VILLA POGGIO VERDE

CIVITA DI BAGNOREGIO - Civita di Bagnoregio is a perfect example of unique masterpiece. This small rock is connected to the land just by a long and narrow bridge. Civita is also called the “Dying Town”, because its sides has been falling down for years and years. Because of this inexorable deterioration, there are only few people living in the medieval buildings of Civita downtown.
Around the rock the landscape is wide and impressive, giving the tourist a charming and unforgettable scenario. An excursion in this magic borough is strongly suggested. Distances > Orvieto (15 km - 9,3 miles), Bolsena (11 km - 6,5 miles)

GOLE DEL FORELLO, Tiber Fluvial Park, Corbara Lake - They are part of the Tiber Fluvial Park, which is mainly represented by Corbara Lake. They are picturesque cliffs that take the old river straight to Rome, by making a real canyon. The whole canyon is full of underground caves, that can be safely visited anytime of the year. Through these rocks, several prehistoric discoveries were found during the past years. In this Tiber area, many handcrafts were also made by the Romans. For this reason, an ancient Roman kiln can be visited nearby.

MONTECCHIO, Olive Oil Museum - Very close to the odern olive oil mill, in this museum several features are exposed, such as tools, curiosities, images and secrets about a 6000 years' old aged tradition. Starting from this Umbrian tradition origin, passing trough the olive oil modern proceedings and ending with a delicious tasting of the famous “bruschetta” (toasted slice of bread seasoned with garlic olive oil and salt), you can get a really typical Umbrian moment. Near Montecchio there is also an interesting area where an etruscan necropoli has been discovered years ago.

ORVIETO - The famous rock of Orvieto is just the basis of a city where everything is about art and history. Ages come across the city starting from the Etruscan civilization, through the Middle Age, until today. Since then, time has not been able to damage the wild beauty of the red tufa plateau (which Orvieto is made of) but it testifies about a supreme art. Putting together the famous Duomo, the Saint Patrick well, the Moro’s clocktower and many other artistic treasures, you easily get a unique glance over the Orvieto masterpiece.
In the Orvieto surroundings, in any of its areas, both Tuscany and Latium directions, you can reach many historical attractions, as the Etruscan Necropolis at Crocifisso del Tufo, the Roman ruins over the Tiber (Pagliano’s roman harbour) and Giulio’s bridge (roman architecture near Paglia river).

Distances > Roma (110 km - 68 miles), Firenze (149 km - 92 miles), Perugia (66 km - 41 miles), Terni (75 km - 46,5 miles), Siena (120 km - 74 miles) Assisi (70 km - 43 miles), Todi (30 km - 18,6 miles), Bolsena (20 km - 12 miles), Viterbo (45 km - 27,9 miles).

MONTE PEGLIA PARK and Volcanological route and museum of San Venanzo - The San Venanzo ‘s volcano, 265.000 years old, is an original “bonsai” volcano whose ancient shape is characterized by prehistoric lava drains which are still visible. Many types of minerals and rare rocks have been extracted by this volcano. The most important rock discovered is the “venanzite” that gets its name from the town of San Venanzo. In the centre of the town, not far from the volcanological path, there is a nice museum dedicated to the volcano. Within the museum, many rocks and other prehistoric fossils are exhibited.

TANE DEL DIAVOLO (Devil's Shelter) - Parrano - Placed at the basis of the beautiful borough of Parrano, the Tane del Diavolo (Devil’s Shelter) are evocative karstic caves characterized by several streams of limpid water. Today it is possible to visit these caves along the route named “Fosso del Bagno naturale”.

TODI - The town is world wide famous mainly for the kind of stone which is made of and also because the poet Iacopone da Todi was born there. Visiting Todi also gives you the chance to taste its typical food and products. Very nice is the historical downtown starting from the Santuario della Consolazione through the San Donato church until the great Piazza del Popolo.

