|
|
 |
| |
|
Home > Travel Italy > Italy Destinations > Viterbo
Viterbo
Italy, officially the Italian Republic or Repubblica Italiana, is a Southern European country comprising of the Po River valley, the Italian Peninsula and the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. It is shaped like a boot and for this reason Italians commonly call it lo Stivale, the boot or, due to its prevalent peninsular geographical nature, la Penisola, the Peninsula.
Viterbo is an ancient city and comune in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It is approximately 100 kilometers north of Rome on the Via Cassia, and it is surrounded by the Monti Cimini and Monti Volsini. Apart from agriculture, the main resources of Viterbo's area are pottery, marble and wood. The town also hosts the Italian gold reserves, an important academy of Fine Arts, the University of Tuscia and is located in a wide thermal area attracting many tourist from the whole central Italy.
Viterbo is very ancient, its precise origins are unknown. It was fortified in 773 by the Lombard king Desiderius in his vain attempt to conquer Rome. When the Popes switched to the Frankish support, Viterbo became part of the Papal States, but this status was to be highly contested by the Emperors in the following centuries, until in 1095 it was known it was a free commune. Viterbo's historic center is one of the best preserved medieval towns of central Italy. Many of the older buildings particularly churches are built on top of ancient ruins, recognizable by their large stones, 50 centimeters to a side.
The main attraction of Viterbo is the Papal Palace, which served as a country residence and a repair in time of trouble in Rome. The columns of the palace are spolia from a Roman temple. The second most important monument of the city is the Cathedral of S. Lorenzo. It was erected in Romanesque style by Lombard architects over a temple of Hercules. Viterbo, justifiably so, enjoys a very positive reputation with worldwide travelers, and is one of the most visited place. It is also said the place of best geographical environment and can trace its origins back to prehistoric times.
Back to Italy Destinations
|
|
|
|
|
|
|