Viterbo Medieval City Center

Viterbo, the principal city of northern Lazio's Tuscia region, holds one of the best-preserved medieval centres in central Italy, still enclosed within its ring of stone walls and towers. The city rose to prominence in the 13th century as a papal seat, and its defining monument is the Palazzo dei Papi, the Palace of the Popes, a Gothic palace whose graceful arched loggia projects over the square below. It was here that the first and longest papal conclave in history took place: when the cardinals could not agree, frustrated townspeople locked them in and removed the roof to hasten a decision, giving the word 'conclave', meaning 'with a key', its enduring sense. Beside it stands the Romanesque Cathedral of San Lorenzo. The greatest pleasure of Viterbo, however, is simply walking the San Pellegrino quarter, the largest intact medieval district in the region, a warren of dark peperino-stone lanes, arched passageways, external staircases called profferli, and small squares that have changed little in 700 years. Visitors wander past artisan workshops, churches and fountains, with the main streets and squares free to explore and the museums charging a modest fee. A visit to the historic centre takes two to three hours on foot over cobbled and sometimes stepped streets. Viterbo also offers a lively Thursday morning market and is famous for the Macchina di Santa Rosa, a towering illuminated structure carried through the streets each September. The city pairs naturally with the nearby Terme dei Papi thermal baths and with day trips to Civita di Bagnoregio and Bomarzo. Mornings are quiet and good for unhurried photography of the empty lanes. Reached from Rome by regional train or bus, Viterbo offers an authentic, less-touristed slice of medieval Lazio.