article in the Necropolises and Etruscan Sites category.
Barbarano Romano as a starting point
The medieval village of Barbarano Romano is the natural base for exploring the reserve. The best approach is to spend part of the day in the old town and the rest on the park's trails.
