With foreign travel limited this summer, Italians have been holidaying in the home country, generally not far afield.

The Lazio region around Rome offers endless possibilities to discover little known beauty spots, like the little Lake of St. Benedict, in the narrow valley underneath the famous monasteries of St. Benedict and his sister, Santa Scolastica at Subiaco (Lazio). Virtually unknown except to the locals until recently, the pool and waterfall have now become so popular that there is now a (modest) fee to access the steep and pebbly path that leads down to the banks of the Aniene River, which rushes crystal clear through the gorge to join the Tiber near Rome some kilometres distant.

Subiaco is one of the stops on the 300 km St. Benedict Trail that starts from Norcia in Umbria (the saint's birthplace) and ends at Montecassino.

Autumn is the perfect season to join this hike, with all the trees dressed in glowing autumn colours.

Info: www.camminodibenedetto.it