Bracciano is located in the northern part of the in province of Roma, close to the border with the province of Viterbo. The oldest part of the city is on a hill overlooking Lake Bracciano. During the summer months Bracciano is overrun with, mostly Dutch and German, tourists staying at one of the camp grounds near the town.
Bracciano City Guide
Useful information
Tourist information: The tourist office is located on the Piazza IV Novembre.
Public transportation: Bracciano had a railway station on the Rome–Viterbo line. From the station it is but a short walk to the historical center and the castle. The walk to the lake takes 20 to 30 minutes.
Bracciano tourist attractions
Castello Odescalchi: Or Castello Orsini Odescalchi, open for visitors (except on Mondays). Guided tours in Italian. The castle is often used for celebrity weddings.
The historical center consists of narrow, winding alleys.
Belvedere: At the top of the hill, a beautiful view over the surroundings, including the Lago Baracciano.
Piazza IV Novembre: The main square of Bracciano.
Museo Civico
Chiesa di San Liberato: With an 11th century bell-tower. It is built on the spot where there used to be an old Roman town called Forum Clodii. Most of the present church (including the frescoes) dates from the 15th century. The gardens around the church were designed by Russell Page.
Lake Bracciano, however, is the main reason tourists visit the city.
A brief history of Bracciano
The place where the town is located was already inhabited in Etruscan times and there was also a Roman settlement.
The first document mentioning Bracciano dates back to 988, when it was still owned by the Prefetti di Vico family.
However, the town really began to develop only in the 15th century, under the Orsini family.
In 1696, debts forced Flavio Orsini to sell the city to the Odescalchi family. This family, except for a brief interruption when the Torlonia ruled there, would continue to hold authority in Bracciano.
Bracciano suburbs
The following so-called frazioni are part of the municipality of Bracciano: Castel Giuliano, Pisciarelli, Sambuco, Vicarello, Vigna di Valle.
Tourist destinations near Bracciano
Rome | Anguillara Sabazia | Trevignano | Viterbo