Viterbo 2

May 30, 2018

Viterbo – Valle Faul

What stands out in a city such as Viterbo is the stern medieval architecture contrasted against the sudden bursts of colourful flowers.

Viterbo

Viterbo – Valle Faul

Viterbo

Viterbo – Valle Faul

Viterbo – Piazza della Rocca

Viterbo

Viterbo

The dour massifs of grey stone that soar above often conceal vast and well-appointed apartments, rich in comforts that would appear improbable from the viewpoint of someone on the street, never mind richly fecund courtyards.

Viterbo

Viterbo

Viterbo – Piazza della Rocca

Viterbo – Valle Faul

Viterbo

Elegant boutiques and cafes line the main streets of the city. Visible occasionally are the external stone staircases that rise to small terraces on the second level of structures hearkening back almost 1000 years in time.

Viterbo

Viterbo

Viterbo

Viterbo

Viterbo

Viterbo

Viterbo

Squat towers soar impassively above the town, recalling a time when feuding families garrissoned themselves in such fortified structures. These towers are particularly stark, with no openings other than a few seemingly random portholes.

Viterbo

Viterbo

Viterbo

Viterbo

The maned lion and the palm tree occasionally on display recall the coat-of-arms of Viterbo,

Viterbo

Viterbo

Viterbo – Piazza della Rocca

Squat arches are reminiscent of the pre-Gothic period.

Viterbo

Viterbo

The lone linear boulevard is unusual in a town characterized by relentlessly weaving and undulating alleys.

Viterbo

Viterbo

Viterbo

Ample evidence is present in the city of its religious history, in particular, papal residence in the Middle Ages.

Viterbo – Palazzo dei Papi

Viterbo

Viterbo

Viterbo

Viterbo – Valle Faul

Viterbo – Palazzo dei Papi

Sculptures designed according to the precepts of modern art stand in stark contrast to the largely medieval setting.

Viterbo

Viterbo – Valle Faul

Viterbo

Viterbo

Viterbo

Much of the original walls of the city are still intact, adding to the dram of the city. Access to the city is provided by means of gates that pass through these walls.

Viterbo – Piazza della Rocca

Viterbo

Viterbo

Life in the city focuses on the piazzas that crops up occasionally in the old city, and the establishments that line such squares.

Viterbo

Viterbo

Viterbo – Piazza della Rocca

Viterbo

Viterbo – Piazza della Rocca

Viterbo

The stark architecture is at times amended by embellishments from the Renaissance, Baroque or other periods. Upon closer inspection, the detailing on the statues, the fountains, the facades of the weathered buildings is absolutely astonishing.

Viterbo

Viterbo

Viterbo

Viterbo

Viterbo

The sombre architectural setting comes to life with the obligatory cafes that appear at the edge of some alley or on a tiny piazza, with a few small tables possibly squeezed along a narrow cobblestone walkway.

Viterbo

Viterbo

Viterbo

Viterbo

Viterbo

You’ll never complain with driving conditions in North America after seeing what Italians contend with.

Viterbo

Viterbo – Piazza della Rocca

The old city culminates upon the towering structure of the papal palace and the surrounding structures, including the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, looking out over the valley below, embellished with its own unique and unusual artworks.

Viterbo – Palazzo dei Papi

Viterbo – Valle Faul

Viterbo – Valle Faul

Viterbo – Valle Faul