Fondi, Our Home Base

Fondi is located at the foot of the Ausoni Mountains near Lake Fondi. It is an important agricultural centre with many citrus and olive trees. Fondi is on the Roman Appian Way (which coincides with today's main street). It has remnants of Roman walls and towers as well as medieval walls, churches, and palaces. Fondi also has many pre-Roman sites including remnants of walls dating to the seventh century BCE. Today it is a busy little town. Commuters have easy access to Rome -- an one hour ride via regular train service.

We chose Fondi as our home base for its proximity to Lenola, the village we wanted to visit. Because Fondi is not a tourist center and does not have any hotels, we rented an apartment near the old town. Unfortunately, this property is no longer available.

The Castello in Fondi (pictured above on a postcard) is an impressive, rectangular building of the 13-15th century. Beside it is the solitary, so called Torrione. After the papacy emerged weakened from the Captivity of Avignon (1309-1377), the French Antipope Clement VII was elected in 1378 in this castle, marking the beginning of the Great Schism of the West.