Civita di Bagnoregio and Viterbo

The charming  little town of Civita di Bagnoregio was founded  by the Etruscans around 2,500 years ago on top of a hill formed by “tufah” stone. The area must have been really different in those days: the natural erosion and earthquakes have, in fact, changed the town into a smaller area on top of the hill than it originally had been. The natural erosion hasn’t stopped and the sides of the hill keep crumbling down, and therefore they call Civita, “the dying city”.
Viterbo’s historic center is one of the best preserved medieval towns of central Italy. Many of the older buildings (particularly churches) are built on top of ancient ruins, recognizable by their large stones, 50 centimeters to a side.
The main attraction of Viterbo is the Papal Palace (visit inside), which served as a country residence and retreat in time of trouble in Rome. The columns of the palace are made of spolia from a Roman temple. The second most important monument of the city is the Cathedral of S. Lorenzo. It was established in Romanesque style by Lombard architects over a temple of Hercules. It was rebuilt from the sixteenth century onward, and was heavily damaged in 1944 by Allied bombs. The notable gothic belfry is from the first half of the fourteenth century, and shows influence of Sienese artists. The church houses the tomb of Pope John XXI, and the picture, “Christ Blessing with Four Saints” by Girolamo da Cremona (1472).