Tuscania's Top Five Sites

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.

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.

towers near San Pietro ...

...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.

 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.

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.

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.

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. 

Top Ten Breathtaking Views in Central Italy

Ancored  next to  the Faraglioni, Capri 

College friends, former students, cousins and other members of my extended family have  enjoyed  coming  to visit me here in Italy over the past five decades. 

And of course I want to make them feel comfortable, showing them special places and our Italian country lifestyle.

But its not  easy to please everyone.  Etruscan necropoli dating from 8^th century BC and 13^th century  frescoed churches are not everyone’s cup of tea.

Byron's swimming place, Portovenere, Liguria

 Especially visitors who arrive from new countries find it difficult  to  grasp the passage of time and history.  

 Try to explain  to a New Zealander  or  South African why the works of art in St. Peter’s Basilica are not in chronological order, what a mosaic is or who  Michelangelo was  in  just a  few easy sentences. 

 But one thing that everyone, from any part of the world, can appreciate immediately is a great view, a gorgeous landscape.

 Here is  my selection of  breathtaking views and gorgeous landscapes to admire  in central Italy. How many have you visited? 

 Feel free to add  your nominations in a comment below.  

1.     a typical village in Liguria, Portovenere

2.      The view from Villa San Michele, Capri

Civita di Bagnoregio  photo by Giulia C. Pancani

3.      The calanchi  of Civita di Bagnoregio

4.      The lavender fields ripening near Viterbo

5.      The Rivellino hill, Tuscania   (foto C. Thompson)

Nature’s wonders  are abundant here, but I do prefer  a touch of human intervention, like the neat rows of the vineyards, a tower or  castle adorning a hilltop or a  homey, flower filled piazza  with laundry hung to dry.

6.      Flowers alongside Etruscan walls, Viterbo, Piazza San Lorenzo  

7.      Piazza del Sole, Vetralla

8.      The mountains seen from Amalfi’s Duomo

9.       Gardens  of  Villa Lante, Bagnaia

10.    Rolling hills of Tolfa, Fontana del Papa, Tolfa  (photo by Torre Newman) 
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To find out more about central Italy check out my website and books... read the reviews, one of our books might make that perfect Christmas gift for anyone who loves Italy. 

Latest News:  
Fulvio Ferri and I will be interviewed live on TV2000 (Vatican TV channel) SKY channel 142  on Monday morning, Nov. 19th   between 9:30-10:30. 
We will be answering questions about lifestyle, the olive harvest, and his recipe book "Olio e Ricordi in Cucina".  Try to tune in. 

                                                 -------------------------------
You are cordially invited  to my next conference "Foreign Archeologists and Artists in Etruria"  to be held at the Vetralla Library, Vetralla on Friday afternoon, Nov. 23 
 I will be speaking in English at 4 p.m and at  5 p.m. in Italian.

            Sieti  cordialmente  invitato alla Conferenza  illustrata

ARTISTI  ED ARCHEOLOGI

                  STRANIERI  IN ETRURIA

                                                                 Ponte di Blera di S. Ainsley

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Tuscania Lavender Festival

ribboned sachets  of lavender  

  
 The lavender fields that cover  large swaths of land in  Northern Lazio (Arlena, Tuscania ,Viterbo,Tarquinia, Montalto di Castro)  are just about to be harvested, thanks to the very hot weather these past few weeks. 

flower baskets at the Lavender Festival 

 The weekend of July 7-8 marks the local Lavender Festival  held in Tuscania's  "new"  historic center, rebuilt and restored  perfectly after  the earthquake of 1971.  

Tuscania's City Hall 

   The tiny streets and  squares  will be bustling  with stalls of  lavender-based products  for  the body and home.
Look for  dishes  prepared  using lavender, including risotto and  gelato.  

rebuilt homes are beautifully decorated  

The town of Tuscania is close to Civitavecchia, Viterbo and Tarquinia  in Northern Lazio, NOT in Tuscany, and makes a perfect  shore excursion, especially for those who dread going in to Rome at the height of summer heat. 

handicrafts filled with lavender 

medieval buildings and fountains in Tuscania 

Loggia on the Duomo square 

If you can't make  it to Tuscania  this weekend, there will be many more  happenings  during following summer weekends. Stay tuned for calendar updates . 

thanks to Christina Thompson for  this beautiful shot of Tuscania