Viterbo is a town of 66,767 inhabitants in the province of Viterbo, in Lazio, Italy. It is the capital of its province.
The municipality covers 406.3 km², with a density of 164 inhabitants per km².
The nearest airport is Rome Fiumicino (FCO), about 70 km away as the crow flies. Read our guide to the airport.
Things to see in Viterbo
The city of the popes
Viterbo, in northern Lazio, was the residence of the popes in the thirteenth century: the longest papal election in history, almost three years, took place here. Its medieval quarter of San Pellegrino is one of the best preserved in Europe.
What to see
The Palazzo dei Papi, with its elegant Gothic loggia, stands next to the cathedral of San Lorenzo. The San Pellegrino quarter is a maze of grey stone houses with external staircases called profferli, arches and towers. The town is full of fountains, such as the Fontana Grande. On 3 September the Macchina di Santa Rosa, a lighted tower 30 metres high, is carried through the streets by a hundred porters: a UNESCO intangible heritage tradition. The hot springs around the city, such as the Bullicame, have been used since Etruscan times.
Food
Acquacotta, lombrichelli pasta, chestnuts, hazelnuts of the Monti Cimini and the Est! Est!! Est!!! wine of Montefiascone.
Around Viterbo
Civita di Bagnoregio, "the dying town", the Monster Park of Bomarzo, Villa Farnese in Caprarola, Lake Bolsena with Bolsena, the Etruscan necropolis of Tarquinia and Tuscania. Rome Fiumicino airport is about 1 hour 15 minutes away.
Viterbo on the map
Nearby towns
Where to stay in and around Viterbo
Tours and activities nearby
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