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| San Giusto Abbey, Tuscania (foto G. Bellucci) |
Majestic
stone towers, churches, castles and a
newly rediscovered abbey are among the top sites to visit in Tuscania, a small city nestled among the rolling hills and a verdant valley that D.H. Lawrence called
the most beautiful in Italy.
Unfortunately we do not know what the Etruscans called this settlement, but when the Romans arrived they gave it the name Tuscana. For a few centuries known as Toscanella, and now Tuscania, it may be only a pin point on the map between the
seaside town of Tarquinia and the
provincial capital,Viterbo, but it has
its share of magnificent architecture and
monuments.
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| Castle of Rocca Respampini (foto A.Cecchini) |
The first
site not to be missed is the huge, abandoned castle of Rocca Respampini, which can be seen in
the distance, along the scenic Via Vetrallese, half way between Vetralla and
Tuscania.
Rivellino, the
original settlement of Tuscania, is a windy hilltop
crowned with towers and the
monumental church of San Pietro with its intact Cosmatesque
pavements. Unfortunately photos are not allowed inside these monuments, so you'll have to take my word for it: they are magnificent.
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| towers near San Pietro ... |
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| ...and main entrance |
A series of dusty black and white photos on view inside the church remind us of the destruction wrought to this
building, and the entire town, during the February, 1971 earthquake.
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| facade and rose window of S. Maria Maggiore |
The complex
of S. Maria Maggiore, at the base of the hill, merits a close look for its magnificent façade as well as the interior
where Etruscan sarcophagi are
lined up along the nave. Just a few steps away you will find the remains of a Roman thermal bath on the side of the road.
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| S. Maria Maggiore (foto G. Bellucci) |
The town
fathers of Tuscania have intelligently
left a stretch of the original Roman
road, the Via Clodia, visible
in the center of the town, on the way to the former church of San Francesco where a school for
chefs, the Boscolo Etoile Academy, is
now installed.
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| San Giusto (foto G. Bellucci) |
The recently restored Abbey of San Giusto,
located a few kilometers out of town in the Marta river valley was a completely invisible ruin for over 500
years until purchased and restored by a private owner from Bologna. Now
returned to its original splendor it is another of the many special places to
visit in Tuscania.
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| peperino stone fountain |
These are only a sample of the itineraries and special places to visit in central Italy. Take a look at my website for indepth articles and for more
on the mysterious sites of Northern Lazio
see my latest book.
