Italy › Lazio › Monumento naturale di Galeria Antica
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (see source page)
Abandoned village · early 19th century
Monumento naturale di Galeria Antica
On a tuff spur above the river Arrone, Galeria was inhabited from the Middle Ages and completely abandoned at the start of the 1800s, partly because of malaria. Today the ruins, the Romanesque bell tower and the Fossetto waterfall are wrapped in woods, inside a natural monument of Rome.
Visiting
Before you go
- Getting there
- On the north-western outskirts of Rome: entrances from Via di Santa Maria di Galeria or from the Via Braccianese near Osteria Nuova.
- When to go
- When it reopens: spring and autumn.
- Good to know
- The area is managed by RomaNatura (+39 06 35405310). It is currently closed to the public: do not enter without permission.
Practical information gathered from official and local sources on 9 October 2026. Opening times and conditions change: always check before you go.
Plan your visit
Where to stay nearby
Affiliate links: if you book from here the site earns a small commission, at no extra cost to you. That is how Borghi Fantasma stays free.
History
The Galeria Antica Natural Monument is a protected area in Lazio, established in 1999.
Galeria Antica is a ghost town sometimes used as a film set because its medieval layout has survived.
It is recognised as a natural monument under Natura 2000 and managed by RomaNatura, although it is in poor condition because of disputes over who should carry out the restoration work.
The sources give two versions of how the town began. The first says it was founded by the ancient and unknown Galerii people. The second, more likely, says it was founded during Etruscan rule, as shown by several clearly Etruscan necropolises. The Etruscans called the place "Careia": it was a guard outpost for the southern territories, between Veii and Cerveteri. Etruscan rule was broken by the Roman conquest, as shown by typically Roman features found in the town, such as round arches and "opus incertum" walls. Galeria declined and was probably abandoned during the barbarian invasions, then repopulated only in the Middle Ages. In the 8th century Pope Adrian I wanted to expand the borders of the Papal States and strengthen the area around Rome, so he founded a Domusculta right at Galeria. This estate was later turned into a "curtis" by Pope Gregory IV in 840.
Text: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · translated from Italian
Have you been there?
What was access like?
Help us keep the page for Monumento naturale di Galeria Antica up to date. I read every report before changing the site.
Nearby
Other abandoned villages nearby
Explore