Tuscania

Recent weather has been cooler and more unsettled than is typical for this time of year. Winter was warmer and drier than normal, so the off again-on again showers and rain that we have had has been generally welcome. During a break in the clouds this weekend, we set off on a spur of the moment trip to the nearby town of Tuscania, located some 20 kilometers to the west of Viterbo. Tuscania is believed to have been settled in Neolithic times. It was definitely inhabited by the Etruscans as their tombs and other archeological remains dot the countryside and form the foundations of many buildings. The construction of the Via Clodia helped propel Tuscania as an economic and agricultural center during the first century BC. Remnants of Via Clodia can still be found as this excavation in the middle of town indicates.

For me, the overwhelming features which characterize the town are churches and fountains. Even more than Viterbo, there seems to be an old stone church pretty much wherever you walk in the Centro Storico. The most prominent of the churches is located a short distance outside the city wall. The Chiesa di San Pietro was built during the 8^th century and substantially remodeled during the 11^th and 12^th centuries.

At one time it was contained entirely within a walled compound, accessed through this free standing gate which still remains.

One of the more unique features is this carving over the main entrance which sits atop a small loggia. Apparently, the area around this church was originally heavily settled, but the living spaces were abandoned following massive death during the Black Plague, leaving only the church in its current location outside the subsequent medieval walls.

There are many fountains within the walls, although fewer than in Viterbo. This one which has seven water spouts is near the gate where we entered. It is just around the corner from an extensive public laundry facility, so it is unlikely that it is actually a laundry, but its general shape doesn’t rule that out.

A more traditional fountain can be found in the Piazza del Duomo.

Compared to Rome, the pace of life in Viterbo is quite moderate. Perhaps like the difference between New York City or Boston and our home city of Springfield. In contrast, while only a few miles away from Viterbo, Tuscania was small-town quiet and serene. Granted, it was a Sunday afternoon, but one got the sense that life there was more peaceful and deliberate with lots of open, green spaces and fresh air.