Percile is a small mountain comune in Lazio’s upper Aniene valley, where a close-set stone centre looks toward the folds of the Monti Lucretili. It sits at roughly 575 metres and is known locally as the village of the Lagustelli: two secluded karst lakes reached on foot through pasture and woodland. ISTAT’s population count for the whole municipality was 217 residents on 1 January 2025, down from 282 ten years earlier. Those figures describe the comune, not just the old centre. Percile’s appeal is its scale: a short walk through civic and religious landmarks can lead into a protected landscape without a change of setting.
A castle settlement, not a guessed Roman foundation
The village gathers around Palazzo Borghese, now the town hall, and the adjacent parish church of Santa Lucia. Local historical accounts connect the medieval castle to Farfa Abbey and to records dating from the early eleventh century; this is a documented medieval story, not proof that the present town began in Roman times. The castle passed through successive feudal hands before the Borghese family acquired it in 1608. The old centre still reads as a compact hill settlement rather than a monument-lined resort: follow its lanes and stairways slowly, pausing at the small squares and at the building that remains the seat of local government.
Santa Lucia began as a sixteenth-century church and was once the palace chapel. The Comune notes later rebuilding and restoration and eighteenth-century paintings inside. A second focal point is Santa Anatolia, a small church in a square with a fountain. For a quieter walk beyond the centre, the Comune identifies Santa Maria della Vittoria, beside the Fonte degli Aliucci, as Percile’s oldest sacred building, dating to the thirteenth century. Its local foundation story links it to Charles of Anjou’s victory over Conradin in 1268, but the municipality presents that connection as probable, not certain. An adjacent hermitage has been restored and may offer a nature-based stay; arrange access and lodging directly before planning around it.
The Lagustelli: a geological feature under protection
Fraturno and Marraone are small, nearly round water bodies formed in karst dolines, not volcanic craters. Their enclosed shape and wooded edges make them feel unexpectedly intimate within the wider upland pasture. The wetlands were designated of international importance under the Ramsar Convention in 2008. The regional park describes oak, hornbeam and flowering ash woodland alongside scrub and grazing land; its account says the regional estate is managed as a livestock holding, with cattle grazing semi-wild. The water’s edges are sensitive habitat, so visitors should remain on established trails and respect barriers rather than walk down to the shore wherever they choose.
The park’s CAI-marked route 307 starts in Percile and is listed at about 2 hours 40 minutes with 200 metres of ascent. Much of it follows a broad farm track; a short section around the medieval site known as Castel del Lago can be overgrown and needs care. A shorter access option begins at the gate of the regional “Lago” estate, about four kilometres from the village by unpaved road. Check the park’s current notices, weather and gate arrangements before leaving; the published route description is useful orientation, not a guarantee of present trail conditions. Spring, when vegetation begins to return, is the park’s suggested period.
A museum and a lived-in calendar
The Museo Naturalistico Preistorico Federico Cesi gives visitors a way to read the landscape before walking it. The Comune describes geology and human evolution on the ground floor, flint tools and school activities on the first floor, and geology and vegetation of the park on the second. Its official page lists guided visits, toilets and information material, with public hours on Saturday and Sunday, 9:00–13:00 and 14:00–18:00, as well as visits by reservation. Because the listing was last updated in 2024, confirm opening and booking details with the Comune before travelling.
Percile’s cultural life is modest in scale but not static. Recent municipal calendars have included performances at Palazzo Borghese, the summer Cantine in Festa and community celebrations. The regional park also records the local ramiccia festival: very fine handmade pasta associated with Percile’s winter food tradition. These events draw the village into its streets and cellars, but dates and programmes change from year to year. Treat them as a reason to check the current municipal calendar, not as a fixed schedule. Cafés and food service may be limited outside event days; visitors planning a hike should carry water and arrange meals rather than assume that services will be open on arrival.
Getting there and planning a visit
By car from Rome, the most direct approach described by local visitor information uses the A24 Vicovaro–Mandela exit, followed by roughly twelve kilometres on local roads; the SR 314 Licinese links the upper valley with the Tiburtina and Salaria corridors. The Mandela rail stop is a useful regional gateway, but the final leg to Percile needs a separate connection. Do not assume a direct bus or a convenient return: check Cotral’s planner for the exact date, transfers and service notices. From Tivoli, plan the road journey over the Licinese and allow extra time for narrow, winding sections. The old centre is best explored on foot; combine it with the museum for a gentle visit, or set aside most of a day for the lakes route.
Percile in three videos: village, lakes and ramiccia
This 4K clip follows a specific trekking outing to Percile’s lakes, filmed on 25 February 2024. Its moving viewpoint gives the viewer a sense of the wooded approach and the landscape around the Lagustelli, complementing the municipal portrait with a walk-focused record. The footage documents one day on the trail, not its current condition: seasonal growth, weather and access can change, so use the regional park’s route sheet before setting out.
This short archival video records a 2017 edition of Percile’s Sagra della Ramiccia. It adds a community and food-culture dimension to the village and lake films, preserving an earlier public celebration in the town’s calendar. Because the uploader supplies no description and the footage is several years old, the review stays with what the title and recording establish; it is not evidence of this year’s programme or event dates.