A visit to this town is of the greatest interest for the beauty of its monuments and its medieval centre. The nature surrounding the historic downtown is rich, full of great landscapes and panoramic view. In ten minutes from Todi you can easily reach the Tevere river park and Corbara lake. Distances > Orvieto (30 km - 18,6 miles), Assisi (55 km - 34 miles), Perugia (50 km - 31 miles), Terni ( 40 km - 24,8 miles), Spoleto (42 km - 25 miles), Gubbio (80 km - 50 miles), Roma (139 km - 86 miles), Firenze (197 km - 122 miles)

SPOLETO - This town represents a typical mix of many different ages and events. Once rebuilt by the Romans, it still keeps its old medieval aspect. Spoleto was a rich Lungbard area, then, an important Papal State town. The Rocca Albornoziana and the Roman ruins must be seen!
Since a long time, Spoleto has been the set for an important cultural event, called "Festival dei Due Mondi".

Other important monuments that worth a visit are the Cathedral of S.Maria Assunta, the S.Pietro church and the Roman theatre dating from the 1st century A.D. today totally restored so that its original structure and shape is once more visible. Distances > Terni (30 km - 18,6 miles), Perugia (65 km - 40 miles), Assisi (70 km - 42 miles), Cascia e Norcia (45-50 km - 32 miles), Orvieto (80 km - 49 miles), Roma (140 km - 86 miles)

BOMARZO - Deeply plunged in Viterbo district and in a particularly green area, Bomarzo is a real representation of a perfectly maintained medieval town. Its unique Rocky Monster’s Park is a great half a day stop.

The name "Bomarzo" is supposed to come from the Roman period from Polymartium of uncertain meaning. It was a property of the Orsini family, whose castle is at the edge of the densely-built town, until Marzio sold it to the Lante family in 1645.
Bomarzo's main attraction is a garden usually referred to as the Bosco Sacro (Sacred grove) or, locally, Bosco dei Mostri ("Monsters' Grove"), because of its many large stone sculptures which populate this particular landscape.
A sphinx is located right at the entrance of the Park of the Monsters.
This garden was made by Pier Francesco Orsini, called Vicino (1528–1588), the patron of the arts, greatly devoted to his wife Giulia Farnese; when she died, he created the gardens for her.
The park of Bomarzo was meant not to please, but to shock visitors. In itself there are lots of arcane symbolism.
The reason for the layout and design of the garden is largely unknown: perhaps they were meant as a foil to the perfect symmetry and layout of the great Renaissance gardens nearby at Villa Farnese and Villa Lante. Next to a formal exedra is a tilting watchtowerlike casina, the so-called Casa Storta ("Hanging House").
An octagonal templet was added about twenty years later to honor the second wife of Orsini, Giulia Farnese.
During the Nineteenth Century and deep into the twentieth the garden became overgrown and neglected, but in the 1970s a program of restoration was implemented by the Bettini family, and today the garden, which remains private property, is a major tourist attraction.
The surreal nature of the Parco dei Mostri appealed to Jean Cocteau and the great surrealist Salvador Dalí, who discussed it at great length. The poet André Pieyre de Mandiargues wrote an essay devoted to Bomarzo. Niki de Saint Phalle was inspired by Bomarzo for her Tarot Garden. The story behind Bomarzo and the life of Pier Francesco Orsini are the subject of a fascinating novel by the Argentinian writer Manuel Mujica Láinez (1910-1984), Bomarzo (1962). Mujica Láinez himself wrote a libretto based on his novel, which was set to music by Alberto Ginastera (1967). The opera Bomarzo premièred in Washington in 1967. In Argentina the opera was banned by the military dictatorship, but in the USA both Mujica Láinez and Ginastera were awarded the Pulitzer Prize.

