ROME — Name another golf community that shares its heritage with the Etruscans or was once a battlefield for medieval noblemen whose families produced a Who’s Who of popes. But wait, it gets better.

The Olgiata, as this tangle of woodland is called, has been invaded by barbarians. It was traded among families, put up for auction and given as a wedding gift.

Once flax was abundant here, as were barley and oats. In the 20th century, Olgiata was the home of the immortal racehorses Nearco and Ribot.

Three thousand years of history buys a lot of character.

Its latest incarnation? Olgiata not only is home to a world-famous golf course, but it has also introduced a modern twist in one of the oldest of old-world countries: It is one of Italy’s rare gated communities, an oasis of sprawling villas where gardeners toil and the wealthy work out under the watchful eye of surveillance cameras and security guards.