![]() ![]() It is best known for its magnificent Sixteenth Century water gardens, Villa Lante. The nearby village of Bagnaia was the personal fiefdom of the bishops of Viterbo for centuries. The Tre Re restaurant has been a fixture of Viterbos old town since 1622. I am told that the Enoteca La Torre has an extensive wine list. Its volcanic mud is highly recommended for those who like that sort of thing. Viterbo is home to a spa with a gigantic limestone pool of very hot water. The medieval district of San Pellegrino is quite well preserved and definitely worth visiting. The Plaza di San Lorenzo contains several other buildings of interest. Pope John XXI died here in 1277 when the ceiling collapsed as he was sleeping. This building also served as a Papal residence. Be sure to see the Palazzo dei Papi (Papal Palace) and the Romanesque Cathedral of San Lorenzo, built by the Lombards over the ruins of an Etruscan Temple dedicated to Hercules. Its historic old center is among the best preserved towns of central Italy. Viterbo was formerly the popes' favorite residence. And you can visit the National Archeological Museum, but many of the displays are tomb-related. For example, there are several churches of great architectural interest and palaces aplenty. If you are like me, you prefer seeing other sights. Like its neighbors, Tuscania is the site of many Etruscan tombs including the Tomb of the Queen, a series of labryinths containing about thirty tunnels. Unfortunately Tuscania's medieval city walls were mostly destroyed in a 1971 earthquake but they have been repaired and the interior is nicely landscaped. Tuscania, population somewhat under eight thousand, was founded almost three thousand years ago but the area itself has been populated for perhaps eight or ten thousand years. ![]() John the Baptist), the Palazzo dei Priori, and several medieval towers. Tarquinia is home to a cathedral, several churches including two from the Twelfth Century (San Martino and St. The National Museum housed in the Fifteenth Century Palazzo Vitelleschi is known for its archeological contents. Tarquinia whose population numbers about sixteen thousand is the site of about six thousand Etruscan tombs, some of which are decorated by wall paintings. In 1980 during renovations, Twelfth Century frescos of Biblical scenes were uncovered. Its main attraction is the Romanesque Church of the Madonna of Ceri, built on a site originally dedicated to the worship of the goddess Vesta. The nearby village of Ceri sits at the top of a fortified plateau. Other local sights worth seeing include the Rocca castle, the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore and the Sixteenth Century Palazzo Ruspoli, not to be confused with a Palace of the same name in Florence. These tombs, and there are over a thousand of them, date from the Ninth Century B.C. It is the largest ancient necropolis in the Mediterranean area. UNESCO has classified Cerveteri as a World Heritage Site because of its Etruscan tombs. Lawrence, better known for another work, Lady Chatterlys Lover.Ĭerveteri, population about thirty thousand, was once the Etruscan city of Caere. An important book about the Etruscans, Sketches of Etruscan Places and other Italian Essays (1932), was written by the British Author D. Much of our knowledge about this formerly powerful people can be seen on our tours of Latium. We dont know much about their origins, language, culture, or their way of life. The Etruscans were a people who dominated large parts of Italy including Latium from an unknown prehistoric period up until the Roman Empire. (It might be a bit shorter to go from Bagnaia to Bomarzo and then to Caprarola but as you will see, we have our reasons for following the first itinerary.) Before we start this tour we will introduce a onetime major player, the Etruscans. We then head almost directly north to finish our tour at Bomarzo not far from the Umbrian border. Then well travel inland (northeast) to Tuscania, Viterbo, Bagnaia, and then southeast to the village of Caprarola. Well head along the sea northwest past Romes port, Civitvecchia, and stop at Tarquinia. Well start our tour at Cerveteri about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Rome. A companion article describes Latium east of Rome. This article focuses on Latium west of Rome. Given the number of articles describing the multiple pleasures of Rome, we will write about the lesser-known attractions of Latium. Latium, also known as Laszio, is the region that includes Italys capital Rome, the Eternal City. If you are in the mood to tour Europe, you should really consider the Latium region of central western Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea. ![]()
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