We’ve probably given an unfairly poor first impression of Viterbo. It’s really quite an interesting place, and regarded as one of the best preserved medieval towns in central Italy. It played an important role historically, and surprisingly it was the home of the papacy in the 12th and 13th century. Much remains from this era , including of course its nearly intact walls. it would not surprise me to hear from others who found this to be one of their favorite destinations in the region.
I imagine we would have been more enthusiastic about it if we hadn’t arrived the way we did and when we did - after dark on a terrifyingly busy road, at the end of over five months on the road when we’re both looking forward to settling down for a while, and at this season when it’s getting cold, damp and wet. It would have helped too if our apartment had heating, but we didn’t figure out how to turn it on and it didn’t seem quite chilly enough to ask our host about it.
Or, we likely would have felt differently if we hadn’t arrived by bike, because it’s certainly not a very bike friendly city. We really didn’t see many bikes here at all, and once you’re inside the walls it’s slow going because from what we’ve seen there isn’t a single smooth surface inside of it. It looks pretty terrible for driving, as far as that goes. It’s probably a town best gotten around on foot or scooter.
And, we didn’t really see as much of the place as we should have since we spent most of our daylight hours out in the country on foot or on bike. Inside the walls we limited ourselves almost exclusively to a single itinerary, from our apartment through the heart of town along Via Roma to restaurants for dinner - a quite interesting route, but we really should have branched out to see other areas or hunted down some others of its more important attractions like the cathedral and papal palace.
Outside our apartment, at the and of a very short alley just inside the walls. Oh, wait. I’m a liar - that surface is pretty smooth, now that I look at it.
The San Marco Gate, one of the nine original gates through the city walls. Most are like this, too small for cars to traverse. There’s not much car traffic in town (one of its finer points, of course), and most of it comes in through just a few points.
Fontana Grande, the oldest public fountain in the city. Construction began in 1206. Viterbo is known for its fountains, and several have survived from this era.
The view from the courtyard of the Palazzo Comunale. In the distance is The Church of Santa Trinità. Oh, and isn’t that a pair of lions scratching their claws on the bole of a palm at the top of that fountain? Yes, I think so.
Keith KleinHi,
Wow, that’s a lot of lions! I usually associate lions with St. Mark, and hence Venice, but I’ll have to rearrange my thoughts about that to accommodate Viterbo. It sounds like you two are getting ready to move on. Pity, it was a great tour, and one I found very enjoyable, and even personal. Thanks for taking me along.
Cheers,
Keith Reply to this comment 2 years ago
Scott AndersonTo Keith KleinYes, the door is closing. Closed, actually. We’re back home now, just waiting for my brain to defog enough to finally wrap this thing up.
Thanks for following along, Keith. We’ve really appreciated your inputs on this one - especially stopping in to see your mate Guido up on the top of his beautiful world, and finding out that we were bicycling through your childhood back in the northeast on Part One. Who knows? Maybe we can stitch you in more directly on the next one! Reply to this comment 2 years ago
