Nepi and the northern Lazio region is an under-the-radar cultural and historic hub – and councillors are working with the local community to welcome more visitors Standing on the top of the huge fortress it’s easy to see why Nepi was a prized possession for Roman emperors Defended on two sides by river channels and with a commanding position over rich agricultural land and abundant water springs has been a witness and a contributor to history for over two millennia Much of that history has been marked by intrigue Nepi was ruled by the 15th-century Spanish cardinal Rodrigo Borgia who gave it to his daughter Lucrezia after he became Pope Alexander VI Lucrezia stayed at the fortress (today known as the Borgia Castle) following the murder of her second husband in 1500 I’m sitting outside the Bar Centrale in the town’s elegant Piazza del Comune built on the orders of the Farnese family after they took up residence here in the mid-1500s who has just been elected for a second term as Nepi’s councillor responsible for culture and tourism While I sip an espresso and tuck into a cream-filled pastry Paolo tells me about his plans to develop tourism here and across the Tuscia region “It’s important to get the understanding and support of the community,” he says “so that visitors feel welcome but residents don’t feel threatened.” The renaissance town hall in Nepi’s Piazza del Comune. Photograph: AlamyI’m staying in a palatial 18th-century apartment, conveniently located above the Bar Centrale. Owners Alessia and Francesco already run the Loft Delle Scalette on the other side of the piazza and they are planning to offer this three-bedroomed space for tourist accommodation early next year After a second cream pastry, Paolo whisks me off to the neighbouring town of Castel Sant’Elia. We make the short journey by car, but we could easily have walked the two miles. Across Tuscia there are paths, trails and ancient Roman roads ideal for walking With plenty of sunshine and temperatures reaching a comfortable 20C early autumn is the perfect time to explore the region’s impressive landscape and to spot wildlife such as porcupines Santa Maria Assunta cathedral in Nepi Photograph: Stefano Valeri/AlamyNepi itself is edged on two sides by a deep gorge formed by river channels running through the volcanic rock of the Cimini and Sabatini Hills the expansive and undulating countryside is carpeted with fields and woods and criss-crossed with streams and waterfalls One of the trails takes you through the Suppentonia valley to Castel Sant’Elia’s 11th-century basilica She points out a fresco filled with scenes from the Apocalypse of Saint John The saint is associated with the winter solstice and every year at dawn on 21 or 22 December sunlight enters each of the high windows on the left of the basilica featured trips and local tips for your next break as well as the latest deals from Guardian Holidays the so-called “dying town” perched precariously on top of an eroding hill It’s time for lunch, so Paolo takes me to La Corte a smart but relaxed restaurant directly opposite the castle Chef Gabriele Zampaletta is on hand to advise and prepare a range of Tuscian dishes using seasonal produce from the local area If the typically rustic tagliere board of meats and cheeses (including pecorino romano made from sheep’s milk) doesn’t appeal then try the panzanella – bread pieces soaked in sulphate water (from Nepi olive oil and slices of Nepi’s homegrown variety of flat unpretentious and moreish – much like this undiscovered part of Italy The trip was provided by the Comune di Nepi. The Loft Delle Scalette apartment and annexe costs around €90 (£75) a night The Local Europe ABVästmannagatan 43113 25 StockholmSweden In an attempt to cut costs and boost digitalisation, 508 bank branches shut down across Italy last year That may seem like a large enough amount to cater for a country's banking needs – but that's not the case when it comes to Italy Italians are obsessed with having their bank branch right around the corner Many people I know enjoy going there almost daily to talk with their 'loyal' bank employees withdraw cash and make sure that their savings and investments are in good hands They also seek financial advice and want to be personally reassured on market turmoils interest rate cuts and any decision from the European Central Bank that may affect their mortgages That's why so many Italians are deeply concerned about what's been dubbed the "desertification" of the banking system My Intesa San Paolo branch in the town of Rignano Flaminio Though that's no major issue to me because I have always used banking apps not having their local branch at hand is a source of stress and anxiety for many elderly people Closing a branch does have a real impact on customers It means that they have to get a brand new IBAN code and check that salaries and pensions are paid into it and don't get 'lost' in the process a friend of mine who used to go to my branch complained that her mother-in-law spent a week trying to get an appointment at her new branch to make sure that a loan she'd taken out to buy a car wouldn't get cut off A colleague of mine in Palermo also experienced issues after her local Unicredit branch shut down Communicating her new banking details to some of her clients took her a full day's work to complete I saw an old man walking with the help of a stick to his usual Intesa bank branch in Rome only to find it shut he'd not been notified of the closure or got there too late to sort things out He threw his stick onto the ground and cussed out loud in utter despair READ ALSO: OPINION: Family is sacrosanct to us Italians – even if it means you can't get away Italians are great savers and have always relied on banks to keep their savings safe The attachment to bank branches is a deeply ingrained Italian cultural trait paying a regular visit to their bank branch is