One of the trips not to be missed, when you are on holiday in Capodimonte, is a visit to Viterbo. With just under half an hour by car and about 25 km away you can arrive in this splendid town of Etruscan origin. But let’s see in more detail the main attractions and things to visit.
The Palace of the Popes
The Palazzo dei Papi is the main monument of the city of Viterbo recognized as its symbol. It was built by the will of Pope Alexander IV after transferring the seat of the papal Curia in 1257. This monument, by Raniero Gatti, arose from the expansion of the Episcopal Curia. Inside we find the famous “Aula del Conclave” which hosted the first and longest conclave in history. Another peculiarity of the building is the Loggia of blessings (better known as the Loggia dei Papi) built in 1267: the pope used to look out here immediately after leaving the Conclave Hall.
In December 2014, the beautiful Gualterio room was also reopened. It is a room, entirely frescoed, in which it is possible to see the coat of arms of Pope Clement VIII (1592-1605). On the final part of the seventeenth century, further modifications were completed by Cardinal Tiberio Muti, bishop of the city of Viterbo in the years 1612-1636; the most important work consists in the opening of two new doors in the room and the insertion of his coat of arms on the architraves of these doors and in the frescoes.
The Santa Rosa Machine
The Car of Santa Rosa is another of the main symbols of the city. It aims to raise the statue of Santa Rosa, patron saint of the city, on the roofs of Viterbo.
It was built with ultra-light and modern materials, about 30 meters high and weighing 51 quintals. On 3 September of each year, about a hundred men, called “I Facchini di Santa Rosa”, raise and carry the statue in a procession. The whole path lasts over a kilometer and is articulated through the streets of Viterbo.
During the transport, marked by the cry “Long live Santa Rosa“, the translation of the body of Santa Rosa is recalled, which took place in Viterbo in 1258 by order of Pope Alexander IV. The party is part of the Network of the great Italian shoulder machines, and, since 2013, it has also been included in the UNESCO Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
The historic center of Viterbo
A visit to the historic center of Viterbo is certainly another of the things to put in the plan. With its Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance churches, tower-houses, and a very evocative medieval scenery, you can see the importance this city reached especially at the turn of the twelfth and fourteenth centuries. Even today we can perceive this sense of ancient aristocracy that did not stop only at ancient times.
The Cathedral of San Lorenzo is certainly the most important place of worship in the city. We can admire its Romanesque facade and its bell tower on the left side. The church of Santa Maria Nuova and the Basilica of San Francesco alla Rocca are two other very important presences in the city center.