Things to see in Viterbo

Viterbo is a city of 68,000 people (2017) in Lazio, a central region of Italy. It has a vast mediaeval historical centre, with some well-preserved districts, surrounded by walls, and is home to archaeological and thermal areas (necropolis of Castel d'Asso, source of the Bullicame, Roman theatre of Ferento).

Viterbo Cathedral (Cattedrale di San Lorenzo). The cathedral dates back to the 12th century but the façade is 16th century and the tower 14th. There is a tomb for Pope John XXI. Pope Alexander IV was also buried there but his tomb was unaccountably destroyed during 16th-century renovations. According to legend the cathedral was built on the site of an Etruscan temple to Hercules. Palazzo dei Papi. This used to be the bishop’s residence but was enlarged for the popes. It was the papal seat between 1257 and 1281 and hosted six popes. It was the site of the first Papal Conclave when the local people got so fed up with the cardinals taking too long to elect a pope that they locked them all in until they came to a decision. The practice continues to this day in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican. Church of San Francesco. It was reconstructed in 1953. There is the superb mausoleum of Pope Hadrian V, who died in Viterbo in 1276 and the mausoleum of Pope Clement IV, who died in Viterbo in 1268. There are also remains of the tomb of the so-called “Pope-of-one-day”, Cardinal Vicedomino Vicedomini, who would have become Gregory XI, if he had not died the night after his election.