VITERBO - This is one of the Pope’s cities, rich of historical elements as churches, castles, towers, ruins and an authentic jewel: the San Pellegrino quarter. The historical downtown, surrounded by 11th century city walls, encloses several monuments. Since the Etruscans, the city has always been considered central and strategic, especially during Gregorio X’s pontificate. Evidence of the religious heritage is the magnificent Palazzo Papale, sited in the heart of the medieval quarter.
Driving around Viterbo, it is very easy to discover hidden attractions, starting from the Roman age (Ferento’s Roman Amphitheatre), crossing the important renaissance Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola, ending to the amazing Villa Lante sited in Bagnaia.
Villa Lante is a perfect example of an Italian 16th century villa with garden, surrounded by thick walls and full of original monuments. Its garden is the result of centuries of tradition. Another great italian monument is the close Castello Ruspoli in Vignanello.

And just in the neighborhood of Viterbo you can find the Vico lake and the archeological site of Ferento and Sutri. Not far there is the Bracciano lake with the Aviation Museum of Vigna di Valle.

Distances > Roma (80 km - 49,6 miles), Terni (58 km - 35,9 miles), Orvieto (45 km - 27,9 miles), Bolsena (30 km - 18 miles), Bomarzo (40 km - 24,8 miles), Caprarola (19 km - 11,7 miles), Bagnoregio (30 km - 18,6 miles), Firenze (240 km - 149 miles)

TEVERINA AREA - This area spreads among the Bolsena Lake and the Tiber, together with the stunning Clay Gullies Valley and many small towns and boroughs that show their charming past times. Many spots are very interesting to be visited:

Bagnoregio - Main monuments: Porta Albana (1589), S. Bonaventura Church (1632), S. Nicola Church (1581), where you can admire an antique Roman sarcofag used as an altar.
Castiglione in Teverina - Beautiful medieval borough, famous for its incredible "Piazzetta", where every year an important Wine Festival takes place. You can reach it by walking through narrow streets among sixteenth century buildings. Important monuments: SS. Filippo and Giacomo Church.
Celleno - Main monuments: S. Giovanni Battista Convent and Orsini Castle, with its small S. Carlo Church. Celleno borough is very small but intense to live and it offers strong feelings to its visitors any time of the year.
Graffignano - Main monuments: Baglioni Castle and Madonna del Castellonchio Church. In Viterbo county, this town represents a typical north Latium area.
Lubriano - Main monuments: S. Caterina Tower, Bourbon del Monte Palace and a shocking Monaldeschi Tower. Lubriano is also very close to Bagnoregio and Orvieto, almost on the regional border which divides Umbria and Latium.

TERNI - Marmore Falls - Once you get Terni, keep going on towards Valnerina. Suddenly, only after 7 km, you will find on your right side the impressive and amazing Marmore Falls, the highest falls in Europe, 165 mt high. This fall was artificially created by the Romans, to supply their water needs.Terni is a dinamic city, one of the most modern in Umbria, anyway beside its industrial fame, it is also rich of monuments and interesting archeological area.Infact not far from the city, there are two different but great attractions: one is the famous archeological site of Carsulae, while in the near Avigliano Umbro, you can enjoy a restful excursion in the prehistoric Dunarobba's wood. The city itself boasts a nice historical downtown, and just out of the city, there is the famous San Valentino's cathedral.

Distances > Roma (90 km - 55 miles), Firenze (220 km - 136 miles), Perugia (60 km - 37 miles), Orvieto (75 km - 46 miles), Todi (60 km - 37 miles)

AMELIA - this ancient Umbrian borugh is on a top hill position and its historical downtown woth a visit, in particular the Cathedral is very interesting. Moreover near this monument you can enjoy a visit to the old roman reserviors. The surroundings are interesting too above all the ancient Para's dike. Distances > Roma (103 km -63,8 miles), Perugia (100 km - 62 miles), Assisi (105 km - 65 miles), Terni (40 km - 24,8 miles), Orvieto (65 km - 40 miles), Spoleto (55 km - 34 miles)