8 days, 7 nights for small groups maximum 14 people.
Download the PDF in ItalianTuscia. This was the name given to Etruria after the end of Etruscan rule, which began in late antiquity and throughout the early Middle Ages. The name originally indicated a very vast territory that included all of historical Etruria: Tuscany, western Umbria and northern Lazio. Tuscia stands for the village of the Tusci, that is how the Romans called the Etruscan enemies. Today it is identified – without precise borders, of course – with the province of Viterbo, while the area north of Rome, up to more or less Lake Bracciano, is called Tuscia Romana. Our tour wants to tell the first territory that has the peculiarity of being able to go back in time, between Lombard kings, German emperors and popes who came from afar
Travel highlights: from Viterbo, to Bomarzo, Vitorchiano, Bagnaia, Caprarola, Tarquinia, Tuscania, Acquapendente, Lake Bolsena, Civita Bagnoregio, Montefiascone, Orvieto and tastings, companies, nature, magic.
Departure point Viterbo, with transfer included from Orvieto station, round trip.
Available on request, pick up from Turin, Milan, Bologna, Florence and Rome, for pre-established groups of at least 6 people, round trip.
Itinerary:
First day –Viterbo
Arrival in Viterbo and accommodation in Hotel.
Viterbo is the heart of Tuscia, as well as the city of the popes, according to historians, has hosted for more or less long periods over 40 with their court throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Moreover, between 1257 and 1281 it was the papal seat, chosen by Alexander IV to move away from Rome, where a hostile and persecutory climate had been established against the Church.
In the afternoon, we will go out with our guide to get to know the most beautiful places in the city starting from its beautifully preserved medieval old town, . We will visit the majestic Palazzo dei Papi, the San Pellegrino district with its beautiful fountains, stairs full of flowers, hidden squares and artisan shops (local).
For the evening dinner in an ancient tavern in Viterbo and Overnight stay
Second day – The Tuscia of the villages, from Bomarzo, to Vitorchiano and Bagnaia 120 km
Breakfast and departure for the nearby Bomarzo, famous for the Sacro Bosco, renamed Parco dei mostri, a unique wonder in the world art scene. The Park is a Renaissance garden built in the sixteenth century by Vicino Orsini exploiting the volcanic rocks that emerge from the steep terrain and lap the town. Walking through the park we find ourselves catapulted into another dimension, meeting monstrous figures hidden in the green, only apparently displaced without a logic.
Free time for lunch and in the afternoon we will visit the beautiful village of Vitorchiano, the Borgo Sospeso, a real terrace on the surrounding countryside that is enclosed in a double wall, and is reflected in the only Moai in the world outside Easter Island. On why it is there to show off if our guide will explain it to you.
The next visit is full of beauty, in fact Villa Lante in Bagnaia, a few minutes from Vitorchiano is a real explosion of colors and sensations, its eighteen hectares of park and formal garden, represent one of the greatest examples of green architecture of the sixteenth century, getting lost inside is a unique feeling that almost obscures the presence of the Villa.
In the late afternoon return to Viterbo and overnight stay.
Third day – The Etruscan capitals, from Tarquinia and Tuscania. 122 km
First visit of the day the splendid Palazzo Farnese di Caprarola, a few km from Viterbo, a real palace, commissioned by Alessandro Farnese, surrounded by water games, gardens and final outlet of a medieval village that is divided exactly in two to leave the view free to range from the Palace to the end of the village and beyond.
The Palace consists of 5 enchanting floors with elegant architectural solutions, not to be missed.
After this visit we follow in the footsteps of the Etruscans to reach the Tyrrhenian Sea in Tarquinia, famous for its beaches and the spectacular Monterozzi necropolis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A relaxing walk in the shade of the high medieval towers of the historic center, with its ancient stone churches, its well-kept and narrow streets by the mass of extraordinary noble palaces and feast your eyes with the many panoramic views of the sea and the surrounding countryside before stopping for lunch (free).
