Cassino, Italy

The city of Cassino is in the province of Frosinone, located at the edge of Lazio where it borders with Campania.

This area and its surrounding territory of small towns is also called Ciociaria. The name originated from the type of shoes worn by the sheepherders who populated the area long ago.

Geographically, the area looks much like Sonoma County, California, with gently rolling green hills, rivers, trees, and vineyards.

The weather is more drastic than in Northern California, though. Cassino is in a valley and very often during the winter months it is surrounded by fog; it is rainy and somewhat colder. The summers are slightly warmer and more humid than Sonoma County.