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The Territory
Vitorchiano
was probably founded during the period of the agrarian nomadism, as
it originally was a “pagus”, a village which stands on high ground
at the confluence of two torrents. During the Etruscan period, the
village was fortified and sturdy walls were built, having a sole
access; the road network was developed because of an improving
trade.The historical centre, in spite of the apparent homogeneity
given by the use of Peperino, is not presented as a whole, but as an
aggregation of three areas. The three periods of the village
development («castrum”, rural municipality and “middle-class”
community) correspond almost perfectly to the three different phases
of the urban growth. The northern area, the most ancient one, has an
ellipsoidal plan closed outwards and having a defensive structure
with just one access. The central area, structured on a little
trident, has the same defensive walls, but opens towards the
surrounding countryside with its lanes. In the outer area all the
defensive elements disappear and the buildings look like country-houses.The
centre of the village originates from a “castrum”, carefully built
according to defensive requirements to repel any attack. In this
area of the village the streets are narrow and sloping so that they
have a defensive function; the public spaces are not meeting-places,
but they only act as passageways and connecting areas. The two main
streets never have a straight outlet, the outside can be seen only
at the end of the winding lanes. The northern area of the village
has a nice peculiarity: a block of houses called tower-houses
because of their vertical structure chosen both for defensive
requirements and for building problems (the house’s width depends on
the dimensions of the wooden beams used to build it). The prevailing
elements in the “castrum” refer to the most important authorities in
the village: the Prince and the Church. In Vitorchiano they are the
Bishop’s House and St. Mary’s Church.
The
Bishop’s House
This building dates back to the Middle Ages; its main feature is the
“profferlo”, an outdoor staircase with pyramid-shaped decorations on
the frame and on the doorjamb.
St.
Mary’s Church
This church is opposite St. Agnes Nunnery and was dedicated in 1533.
Between 1458 and 1474 it needed repairs and the works were done by
Lombard craftsmen. The simple original plan was not altered and
nowadays it maintains the side chapels. It is an aisle less church
with a lateral bell tower and two decorated entrances. The style and
the kind of decorations belong to the area of southern Latium and
were made by local craftsmen. The quadrangular bell tower is
detached from the church and has three kinds of windows: with one
light, two lights and three lights. Inside the church there is a
beautiful baptistery in Peperino.
St.
Agnes Nunnery
The
nunnery was built in 1466. The church was not yet completed in 1587
even if it was already used; the works went on for a long time. The
whole area is composed of two blocks of buildings: St. Agnes church,
built around the inner courtyard and the nunnery, built in the outer
garden. The main portal of St. Agnes church was built in 1490; the
high altar dates back to the 17th-18th
centuries.
Snow Gate
Its
name is taken from a legend which reports of a snowfall on the gate,
in the month of August. It is the sole access to the original
“castrum” and is crowned by a coat of arms with the inscription
SPQR, to testify to the treaty of “Fidelato” with Rome.
St.
Peter’s Church
This church was built in the 11th century, is rectangular
and aisle less. At present it is desecrated and in very bad
conditions: it still has only the beautiful jambs of the entrance
door. The transformation of Vitorchiano from “castrum” to a rural
village caused some town planning and architectural changes. This
passage is attested by the name of the main street, Arringa:
“arrengo” was the meeting-place for the free medieval municipality.
The two side streets form a little trident open on Piazza Roma where
all the most important buildings are.
Town Hall
The
building is situated beside the ancient fortress, beyond the
entrance gate and was built in the 16th century. The Town
Hall has a very severe façade and its only decoration is composed of
two large windows. Inside the Town Hall, the main room has a series
of frescoes by the school of Viterbo. The cylindrical pulpit has a
channelled base and three relief coats of arms; several are the
references to the treaty of loyalty with Rome.
St.
Anthony’s Church
This church was founded in 1406 and nowadays it is desecrated. It is
an aisle less church whose façade has few decorative elements such
as the round window, the moulding of the door and the frieze with
the inscription.
Spindle-shaped Fountain
It
is a characteristic spindle-shaped fountain, like the most famous
fountains in Viterbo, entirely made of Peperino; it was built
between the end of the 13th and the beginning of the 14th
century. It is composed of a round basin with three-lobed arches
inside rectangles. In the middle there is a column with four figures
representing the symbols of the four evangelists.The typology of the
houses in this area is different from the previous one because by
then the defence of the village was no longer a priority: there was
a manufacturing economy, in favour of trade and exchanges. Mansions
and the characteristic houses with a “profferlo” were built, while
some Lombard craftsmen helped to embellish the village.
St.
Amanzio’s Church
This church was finished in 1479 and dedicated in 1533. It absorbed
into its left side the church of St. Charles, which became a side
aisle. St. Amanzio’s church had five altars. On the right wall there
is a fresco representing the Annunciation and dating back to
1514.The third area of urban development, Borgo Cavour, is situated
outside the village walls.
Boundary Walls
They were built in the 13th century and made of Peperino.
These walls defended the village from the enemy attacks and had only
one gate (Porta Romana) with a drawbridge on the moat below. Along
the walls there are some towers and two round ramparts built in
1497.
Church of St. John the Baptist
The
construction of this aisle less church began in 1566. Inside it you
can find four altars; its façade has on the same axis the entrance
door, an upper window and a niche with the statue of the saint.
Church of Our Lady of St. Nicholas
It
was built during the first half of 1500. This aisle less church has
its main attraction in the frescoes of the sidewalls, painted by
five different artists during the first half of the 16th
century. The third chapel on the right is noteworthy: the Virgin
Mary protects a crowd of women with her mantle.
Church of St. Michael the Archangel
This church is situated in the country and was built in 1358. It has
a double weathered roof; its façade has an entrance door with a flat
lintel, two windows with a round arch and a central rose window. On
the right the church has a little bell tower. In the month of May
the inhabitants of Vitorchiano go in procession to St. Michael’s
church and afterwards they take part in the “Poggiata”, a picnic in
the country which involves the whole community. |
