The pleasure of coasting the Tyrrhenian from north to south it doesn’t go totally through a highway as happens on the Adriatic. But this does not detract from the charm, because the missing section of what should be the Genoa-Rome route is none other than the timeless SS1 – in its modern version – i.e. the Via Aurelia which the Romans had created to connect the capital to the colonies in France. Descending from Liguria, you stay on the A12 up to the Rosignano barrier, touching the Cinque Terre, touching iconic places of the Italian summer such as Viareggio and Forte dei Marmi and arriving in Tuscan cities with a strong identity such as Pisa and Livorno. Then, as mentioned, the dear old Aurelia, about 200 km up to Tarquinia: Castiglione della Pescaia, the Maremma, the Argentario… Practically a film, driving between the green hills and the blue sea, with straight stretches that seem endless and tight curves overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. From the suggestive Tarquinia, to reach the capital, one returns to the A12: it is 75 km up to the connection with the A91 Rome-Fiumicino. Along the route, the essential Civitavecchia toll booth – for ferries – and many vacation spots frequented by “contemporary” Romans: S. Severa, S. Marinella, Maccarese, Fregene, Ladispoli. The A12 is an (incomplete) seaside motorway and so it’s not difficult to find pleasant locals along the way who have set their cuisine on the catch and surroundings. Here is our very personal selection.
Here the other episodes of “Viaggio in Italia”.
