Rustico in Mentana

The cluster is in the Tiber valley north of Rome, with low cultivated hills and suburban expansion along the Via Salaria corridor. The Tevere and the lower course of the Aniene are the main rivers in the area. The Monti Sabini rise to the north-east within this radius, but the immediate setting is the outer Roman hinterland rather than a mountain landscape. Monterotondo is itself a substantial town in the Rome metropolitan belt with rail links, services and daily commuting toward the capital. Farther north-east, outside the immediate landscape, the Sabine hill country becomes more distinct.