In the early afternoon we will visit the most beautiful painted tombs among the more than 6000 present in a few square kilometers, most built over 2500 years ago, surrounded by a region of rare beauty with large valleys and round hills that characterize the landscape.
We continue our day visiting the other Etruscan capital, Tuscania, a town with a splendid historic center half medieval and half Renaissance, a center interrupted from time to time by parks and views that suddenly sprout on the surrounding valleys.
In the late afternoon return to Viterbo and overnight stay
Fourth day – Tuscia, the Lake, wine and Green Jerusalem. 70 km
Breakfast, check in and departure to the north of Lazio Tuscia, on the border between Umbria and Tuscany.
Our first destination will be Montefiascone, a beautifully perched village with its streets, Renaissance squares, noble palaces and the cathedral is dominated by the imposing bulk of the Rocca dei Papi from whose tower you can admire a unique landscape over the whole lake of Bolsena and the plain of Viterbo, a plain linked to one of the finest wines of Tuscia, East, East, East, a white man whose name is a good story to listen to, or maybe more than one...
In Montefiascone a break is a must to taste the East, East, East, accompanied by bread, cheeses, cold cuts, extra virgin olive oil, surrounded by an enchanted landscape around an ancient and welcoming winery.
We continue our journey in Tuscia leaving for a moment the view of the lake to discover an extraordinary village, Civita Bagnoregio, the village that dies, poised on a steep tower that every year loses pieces of rock and with them pieces of the village. But Civita remains an enchanted place, to reach it you have to cross a long bridge, but in the end the prize of a spectacular view, different at every hour of the day, at every change of season, an unmissable place to visit on tiptoe and curious eyes.
Towards the end of the afternoon we continue returning to the shores of Lake Bolsena, visiting the village of the same name in a relaxing walk along its two main streets full of craft shops and places where you can taste the Street Food of the Lake.
In the evening arrival in Acquapendente, accommodation in hotel and overnight stay in a farmhouse.
Fifth day – Acquapendente, the Green Jerusalem.
Acquapendente owes its name to the fact that it is located near numerous small waterfalls that flow into the river Paglia. The original village was formed around the Pieve di Santa Vittoria between the ninth and tenth centuries where the Via Cassia and the Via Francigena become one, in an itinerary that accompanied the faithful from Northern Europe to Rome.
It is a place of enchanted woods, of clear waters flowing, of other itineraries to discover a rich biodiversity and surprising landscapes, it is the place where stands the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, which according to a legendary tradition was founded by Queen Matilda of Westphalia, directed to Rome with a caravan of mules loaded with gold to build a sanctuary dedicated to the Holy Sepulchre. This is why it is considered the Green Jerusalem
With our guide we will visit its medieval art jewels, starting with the Julia de Jacopo Tower and the Clock Tower. The first was the ancient entrance to the city, while the second was part of the imperial castle of Frederick Barbarossa. Continuing the exploration of this village of archaic charm by visiting the elegant Church of San Francesco, its imposing Renaissance bell tower and the portal dating back to the eleventh century.
Getting lost in the enchanted alleys of Acquapendente, we will be able to contemplate refined historic buildings such as the Renaissance Palazzo Viscontini and the Palazzo Comunale di Acquapendente where instead reigns supreme a linear neoclassical style.
It's time for a stop for lunch to taste the products of the territory and we will do it in a nice 'farm.
In the afternoon we will visit some extraordinary farms in the surroundings of the city, to taste typical products told by those who have been producing them for generations. Overnight stay in a farmhouse.
Sixth day – Magic Acquapendente
After breakfast we reach the magical Bosco del Sasseto, a corner of precious and timeless nature that emanates a mysterious charm still intact. In the 61 hectares (forest + garden, which can only be visited with a guide) of this enchanting natural monument, there is a dense and intricate scrub composed of beeches, mountain elms, mountain maples, holm oaks and many other species of different trees, combined to form a naturalistic treasure rich in biodiversity.
