Latium ( or Lazio in Italian ) lies at the very cultural and historical heart of Italy , with Rome at its centre and is bordered by the Apennine mountains to the east and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west . The whole region holds countless treasures for the visitor and its geography and history produce a wealth of varied scenery and sites . A journey through Latium is a journey back to the heart of European civilisation with important Etruscan and Roman remains in evidence throughout the region . Their ancient civilisations are to be found in the obvious and not so obvious places , from temples to stones , from arches to pavements . There are also numerous villas , gardens , abbeys , spas , lakes and hill towns . The countryside is rich and fertile , hilly inland and flat towards the coast . Palms , olives , vines and fruit abound . On the other side of Italy is the little�known region of Abruzzo , rich in beautiful coastline and mountains . It is easily combined with Latium and worth visiting for a more off�the�beaten�track region .