Civitavecchia

The port city of Civitavecchia, Italy is a wonderful place to visit. The night before our cruise we stayed half-way between Rome and the port in Ladispoli, and then we took the train into Civitavecchia arriving about 10 am. The distance between the train station (Viale della Repubblica, 00053 Civitavecchia RM, Italy) and the cruise port bus stop (Calata Principe Tommaso, 16, 00053 Civitavecchia RM, Italy) is less than 1 mile, and since it was a beautiful crisp cool October morning, we decided to walk the distance with our luggage in tow and see some of the city in the process. There were also plenty of taxi/shuttle vans waiting if you decided to use them. There was also a public transportation bus option called “PortLink” that goes between the train station and the port for 2 euro. Once you get to the port area, the busses that take you to the ships on the piers is free.

The walk from the train station takes you along the harbor and passes both the Forte Michelangelo and the Ancient Fortress of Civitavecchia, as well as many historical statues. The city was very clean, and we felt very safe walking. The war memorial statue above “Ai Figli Caduti per la Patria” translates in English “To the children fallen for the homeland” 1915-1917 dates for WW1, and 1939-1945 dates for WW2. This city served as the port for Rome in the 1st century, and only Torre di Lazzaretto is the only remaining tower that served the ancient harbor. During the Renaissance, the fortress designed by Michelangelo became part of the city’s military protections.