Our main course was a delicious chicken cacciatori served with involtini melanzana, neat rolls of batter dipped, fried egg plant stuffed with cheese. In place of the usual salad of greens, our host and hostesss brought baskets of fresh picked fava beans and platters of percorino cheese, a local specialty only available for few brief weeks in the spring. Suzanne prepared a ricotta and chocolate torte and steaming expresso for the finale. San Ilario is conveniently located for day trips by train to Rome. In addition, the Sabine mountains offer a wonderful array of castles and monastaries to explore.
Nearby villages are home to some delightful trattorie and local crafts.
From its piazza one enjoys majestic views in virtually every direction. The steep slopes below the village are covered with olive trees and small family gardens, wildflowers and dense woods. The ancient borgo with its narrow cobblestone lanes is home to some families whose ancestors settled here in the late seventeenth century. One of the more enterprising of these families has converted their lovely family home into four spacious apartments with separate entrances. From these residences one enjoys the conveniences of the small village, easy parking in the village square, a local bar, a tratoria, and a grocery store.