Hitting the Beach in Anzio

It turns out that Rome is only about an hour from the sea. Anticipating the future need to escape the city, especially in summer, we decided to try taking the train to Anzio, of the famous WWII landing, which is the closest seaside town to Rome. The train from Termini in central Rome takes an hour and costs less than $10 per person roundtrip.

Ancient aqueduct ruins from train outside Rome

Anzio station Madonna

The battle of Anzio was really more of a siege, with Allied forces—U. S. and Commonwealth—landing in January 1944 and then digging in for months after the Germans reinforced their defensive positions inland. The U.S. forces finally reached Rome in June (with the U.S. commander posting military police on all roads into the city to prevent British troops from getting there first). Some well-known celebrities fought here. James Arness, of Gunsmoke fame, was badly injured here and walked with a trademark limp the rest of his life. Also Audie Murphy, another actor who starred mostly in Westerns, who also was perhaps the most decorated soldier in U.S. history. It was by some accounts the bloodiest battle of the whole war. Anzio, a quiet fishing town, was almost entirely destroyed and has been rebuilt.

 

"At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them." Monument  to Sherwood Foresters 

We strolled on a very quiet Monday. The museum was closed, for example, although we met an older Italian woman from Anzio, named Carmen, who tried to get us in and who said how lucky she felt to live here. We walked along the beach in barefoot. We saw the remains of Nero’s villa (Anzio was a favorite of his apparently).

 

Very warm waters

Hanging with Nero

We also had the best meal of our trip here, starting with assorted appetizers. The first was made from two small, fresh anchovies with some mozzarella in-between, which were then battered and fried together. There was also a small chicken sausage, a grilled eggplant slice rolled around fish, and a squid ink “arancini” (an Italian croquette made with rice). Then we had a whole grilled “spigola” (sea bass)—perfectly cooked and taken off the bone tableside by our cameriere—plus a plate of grilled eggplant and zucchini. A bottle of Italian chardonnay on the side (natch) and caffe afterwards. All on a terrace overlooking the ocean. Perfetto! 

Arancini

Spigola

Ristorante Il Terzo

The train home was just as easy. We walked from Termini to Piazza Venezia to get the Tram 8 back to Monteverde. The scenery is never disappointing here!

Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II and the unification of Italy (columns from the ancient Roman forum in foreground)