Author: Clara Caponetti

Viterbo is the perfect destination to enjoy relaxation, nature and clean air! Discover what to see and do in Viterbo near Rome, in a day or more!   Viterbo is located in the northern part of Lazio, in an area called Tuscia. It has got very ancient origins, so much so that its name is believed to derive from Vetus Urbs, or Old Town. This is really a wonderful place! It hides within it a medieval centre, considered the largest in Europe, with marvellous buildings that are still well preserved and an almost perfectly intact city wall. If you want to breathe in the medieval air, you can't miss a visit to the San Pellegrino quarter, which is the best testimony to the city's past! When asking yourself what to see in Viterbo and its surroundings, you should definitely list the medieval quarters, picturesque villages, churches, towers and historical residences, but not forgetting the sea, lakes, thermal baths, parks, as well as Etruscan and Roman archaeological sites... It is a place full of wonderful activities and discoveries! As many know, Viterbo is known to be the city of the Popes: from 1257 to 1281 it was chosen, due to its strategic position, as the papal seat. In fact, the Papal Palace saw several popes elected during this period and the city achieved great fame. Besides being a papal city, Viterbo is also very famous for its thermal baths and the University of Tuscia. Speaking of Viterbo's origins, these are very ancient. To understand them, it is necessary to go back many years, to the Etruscan civilisation that founded the city. It is indeed from here that the name Tuscia derives. It means "territory inhabited by the Tusci", which would be, precisely, the Etruscans! In the Ferento archaeological area, the remains