like having their morning coffee at their favourite bar there have always been more bank branches than post offices which are another major pillar of Italian society But things are changing and Italy isn't prepared for such a revolution Most Italians are not tech-savvy and fear having to deal with digital Branches are also a vital meeting point for elderly people particularly in small towns and villages where banks are a key part of the local community's social 'infrastructure' I'm always surprised to see a tiny post office bank branch and newsstand next to the main bar in the central piazza I know things have long been working differently outside of Italy When I lived in Holland and then Belgium around 15 years ago I was shocked to discover that bank branches were 'deserted' places just one employee working a few days a week) and outside there were only ATMs and computers for customers to interact with I remember I had to book an appointment with an employee well in advance if I had any specific questions It was all very efficient and cost-effective though But Italians don’t want that when they go to the bank They don't want to see closed doors or have computers talk to them They want real people and like to sit down when they talk READ ALSO: OPINION: Why changing your doctor in Italy can be a nightmare The Italian government does need to support the digitalisation of public services and inform people about the positives of having fewer bank branches and interacting through technology Information campaigns funded by the government or banks themselves would help Italians get over their 'obsession' with local bank branches though future generations might be more 'open' to digitalisation older Italians may not change their views at all in the end Please log in here to leave a comment a sleepy little town around an hour's drive from Rome has not been the same since police burst into its model nursery school seven months ago seeking evidence of child abuse Many of its 7,000 residents fear it never will be The arrest last month of three teachers - women in their 50s and each with at least 20 years' experience - horrified parents and has sparked lurid headlines about the "school of horrors" Few Italians had hitherto heard of the moderately prosperous town until the scandal at the Olga Rovere school named best nursery school in the region in 1999 has split the town between those who fiercely defend the teachers and those convinced they headed a paedophile ring which systematically abused up to 20 pupils aged three or four the whole community," said 65-year-old mayor Ottavio Coletta Few prominent child abuse scandals have come to light in Catholic Italy which some psychologists and support groups say reflects an inability to face up to the existence of paedophilia They say children were regularly driven in small groups from the school to teachers' houses There they were drugged and filmed while performing sex acts with adults including a school caretaker and the husband of one of the teachers the prosecutors also cite evidence they may have performed satanic rites while abusing the children Despite the furore the school is still open Children play hide-and-seek outside the red and grey glass-fronted building in spacious grassy grounds dotted with slides and plastic castles The school says more than half the pupils are still attending The parents who withdrew their children are either keeping them at home or sending them to a playgroup in town Mayor Coletta has asked the government to fund a new school to help exorcise "the 'school of horrors' spectre haunting us" Media invading Rignano are welcomed by both defenders and accusers of the teachers who hope good coverage for their side will sway public opinion and the judges Michele Angeleri and his wife Nunzia - a colleague of the arrested teachers - have formed a committee to defend them He drives reporters to his home where they make the case for their defence "I worked with them all for 15 years and you can't imagine people more devoted to looking after and protecting children," said Nunzia Angeleri talks of a "collective psychosis" saying parents panicked at the sight of their children merely learning to explore their own bodies and put words into their children's mouths But prosecutors say the children produced matching accounts of events including accurate details of the teachers' houses where the crimes are alleged to have occurred The Committee for the Accused Teachers organised a 300-strong torchlight procession led by the town priest outside the prison where the teachers were held Other inmates hurled abuse from their windows accusing the marchers of supporting paedophiles The six suspects have since been released from prison a decision which does not imply their innocence as the accusations against them remain Psychologist Vera Slepoj said it was worrying to see citizens mobilise in favour of paedophilia suspects "In Italy the family is idealised but in a purely abstract way," she said "Society is highly individualistic and sexual behaviour is seen as a personal and uncontrollable matter "The result is a refusal to accept that paedophilia can exist in our community and a lack of protection for children." The teachers' supporters cite what they say were similar cases against teachers in the northern cities of Brescia and Bergamo the local church came out strongly in favour of those accused spokeswoman for the Parents' Association whose daughter was taught by one of the accused teachers scoffs at the idea the children were prompted to make up stories "We are talking about three- and four-year old kids who mimed sex with their teddy bears or the family dog who began speaking about oral and anal sex," said Ms Di Biagio "What would you expect the parents to do but go to the police I don't think it will heal for generations." please register for free or log in to your account.