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TUSCANIA
a well kept secret in the Latium Region
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location:
Rome 90km
Tarquinia 24km (beach)
Viterbo 24km
Marta and lake Bolsena 14km
Civitavecchia 40km
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The town |
In the old town |
A
small town completely encircled by massive cyclopic walls
with high towers, full of imposing churches, palaces and regular
streets with ancient mansions and shops, manifestly a very
rich place since a remote past, Tuscania
was
- a powerful Etruscan town from the VIII cent. B.C.,
flourishing in the IV and III centuries, then
- Roman town from the III cent. B.C.,
- Medieval center and important diocese with center
in the Episcopalian palace on the S.Pietro's hill, from VI
to XII century.
- Free Common in the XII and XIV centuries.
Dominion at the end of the XIV and to the beginning of the
XV century, it decayed to modest, but illustrious, center
of the Pontifical State in the XVI century, rich of history
up to the beginnings of the
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XX century, when the urbanistic expansion took back even leaving
unchanged the Medieval plant.
In the 1971 an earthquake damaged seriously the historical
center, for succefful restauration.
Its name was Tuscana in classical epoch; it changed
in Toscanella during the Middle Age. Tuscania
from the 1911.
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The public garden |
St Peter Church |
Near
the town, particularly along rivers, there are many Etruscan
and Roman necropolis, with Etruscan tombs that has returned
many things of Curunas family (IV- II cent. B.C.), now in
show, with furnishings, inside Archaeological National Museum
of S.Maria del Riposo (XV cent.).
In the Medieval historical center the beautiful Roman basilica
of San Pietro (VIII-XI-XIII cent., at left)
stands on the old Etruscan |
acropolis,
and has a 13th century façade with symbols of the Evangelists.
The interior has massive 11th century columns with beautiful
capitals and decorative pavings.
A second church, Santa Maria Maggiore (VIII-XII
cent., at right), now out of the inhabited area and completely
surrounded from his |
St Mary Church |
Sight on the valley |
boundaries, is also worth seeing. The interior
was rebuilt with fragments from the 8th, 9th, and 12th centuries.
It was center of the free Common of the Guilds (XII- XIII
cent.) and subsequently of the Podesta (XIII- XIV- XV cent.).
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the town walls |
In
the historical center, to be visited also the churches of
S.Maria of the Rose (XIV cent.), S.Marco
(XIV cent.), S.Silvestro (XIII cent.), S.Giacomo
(Cathedral, XVI cent.) and S.Francesco (XIV
cent.) with De Sparapane's chapel; the fountains of
Sette Cannelle (1309), Poggio (1621),
Montascide (1623), etc.
Other: Town hall's square with Etruscan's sarcophagi , the
park of "Torre di Lavello" and other.
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| Culinary
specialty: game, rustic and popular dishes (chicory, cooked-
water, snails etc.), pastas and sweetses.
one of the many family trattorias downtown |
Fairs
and parties:
- January 17 S.Antonio Abbot, Feast of the Pancake of Cauliflower.
- Friday Saint Procession of the Dead Christ.
- May 10 Fair with horse demonstrations.
- August 7, 8, 9 Parties - Tuscania Summer.
- September 15 "Procession of the Our Lady of Sorrows."
- September Tuscania Festival (visual arts and theater).
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