Guided tour in Medieval Viterbo

A professional tour guide will take you in the beautiful old town of Viterbo, in a rich itinerary to discover the city and its history, from ancient Etruscan origins to the most glorious period of the Middle Ages, when it was chosen as papal seat.

The tour

The tour starts from Piazza della Morte, near  Subterranean Viterbo, first stop is Piazza San Carluccio, which leads to the jewel of the city: the discrict of San Pellegrino, a wonderfull example of a thirteenth-century perfectly preserved contrada, where you can admire the architecture of Medieval Viterbo with its houses in volcanic stone (peperino), the narrow streets, the arches, the towers and the typical profferli.
Walking along the main street, among picturesque views, you reach Piazza San Pellegrino, the most charming settings of the district, where we can see the homonymous church and Palazzo degli Alessandri.

You then head towards the Santa Maria Nuova church, one of the oldest in Viterbo, with its remarkable frescoes, the crypt and the Longobard cloister.

Next stop is Piazza del Plebiscito, dominated by the Torre dell’Orologio, 44 meters high.
This square, political-administrative center of the city, was created in the middle of the thirteenth century and it is closed on three sides by Palazzo Apostolico, Palazzo del Podestà, and Palazzo dei Priori. The last one, with its beautiful 13th century colonnade, presents inside beautiful frescoed rooms, with themes concerning Viterbo mythological origins. On the square there is also the church of Sant’Angelo in Spatha, whose facade is embellished with a copy of a 3rd century AC sarcophagus, which is said to be the funeral monument of Bella Galiana, legendary figure from Viterbo.

Then we walk towards Piazza del Gesù, for centuries the center of civic and social life of the city. It is overlooked by the high tower of Borgognone and a Romanic church, sadly known for the killing of the Prince Enrico di Cornovaglia, quoted by Dante in The Divine Comedy.
In the middle of the square there is also a noteworthy fountain with overlapping cups.
Passing along Vicolo dei Pellegrini (whose name recalls the existence of a shelter for travellers, walking towards Rome through the Via Francigena), you get to the bridge of the Duomo, from which you can observe the elegant Palazzo Farnese.
This leads to Piazza del Duomo, place where the ancient Etruscan settlement rose. Here is the Palazzo Papale which, embellished by the beautiful loggia, was built in the thirteenth century to welcome the papal court. The palace hosted five conclaves, including the longest in history for the election of Gregory X. On the square stands the Cathedral of San Lorenzo whose interior is rich in valuable works of art.
Back to Piazza della Morte, where stands one of the oldest fountains in the city, it is possible to admire the Palazzo San Tommaso, the monastery of San Bernardino and Santa Giacinta church.
The tour ends with a visit to Subterranean Viterbo.

N.B: The internal visits of the churches, of the crypt and the Santa Maria Nuova cloister are guaranteed only during their respective days and opening hours.