RaeleeL
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
Jude3147
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.
Journeyman61
Our visit to Carsulae started at mid-morning with the fear of a walk under the scorching summer sun. What we noticed first, on the other hand, was the large number of trees shading the whole archaeologic compound, which allows regales visitors with plenty of fresh air.The ruins are an interesting and pleasant backdrop with later items, such as the 11th century romanesque church, preserved better in its entirety, while the public and commercial buildings can mostly be "pictured" in the visitors' minds. A few arches are still standing, as are a couple of monumental tombs.The oval-shaped amphitheatre and the open-air theatre, though smaller in size compared to other specimens of the same era, are the ideal conclusion for a good walk back into history... and back to the small museum and information centre which contains some of the exhibits retrieved from the site.
227AndrewB
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.
63GeertD
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.
Tualie
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...
Griffonaus
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.
MisseyK
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
622DeborahD
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.
proudalbertan
The BEST thing in Itlay! My wife and I visited the site 2 years ago base on a single google review. We visited the site on a misty morning and when we got there we thought that it was closed because there were no cars in the parking lot. It was open and it was magical (as breath0-taking as Maachu Pichu early in the morning). Excavations were not even close to as compete as Pompeii, which in itself lead to the ability to imagine it as it was discovered a few years ago. After we were done we stopped in to the research station, and and talked to a archeolgist/researcher who told us about the phenomenal discoveries waiting for future generations at the site, as most of it is still un-earthed. She also helped us find a place to stay in the vicinity. Check out San Gemini 2.5 Kms away. She recommended Duomo , Value + Clean. She also let us know about Giostra dell'Arme, which is a historic festival/re-enacment that takes place every year in October. It was fantastic! With era food served and vendors in unused old niches in the castes. We loved it and it was the highlight of our 5 week driving trip to Italy. Definitely the place to go see!
jerseyjazz
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.
dubfam
We heard about Carsulae from some friends who had visited the site a few days earlier. Had they not told us about it we would have never heard about it and that would have been a terrible pity. I would say this was one of the most interesting sites we visited on our recent trip to Southern Umbria. It is quite hard to find, you really need to look out for the sign for the entrance as its so small you could easily miss it. We parked in a deserted car park, with no signs of life at all - you could easily think the site is closed at this point but keep on going and walk down towards the visitor centre. There you will find the ticket office, a cafe, an education centre and a small museum. From there we walked down to the site - there was nobody else there at all. It was wonderful. The kids really enjoyed the sense of adventure of being in an old deserted and partly discovered town. We walked along the remains of the Via Flaminia and imagined the Romans doing so all those years ago. The grassy areas were full of wild oregano and fennel and as we walked along the smell of the herbs was amazing. Then we happened upon a team of archeologists who were digging an area towards the back of the site. They were so nice and showed us the tools they were using and the things that they had discovered that very day - such an incredible experience for all of us. This was a fantastic place and I would highly recommend a visit to it. I still can't believe how deserted it was, it is definitely a place that should be a must see for anyone visiting this area. Be sure to bring lots of water with you as there is little shade and it was very warm the day we visited.
Arthur747
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).
Flashduck
A working archeological site in the rolling Umbrian hills, Carsulae has been well documented and seems to be changing frequently. It is certainly a site to take walking shoes or sandals, and consider carrying water if you wish to explore everything. The documentation is quite detailed, although depending on your interest you will no doubt find things that you still have questions about. The staff at the entrance and small museo should be able to help. I imagine that it would be good for families with young children who need to run around and burn off some energy as well, as long as they weren't there in the heat of the day.There is also an option of a ticket which covers another site or museum in Terni proper. We haven't done this yet, although plan to visit Cursulae again.
fothcad
Roman ruins where you can still see the cart tracks worn into the stones. Very interesting.