Facing sea brilliant views lift to beach, central, near Rome

Anzio is 40 miles south of Rome and is linked by rail and roads with the Capital and the main centres of Lazio as well as with Fiumicino International Airport.Founded by the Volsci way back in the ancient times, Anzio is just 35 miles south of Rome on the coast (if you hit Nettuno, you've gone too far!). Not content to leave such a pretty piece of real estate in the hands of these longtime rivals, the Romans eventually conquered the strategic harbour, and the Emperor Nero chose to build one of his beach shacks down there, presumably to have a quiet place to read, think, and be completely normal. By the Middle Ages, the place was pretty much deserted, although some sources claim that during some Renaissance excavations, the Apollo Belvedere – long considered one of the greatest classical statues from antiquity – was discovered among the ruins.

Not much of note happened in Anzio for the following 600 years or so, until 1944 when the Allied forces mounted an amphibious landing at Anzio and Nettuno, leading to several months of rather bloody battle until they finally broke through and marched on Rome, liberating it on 4 June, 1944.

Awesomely, many remains from every element of this rather intense and extended history are still visible in Anzio. Walls and caves that made up Nero's villa line the cliffs that rise up along the beach – the very same beach where the Allies landed, and where you can now lay out and catch some rays. Wade into the water and swim by some giant chains left over from docking the Allied ships, and then breaststroke your way over to a series of tunnels and caves that formed the nefarious underworld of Nero's party house.

Oh, and for those pescatarians I mentioned? A number of restaurants line the road above the beach, offering fresh seafood, cold wine, and air-conditioned views of all that cool stuff you just read about. Baia di Ponente on Riviera Vittorio Mallozzi is a favourite, offering perfectly crisp fried fish, an excellent crudo plate, and reasonable prices.

Anzio is a typical charming Italian seaside resort much favoured by Romans all year round. It has an extensive local history dating back to before its initial notoriety as Nero's birthplace. Ferries and hydrofoils leave from Anzio to the beautiful Pontine Isle, birthplace of Pontius Pilate. The famous Castelli Romani are also just a short car journey away and so are the gardens of Ninfa and La Landriana. Anzio has a safe sandy beach, a yacht club and a marina. For dining out and provisions Anzio has good shops and restaurants and is ideal all the year being connected to Rome by hourly trains. A return ticket costs only €7 (Euros) and it includes all the buses and undergrounds in Rome.Anzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about 56 km (35 mi) south of Rome. Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola and Ventotene. The city bears great historical significance as the site of a crucial Allied landing during World War II.Called Antium in ancient times, it was the capital of the Volsci people until it was conquered by the Romans. With the latter expansion of Rome it was just far enough away to be insulated from the riots and tumults of Rome. When Cicero returned from exile, it was at Antium that he reassembled the battered remains of his libraries, where the scrolls would be secure. Leading Romans built magnificent seaside villas at Antium. The Julian and Claudian emperors frequently visited it: Gaius Maecenas had a villa at Antium; both Emperor Caligula and Nero were born in Antium; they latter founded a colony of veterans and built a new harbour, the projecting moles of which still exist.

Remains of Roman villas are conspicuous all along the shore, both to the east and to the north-west of the town.

Anzio and Nettuno are also notable as sites of an Allied forces landing (Operation Shingle) and ensuing battle (known as the Battle of Anzio) during World War II. The Commonwealth Anzio War Cemetery and Beach Head War Cemetery are located here.

American forces (5th Army) were surrounded by Germans in the caves of Pozzoli in February 1944 for a week, suffering heavy casualties. A movie based on the events called Anzio (1968, directed by Edward Dmytryk) was made, starring Robert Mitchum and based on a book by Wynford Vaughan-Thomas.

Tor Caldara Tower and the Anzio beach.

On 18 February 1944, the British light cruiser Penelope was struck by two torpedoes off the coast of Anzio and sunk with a loss of 417 crew.

[edit] Anzio is connected to Rome by the Via Nettunense (SS207), the Via Ardeatina (SS601) and by the Roma-Nettuno railroad that stops in the stations of Lavinio, Villa Claudia, Marechiaro, Anzio Colonia and Anzio.

How to get there: Trains run from Termini to Anzio every hour (until 8:37pm) and costs €3.50.