South of Rome the Sacco valley runs south-east between two lines of hills, and Anagni stands on a ridge above it, a town of grey stone that the Middle Ages treated as a second Rome. Four popes came from here, and for long periods the papal court lived behind its walls. This stop lies down below, between Anagni, Paliano and Gavignano, in the farmland of the Ciociaria.
The most famous scene in Anagni's history is a slap. In 1303 agents of the French king, led by Guillaume de Nogaret and Sciarra Colonna, broke into the papal palace and seized Pope Boniface VIII, an outrage that shocked Christendom and marked the beginning of the papacy's move to Avignon. Whether anyone actually struck the old man is debated, but the story stuck. The cathedral has a crypt covered in thirteenth-century frescoes so complete that it is often called the Sistine Chapel of the Middle Ages.
On the swimming side, honesty is required. The Sacco river has a long history of industrial pollution and is not a place to swim. The nearest natural lake is Lago di Canterno, near Fiuggi in the hills to the east, a quiet lake in a wooded basin. Fiuggi itself is a spa town famous for its mineral water, which was credited with curing Michelangelo's kidney stones.
The riding around here is better than the valley floor suggests. Roads climb from the valley into the Monti Ernici, with tight bends, steep gradients and views back over the plain. The surfaces are variable, and local traffic can be unpredictable. The A1 motorway runs along the valley, making it easy to reach from Rome.
Up in Anagni, leave the bike outside the walls and walk; the lanes are steep, the bars serve proper espresso standing up, and the view from the cathedral terrace over the valley is worth the climb in boots. Fuel is down on the main valley roads.