This is an absolutely awe inspiring place to visit. You can walk among these ancient ruins and touch them and feel a connection with the past...not to mention the fantastic view of the countryside you get. Could have spent much more time here. Really worth a side trip if you happen to be close by. You will be amazed.
Carsulae is more than an archeological site. The roman ruins are beautifull and interesting. But there is something more to it. The setting and the landscape is one of those unique places where one feels connected to the past. The park is substantial, so you will have the chance to stroll around the ruins by yourselves and experience the history and the age old landscape. Other roman sites are more complete, but this is as close as you can get to the look and feel of a roman town in it's original setting in the landscape.
When we arrived to the car park, a large one but was deserted and looked so... abandoned... we had our doubts if really there was an archaeological park or if the site was closed but after a long walk we found the visitor centre and phew... This archaeological site cannot be compared to Pompeii or Ephesus; this is much smaller and it doesn't have the magnificence of the ones mentioned so crowds, don't exist here.. here you can lie on the meadow, sit on the bench and admire for hours the ruins view wanted, no rush...Around the Flaminian Way, is easy but if adventuring beyond the mausoleums or the amphitheatre area and beyond, can see the typical procrastinated interest regarding the maintenance of ancient sites (tall grass) so perfect places to harbour rats, snakes... Another ancient site, just one hour away, there is one splendid Roman theatre in the middle of nowhere, abandoned... The visitor centre is perfect, adequate, family and educational friendly and has a small exhibition of partial statues, tombstones, artifacts found there as well as a small archaeologists research center. Staff with hearing impairment are employed.Completely agree with other reviews, more archaeologists than tourists, interesting but not impressive... not yet...
I had the privilege of excavating at Caraulae and it was simply amazing. The people were beautiful and kind and the area was marvelous!! I cant wait to visit again in the future
If you like ruins, don't miss Carsulae. We visited 17 years ago and were awed. This time was even better, because the government has added an interpretive center (with a little cafe) and signage. It is wonderful to be able to walk among these ancient stones and foundations -- without the kinds of crowds you find in Pompeii and even Herculaneum. And hats off to visitors; there is no graffitti.
Quite a few ruins including baths, bascilica, forum, amphitheatre and others and good value for money at €5. Included in the price is a paper guide (available in a number of languages). Really interesting to be able to see things so close up without having to fight your way through hordes of other visitors. There is also a little museum displaying artefacts found on the site. At the time of our visit there were a lot of archaeologists busy digging away so I guess the visible ruins will slowly be expanded
So many Roman sites are shared by the hustle and bustle of noisy tourists. This site is large, quiet and intimate. Sit amongst the ruins or theatre, amphitheatre, temples, forum, basilica...and more. Stroll along the stone pavement of the Via Flaminia and imagine what Augustan period life was like.
Our guide book said it should be impresive. But that is maybe too much. It is an interesting site though. You can see what used to be a Basilica, a temple, a forum and houses from the 9th centuary. There is also a tiny museum with some findings.Well equiped bar for snacks and drinks. The staff was friendly. The parking however is quite a long walk. Info in writing about the site. Price was a bit more than expected.When you are visiting this area anyway, like the village San Gemini 10 mins away, you should make a stop and have a look around. The children found it reasonable, but they are perhaps to young to like this (8, 10, 12 years).
Enjoyed a peaceful few hours at this excellent Roman site. The lack of visitors, even on a Sunday, made our slow meandering around the ruins all the more pleasurable. Don't expect a huge site, but the mix of amphitheatre, theatre, forum and basilica gives a great idea of the important elements of a Roman town.
Roman ruins amidst green meadows, shady trees and surrounded by the soft green hills of Umbria. It's an inexpensive and peaceful walk and there are signs with information about the ruins. If you want a more detailed tour you can ask for a guide at the ticket box/museum. The ruins are well kept and an interesting and unexpected interlude from the medieval towns of Umbria.