Civita Castellana
Visit Civita Castellana
Civita Castellana is located on the slopes of Mount Soratte, in northern Latium in the Lazio region of central Italy to the north of Rome, where it was built on a block of tufa.
Civita Castellana Cathedral
A visit to can start from the Civita Castellana Cathedral, built in the 12th century on the site of an earlier pagan temple. The central portico, adorned with a marble frame within which is a polychrome mosaic, is surmounted by a lunette with a half pink rose; on the right, in the lunette, there is a fine mosaic of Christ giving blessings. In the portico we can also enjoy a Roman altar, in Greek marble with ornamental reliefs. The interior of the cathedral, restored in Baroque style, is in the form of a Latin cross, with a Cosmatesque style floor. The baptistery has a baptismal font of the fifteenth century; the altar of the nave consists of a Roman sarcophagus of marble, depicting the “Primacy of St. Peter”; and the pulpit was reconstructed with fragments of the original temple. On the last altar there is the “Madonna del Rosario”, a 15th century painting by the Roman school. To the right you can see the “Virgin of Light”, a 14th century fresco in a gilded frame. Particularly remarkable is the Romanesque crypt, with vaulted ceilings supported by columns decorated with capitals dating from various ages while on the walls there are two tabernacles in Renaissance style.
Sangallo Fortress
Another highlight in Civita Castellana is the Sangallo fortress, which was built, at the request of Alexander VI, by Antonio Sangallo the Elder with a pentagonal plan, while the central tower was built in octagonal shape on the walls of an ancient castle of the tenth century. The work was begun by Antonio Sangallo the Elder and completed by Antonio Sangallo the Younger. The fortress is dominated by the massive tower, surrounded by a moat on all sides.
Museum of Civita Castellana
The Museum of Civita Castellana has some items of particular importance. The nine exhibition halls are located on the 1st floor of the portico, of which the rooms 1-5 are devoted primarily to “Civita Castellana”, or rather the primitive settlement of “Falerii Veteres”. In the first room there are ancient artifacts from the tenth to the sixth century BC while the items in the second room date from the 3rd century BC. Note particularly a beautiful “deinos” (Attic black-figure pottery), and an elegant “oinochoe” (from the Ancient Greek word “oìnos” [“wine”] and “Kéo” [“to pour”]), with red figures, and a feminine image in the act of looking in the mirror. There are numerous bronzes (VI-III century BC) in the third room (wheels, mirrors, chandeliers), and also Attic pottery, including a crater with the apotheosis of Hercules, by the so-called "Painter of London" (a Greek painter, active about 540 BC). The fourth room is dedicated to the reconstruction of a tomb, while the 5th features the ceramics with red figures of the Faliscan school, plus several architectural terracottas, including a fragment of Attic pottery. Across the portico three further rooms feature some funerary finds from the temples of Faliscan and Etruscan culture. In room 8 there is a fine black Attic vase of the sixth century BC and some gold ornaments. Finally, in the ninth room, some local pottery and Attic red and black-figure are kept.
Churches to visit
Among other religious monuments of interest are the Church of St. Francis, probably the largest in the city, which inside contains works from various periods. It is a quaint and beautiful church, with an interior dating from the eighteenth century, where there are two well-preserved paintings of the 16th century, respectively attributed to Sano di Pietro (1406-1481) and Antoniazzo Romano (1430 ca.-1510 ca.). The Church of Santa Maria del Carmine is thought to date from the 12th century, but suffered significant interventions in the 16th century. The Church of Santa Chiara is a medieval building, but substantially altered by the restoration work; and, finally, the Church of St. Peter, in the main square, near the monastery, dates from the 18th century. Among the works of art, we remember a painting by Antoniazzo Romano.
Other information about a visit to Civita Castellana
finish your visit with a look at the so-called 'Porta Borgiana' (Borgia Gate), an ancient gate erected (1492) in honour of Rodrigo Borgia, the future pope Alexander VI. It was built with materials from an ancient Roman tomb, the bas-relief details of which are still well maintained.
The visit to of town should entice you to try the local cuisine, which largely follows that of Rome. Vegetables are used in the preparation of soups, while pastas to try include the "fettuccine alla romana", “pajata with rigatoni”, “spaghetti all’ amatriciana”, the “carbonara”, with cheese and pepper with anchovies, with tuna, garlic and oil. Among the meat there is the famous “abbacchio” ["lamb"]. Tit-bits also include the delicious pork, beef tail "alla vaccinara", “saltimbocca”; and, among the cooked vegetables are the famous artichoke “alla giudìa”. The cheeses are mainly based on the use of sheep's milk. Latium is also among the most famous wine regions of Italy - enjoy the wines of Castelli Romani.
See also history of Civita Castellana
Click here to add your comments, suggestions or recommendations
|
Please Give Us Your Feedback