Top 15 Castles around Soriano Nel Cimino

Viterbo lived its period of major splendor and power in the 13th century when it was chosen as the seat of the papacy instead of Rome, where powerful warring families made life too dangerous. Eight different popes lived in Viterbo making it is similar to Vatican City and Avignon in France. The longest papal conclave in history happened here from 1 December 1268 to 1 September 1271. Following Pope Clement IV's death, infighting between cardinals and political pressure led to a 34-month deadlock. The cardinals were locked up cum clave (hence the word conclave) inside the palace’s large Conclave Hall. In desperation the town’s population, who were feeding them and their entourages, eventually reduced the cardinals’ food and wine supplies, trying to speed up the election. Time wore on and they finally decided to remove the roof of the palace: in order to help the Holy Spirit come down and illuminate them, it was quipped. That worked.

The gate bears the coat of arms of Vitorchiano with the inscription SPQR (for which the village received permission from Rome). The gate is part of the old wall that extends for about two hundred and fifty metres on the south side of Vitorchiano. The tower above the gate dates from the 13th century. The old city walls (Le Mura Castellane) have several towers, each built of peperino stone and dovetail battlements with loopholes in between.

The Papal Palace in Viterbo served as the Vatican for the 24 years of the thirteenth century when the papacy moved there due to ongoing unrest in Rome.

Past the old monastery you will arrive at the old borgo. The elevated old village has been depopulated since the 19th century and has become a real ruin due to erosion and earthquakes. In 1951 it was completely abandoned. Only the old market square and the castle are accessible, the old houses are completely dilapidated and overgrown with plants over the years. The Orsini castle at the entrance of Celleno antico is the most beautiful building in the borgo. It has a large watchtower and the castle is surrounded by a deep moat. It was recently restored and inhabited by the artist Enrico Castellani. This artist was internationally known (he also studied in Brussels) and died on 1 December 2017. On the old market square you can see a beautiful rectangular bell tower, in 3 layers and made of tuff. Only the walls of the old church San Carlo (17th century), left of the castle, remain. Close to the market square is the church of San Donato from the year 1000 in Romanesque style, with a very beautiful portal in basalt stone.

Recent archaeological discoveries have confirmed the Etruscan origins (4th-3rd centuries BC) of Celleno Vecchio, a settlement that enjoyed a great position, i.e. the ancient communication route between Orvieto, Bagnoregio and Ferento. Ancient sources provide evidence that this medieval settlement is one of the fortified villages built by the Counts of Bagnoregio between the 10th and 11th centuries. At that time, the village must have consisted of a number of dwellings at the end of the tuff, protected by cliffs on three sides, surrounded by walls and a small fortress, which is now the Orsini Castle, to protect the only access route. At the end of the 12th century, after the destruction of Ferento, the municipality of Viterbo began a rapid expansion in the Tiber Valley, also acquiring Celleno, which in 1237 was one of the castles of the Viterbo area governed by a Podest (high official) appointed by the local government. At the end of the 14th century, the city center fell into the hands of the Gatti family, one of the most powerful families in Viterbo. During this period, the medieval fortress was completely renovated and converted into a fortified stately home that can still be seen today. The Gatti family ruled Celleno until the last heir, Giovanni Gatti, who was killed on the orders of Pope Alexander VI (Borgia) for refusing to return the castle. At the beginning of the 16th century, the municipality fell into the hands of the Orsini family. Interestingly, the castle still bears the name of this family. Only towards the end of the 16th century was the church able to incorporate Celleno into its possessions until the unification of Italy. In modern times, Celleno Vecchio was often affected by earthquakes and landslides, until it was finally abandoned in the 1930s. Today it is a small, charming and evocative ghost village, characterized by ruins and vegetation, with beautiful views of the surrounding landscape.

The Palace of the Popes, or Palazzo dei Papi, in Viterbo is a masterpiece of medieval architecture. Built in the 13th century, it served as a residence for the popes. The palace is an example of Gothic architecture and features beautiful vaulted halls, courtyards and an impressive tower that offers panoramic views of the city. The National Museum, with an extensive collection of medieval works of art, is housed in the beautiful spaces of the palace.

Palazzo dei Papi is a palace in Viterbo, northern Lazio, Italy. It is one of the city's most important monuments and is located next to the Duomo di Viterbo (Viterbo Cathedral). From 1257 to 1281 a total of eight popes resided in Viterbo almost without interruption. The commune's offer to build a palace as a curia seat for the popes contributed to this. This structure was built in sections from 1255 to 1266 and was given the name “Palace of the Popes” due to its use; today it is the Bishop's Palace. The first and longest conclave to date took place in Viterbo. In 1268, after the death of Pope Clement IV, the conclave began, which lasted a total of 1005 days (from November 30, 1268 to September 1, 1271). The number of cardinals was initially 20 and in the end only 16, as 3 cardinals died during this time and one left the conclave. On Bonaventure's advice, the cardinals were eventually confined to bread and water until a new pope was elected. On September 1, 1271, a non-cardinal was elected as the new pope. The chosen one, Tebaldo Visconti, an Italian from Piacenza, not even a priest, was at that time on a pilgrimage in the Holy Land (Acre). Visconti, then archdeacon of Liège, arrived in Viterbo on February 10, 1272, accepted the election, was ordained a priest and bishop on March 19, 1272 and was crowned as Pope Gregory X in Rome on March 27, 1272. In Viterbo. resident popes: Alexander IV, Pope from 1254 to 1261 (stable residence in Viterbo from 1257); Urban IV, Pope from 1261 to 1264 (divided his residence between Orvieto and Viterbo); Clement IV, Pope from 1265 to 1268 (almost always lived in Viterbo); Gregory X, Pope from 1271 to 1276 (Gregory Innocent V, Pope from January 21 to June 22, 1276 (stayed in Viterbo for two weeks, shortly after his election, and met Charles of Anjou there); Hadrian V, Pope from July 11, 1276 to August 18, 1276 (spent almost all of his short pontificate in the monastery next to the church of San Francesco alla Rocca); John XXI, Pope from September 15, 1276 to May 20, 1277 (almost always lived in Viterbo); Nicholas III, pope from 1277 to 1280 (divided his residence between Viterbo, Rome and Soriano nel Cimino); Martin IV, elected on February 22, 1281 (left Viterbo immediately after his election).

Details here: https://www.archeoares.it/musei/viterbo/polo-monumentale-colle-del-duomo/ Approx. 10€ entry; San Lorenzo is free