On the edge of the forest is the Castello di Torre Alfina (visit included), which stands in all its mighty beauty in the heart of the village of the same name. The origin of the castle of Torre Alfina sinks in the early Middle Ages and closely linked to the history of the village.
The guided tour includes the garden, the Tomb of the Marquis (Edoardo Cahen, the man who made this place accessible to all) and the Museo del Fiore, these places constitute a historical – artistic – cultural – environmental unicum of great interest.
In this enchanted forest, so much so that it looks like the set of fantasy movies, anything can suddenly happen!
For lunch we move a little to visit a beautiful farm where we will taste the products of the territory in a wonderful natural setting.
After lunch we continue the visit of the farm and in the late afternoon return to Acquapendente and overnight stay.
Seventh day – Acquapendente, the Via Francigena and the itineraries of taste.
A special and slow day, a day dedicated to the thousand flavors of the Lazio region that merges with Umbria and Tuscany. We will go in search of typical products, visiting the farms and agritourism, a day to know, taste, breathe, experience an atmosphere that will amaze you, let yourself be guided.
Acquapendente is crossed by the Via Cassia, the most important communication route between Rome and Tuscany that in that place merges and overlaps with the Via Francigena. On this road have passed armies of conquering peoples, pilgrims heading to Rome and the Holy Land, cultures and traditions that have influenced local food and wine products enriching their taste. From the farro del Pungolo, to the Pici all'aglione, from white and red wines, to extra virgin olive oil, to cold cuts, to the wonderful cow and sheep cheese, not to mention the desserts, but above all the companies, sometimes very small, sometimes large but all linked by a bond of passion with the land.
In the late we will participate in a coking class in a beautiful medieval castle and to follow the dinner.
Return to Acquapendente and overnight stay.
Eighth day – ... and to finish in beauty, Orvieto 30 km
In the morning after breakfast transfer to Orvieto, where our trip ends.
Orvieto, the other city of the Popes that we will reach in half an hour and then climb the fortress with a cable car sweeping our gaze on the border between Lazio and Umbria. We will have free time to wander through the beautiful streets of the center overlooked by bars, restaurants and craft shops, before starting our visit of the city.
Orvieto is a great little magic perched on an impregnable cliff, as beautiful outside as mysterious and fascinating below. Beautiful outside with its magnificent Duomo, the frescoes of the New Chapel (executed from 1499 to 1504 by Luca Signorelli, who depicted Heaven and Hell, chosen and reprobate, scenes with prophets, angels and saints) leave us breathless for their beauty and the brightness of their colors. The façade is a true hymn to the art of mosaic and the bas-reliefs are of exceptional elegance.
Fascinating below in the so-called Underground City that was entirely obtained from the cavities dug by the inhabitants over the centuries, rich in wells and caves. The most famous is undoubtedly the St. Patrick's Well, next to the municipal gardens that are located inside the Albornoz Fortress.
The well, an extraordinary work of civil engineering of the sixteenth century, was dug at the behest of Clement VII, who took refuge in Orvieto during the sack of Rome in 1527. Its realization, wanted for reasons of survival in case of siege or natural disasters, was entrusted to Antonio da Sangallo, assisted by Giovanni Battista da Cortona.
Its dimensions are impressive: 62 meters deep, it has a diameter of 13.5 meters. All around there are two spiral spiral staircases that never meet; The two staircases, composed of 248 steps each, receive light from 72 windows creating a surreal atmosphere.
Free lunch and in the afternoon return to their destinations.
Price per person in standard double room starting from 1.590,00€
Single room supplement 390,00 €
Per personalizzare il tour o modificare le date contattaci.
7 nights in farmhouse
Transport by private minivan for the entire period
Transfer from Orvieto train station, round trip
Local guide where provided
Tastings
The entrances and tickets provided in the program
Tourist taxes
3 lunches
1 coking class and 1 dinner
Medical and luggage insurance
Tour leader throughout the day.
Personal expenses
Lunches and dinners not explicitly included in the program
Travel cancellation policy, on request
Anything not explicitly included in the program
