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In and About Viterbo Viterbo

Viterbo and its province are widely covered by many websites. The page about Viterbo is mainly dedicated to some coats of arms of the popes, which provide a clue to the history of the town. The pages on the little towns (red dots in the map here below) surrounding Viterbo cover also their main monuments.

Map of the area surrounding Viterbo
Map of the area surrounding Viterbo

Viterbo has retained more papal coats of arms than any other town of the former Papal State. In the second half of the XIIIth century Viterbo became the preferred (3,319 days) residence of the popes: in this period the iconography of the popes developed the symbols which later on became typical of papal heraldry. The popes lived in Viterbo partly because of security needs and partly because in summer Rome and especially the Vatican were unhealthy. The Palace of the Popes was built during this period (several conclaves were held in Viterbo and four popes are buried in its churches). In 1276 a Loggia delle Benedizioni (blessings) was built next to the palace. The frieze above the arches showed for the first time the two keys of St Peter crossing each other.

Loggia of the Papal Palace
Loggia of the Papal Palace

The loggia was covered and had a similar set of columns overlooking the depression of Faul, a part of Viterbo inside the walls, but almost void of buildings. In the XIVth century the roof collapsed and the loggia became an open space where Pope Sixtus IV (1471-84) assembled a fine fountain made with elements of a XIIIth century fountain.

Fountain in the Loggia
Fountain in the Loggia

Pope Sixtus IV was very keen on establishing the role of the pope as actual ruler of the country: so his coat of arms is at the center of the new Renaissance façade of Palazzo Comunale, the symbol of the municipal authority. The courtyard of the palace is embellished by several papal coats of arms: the image here below shows also the baroque coat of arms of Pope Innocentius XII (1691-1700), who had been governor of Viterbo and a Renaissance coat of arms showing the heraldic crest of Pope Paulus II (1464-71) above an inscription making reference to his predecessor Pope Pius II (1458-64).

Palazzo del Comune
Palazzo Comunale

Pope Paulus III (1534-49) (Alessandro Farnese) was born near Viterbo and he tried to leave to his family a little state having as its capital Viterbo: many towns around Viterbo (Caprarola, Ronciglione, Nepi and the Duchy of Castro) became fiefs of the Farnese. There are several coats of arms of Pope Paulus III in Viterbo. The picture here below shows his coat of arms in the fortress of Viterbo, which had been built by Cardinal Albornoz in the XIVth century, but which was strengthened by Paulus III. The large fountain in front of the fortress was also built by the Farnese (note their lily on its top).

Rocca di Viterbo
Rocca (fortress) di Viterbo

Viterbo, unlike Rome, has retained coats of arms celebrating the opening of a street or other events not related to a monument. The two coats of arms here below belong to (left) Pope Sixtus V (1585-90) and his predecessor (right) Pope Gregorius XIII (1572-85). In both cases they are accompanied by the coat of arms of a Farnese cardinal, as this family retained for many years a great influence over Viterbo. They also show the symbol of Viterbo: a lion holding a flag and behind the lion a palm (you see it also in the background of this page).

Papal coats of arms in the streets of Viterbo
Papal coats of arms in the streets of Viterbo

Viterbo is still protected by its medieval walls: some of the gates were modified in the XVIIth and XVIIIth century. The main gate Porta Romana was rebuilt by Pope Innocentius X (1644-55) who had assigned to his sister-in-law Olimpia Maidalchini the nearby fief of S. Martino al Cimino. The gate was again modified by Pope Clemens XI (1700-21) and it shows the coats of arms of both popes (left: Clemens XI; right: Innocentius X). The statue between the coats of arms shows S. Rosa, patroness of Viterbo, who in the XIIIth century led the resistance against the Emperor Frederic II. You can see a picture of Porta Romana in my page on the Walls of the Popes.

Papal coats of arms on the top of Porta Romana
Papal coats of arms on the top of Porta Romana

Pope Benedictus XIII (1724-30) had a very complex coat of arms with a reference to his family (Orsini) and to his order (Dominicans). In Rome one can see his coat of arms only over his funeral monument in S. Maria sopra Minerva. Viterbo on the contrary has two coats of arms of this pope, although the excess of symbols makes them rather confused.

Papal coats of arms in Porta della Verità and S. Carluccio
Papal coats of arms in Porta della Verità and in S. Carluccio


In and about Viterbo - other pages:
Bagnaia
Bagnoregio
Bomarzo
S. Maria della Querce
S. Martino al Cimino
Orte and Vasanello
Tuscania
Vitorchiano

Pages on towns of Latium other than Rome In the Duchy of Castro: Farnese, Ischia di Castro, Valentano, Gradoli, Capodimonte, Marta In Maremma: Corneto (Tarquinia), Montalto, Canino A Pilgrim's Way: Via Francigena: Acquapendente, Bolsena, Montefiascone In and about Viterbo: Viterbo, Bagnoregio, S. Martino al Cimino, Tuscania, Bomarzo, S. Maria della Querce, Bagnaia, Orte, Vasanello, Vitorchiano From Civitavecchia to Civita Castellana: Civitavecchia, Tolfa, Allumiere, Oriolo Romano, Capranica, Sutri, Bassano, Monterosi, Nepi, Castel d'Elia, Civita Castellana From Bracciano to Viterbo: Manziana, Canale Monterano, Vejano, Barbarano, Blera, Vetralla Around Monte Cimino: Ronciglione, Caprarola, Carbognano, Fabrica, Corchiano, Vignanello, Vallerano, Soriano The Bracciano Lake: Bracciano, Trevignano, Anguillara At the foot of Monte Soratte: S. Oreste, Rignano, Faleria Land of the Romans' wives: Montopoli, Poggio Mirteto, Casperia, Cantalupo, Roccantica Sentinels on the Highway: Fiano Romano, Civitella S. Paolo, Nazzano, Torrita Tiberina, Filacciano, Ponzano Along Via Aurelia: Palidoro, Palo, S. Severa and S. Marinella A Walk to Malborghetto: Prima Porta, Malborghetto Branching off Via Cassia: S. Maria di Galeria, Formello, Isola Farnese To Nomentum and beyond: Mentana, Monterotondo, Palombara A Walk to Ponte di Nona: ancient monuments along Via Prenestina Via Appia Antica A short and delicious digression: Tivoli, Montecompatri, Monte Porzio Catone, Frascati, Grottaferrata, Marino, Castelgandolfo, Albano, Ariccia, Genzano, Velletri, Nemi, Rocca di Papa, Rocca Priora, Civita Lavinia (Lanuvio), Porto, Ostia Where the painters found their models: Anticoli Corrado, Castelmadama, Vicovaro, Arsoli Subiaco The Roman Campagna: Palestrina, Genazzano, Paliano, Anagni The Ernici Mountains: Ferentino, Alatri The Volsci Mountains: Valmontone, Colonna, Segni, Norma, Cori On the Latin Shores: Anzio, Nettuno, Torre Astura On the edge of the marsh: Sermoneta, Sezze, Priverno Circe's Cape: S. Felice, Terracina Veroli Branching off Via Flaminia: Riano, Castelnuovo di Porto, Morlupo, Leprignano (Capena)

Latium was enlarged in the 1920s with territories from the neighbouring regions: the map on the left shows the current borders of Latium; the map on the right has links to pages covering towns of historical Latium: in order to see them you must hover and click on the dots.