Guidonia Montecelio is a municipality consisting of two small towns bordering the north eastern part of Rome. It is one of the bigger towns in the provincia di Roma. Guidonia was founded only recently and does not have much to offer in the way of tourist attractions. Montecelio is older and more interesting.
Guidonia Montecelio travel guide
Useful information
Tourist information: There is no tourist office in Guidonia.
Town hall: Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, 1 – 00012 Guidonia Montecelio. Phone: +39 0774 3011.
Railway station: The Guidonia Montecelio-Sant’Angelo Romano railway station is both on the Rome-Pescara line and the regional line FL2 between Tiburtina and Tivoli.
Nearest airport: Fiumicino and Ciampino. Guidonia does have its own airport, but this is only used for military flights.
What to see
Guidonia sights
The only intersting building is really the twentieth-century Church of Santa Maria di Loreto, an aviation shrine.
Montecelio attractions
Towering over everything else are the ruins of the 10th century castle.
The main churches are the San Lorenzo Martire Church, built in the 15th century, and the 16th century Sant’Antonino Church.
The San Giovanni Evangelista Church dates back to the 18th century, although the two towers were added later.
The San Michele Arcangelo Church is flanked by a Franciscan convent.
The Palazzo del Principe is a 17th century construction.
A brief history of Guidonia Montecelio
Guidonia was only founded in 1935, around a hamlet that had sprung into being around an aviation training camp during World War I. It is named after a general of the Air Force, who had died when testing a parachute.
Montecelio is much older. The site of this town was already inhabited in Neolithic times. In the Roman period, the settlement of Corniculum was located here. At that time, the name was still Monticelli.
During the Middle Ages Montecelio was sometimes in the hand of the Orsini, and sometimes of the Anguillara families.
In 1445, the town became property of the Papal States. In 1550, the Cesi took over, and in 1678 the Borghese.
In 1937, the municipality of Guidonia Montecelio was established.
How to get to Guidonia Montecelio by car
Follow the Via Tiburtina in the direction Guidonia-Tivoli.