Italy:
the town of Tuscania (not Tuscany!)

What? 
Tuscania is a 2500 year old town in a quiet corner of Lazio. 

And no, it's not in Tuscany. 

Why visit? 

You want Italy without the tourists? Who doesn't! This corner of Lazio is largely overlooked by the hordes that 'hit' all the 'must-sees' of Rome before dashing over to Tuscany to see the 'top sites' of Tuscany. 

Yet it is as rich in attractions and sights as anywhere else in Italy. 


Where? 

About an hour and a half north of Rome, 20km south of the Tuscan border. (Map.) 

From a branding point of view, it was either a stroke of genius or a massive #fail to call this town Tuscania. Perpetually confused with the region of Tuscany (Toscana in Italian) most people think somebody made a typo when they see the name 'Tuscania'.

This works to our advantage. Mostly overlooked (except for by in-the know Romans who spend their weekends here) the town of Tuscania offers a little slice of Italy with all you could ask for. 

- Roman ruins? Check.
- A ruined castle on a hill? Check.
- Medieval churches? Check.
- A walled Centro Storico? Check.
- Excellent food ? Double check.

Ultimately, the name Tuscania derives from the name Tuscus, Latin for Etruscan (as does Tuscany: those Etruscans got around). So the oldest remains in Tuscania predate the Roman period by 500 years and make the Colosseum look like a fancy piece of modern architecture in comparison. 


Let's have a quick look around.


The Etruscans buried their dead in tombs carved out of the rock, and a number of these are dotted around Tuscania. They can be reached by foot, bike or car. 

These tombs contained large sarcophagi, often with beautifully carved stone lids showing the deceased. Tuscania has a small museum that contains some of the best works but the reality is that they have found so many of these that they didn't quite know what to do with them.  So, in an act of enlightened town decoration, they decided to simply spread them around town. 
Etruscan statues perched on Tuscania's walls. 
More Etruscan statues (actually, coffin lids! Doesn't sound as cheerful as statues, doesn't it?)
Let this sink in for a moment. In most parts of the world, a 2500 year statue would be the pride of a local museum's collection. In Tuscania, 2500 year old statues sit out next to the trashcan and the parking meter, come rain or shine, because what else can you do with them?

The Etruscans started out on a hill now known as Colle San Pietro, St Peter's Hill. Etruscan foundations can still be seen here, but as the Romans moved in, and then the barbarians, and then the Lombards, the hill became the site of the 11th century Church of St Peter's (not to be confused with its namesake in the Vatican), one of the few examples of Lombard Romanesque architecture in this part of Italy.  A few minutes down the road is it's near contemporary, Santa Maria Maggiore, which looks a bit like an English country church. 

A romantic view of  Colle San Pietro from the center of Tuscania

Detail of the main entrance to the church of Santa Maria
Over the years, the population moved to the neighbouring hill, which has an old quarter (dating back to the Middle Ages) and a new quarter (an upstart bit of urban planning during the Renaissance), both contained by the town's city walls.
One of several fountains in the Centro Storico.
The Piazza del Duomo provides the perfect backdrop for your morning coffee...
...or your night-time Prosecco.
The 900-year old Sette Canelle (7 Spouts) Fountain is still working. 
Tuscania is situated in the middle of a national park, which ensures that the town is surrounded by green fields. To make the most of it, head to the Torre di Lavello park, next to the tower of the same name, and join local families, smooching teenagers and doting grannies while taking in one of the best views in Italy (the one on top of every page of this site).
The Entrance to Torre di Lavello park, with St Peter's in the background. 
Should you ever visit around Easter, don't miss Tuscania's famous Good Friday procession. Although at first glance it looks like a gathering of the Klu Klux Klan, the Passion is re-enacted by lots of young men walking barefoot with massive heavy chains around their feet, followed by a choir of mourning widows(!) and eventually the town's most revered Maria statue. 
Masked men waiting to drag their feet... tied to massive chains. 
Half the town participates in the procession... the other half comes to watch!
As I mentioned this whole corner of Lazio is largely overlooked, yet full of Minor Sights that can easily take up a week of exploring. These include:
- The town of Tarquinia and its painted Etruscan tombs
- The Monster Park in Bomarzo
- The town of Sutri with its Roman amphitheatre
- The ruins of the Etrusco-Roman town of Vulci
- Viterbo with its medieval quarter and hot springs (recommended by Dante, who knew a thing or two about infernos and other hot spots).
- Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola
- Villa Lante in Bagnaia

If you have a car, these can all easily be explored using Tuscania (or any of the other towns) as a base.  From Rome, follow the Romans along the ancient SS2 Via Cassia which passes numerous scenic Minor SIghts, Including Bracciano Lake, Sutri, and Vetralla.   


Getting there:
Either train to Tarquinia or Viterbo (both Minor Sights in their own right) and then the local Cotral bus. Or by car, a 75 min drive from Rome's GRA ring road. 

Useful links:
As We Saw It: Etruscan Places: Tuscania
Mary Jane Cryan's blog & books on Etruria

Comments

  1. Hello,

    I want to stay in a countryside house in Tuscania (for yoga). and I will then have afternoons free to explore the area. I have a problem though, I don't have a car and I cant even drive! Is it still possible to explore the area a bit without a car? Or is there really no other way?

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    1. Hi There! Yoga in Tuscania sounds great!

      There are public buses that ply frequently between Tuscania and both Viterbo and Tarquinia. So it's easy to visit those places, and they're well worth a visit. going anywhere else will require changes and will potentially take more time, although Viterbo offers connections to a few other places like Bagnaia. Both tarquinia and Viterbo have train stations as well.

      Where is your yoga retreat? if it's really in the countryside it may be hard to get to!

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  2. Thank you for your reply! It is in the countryside.. The address is Via Di Poggio Martino, 8 - TUSCANIA. From the workshop they told me that I would really need a car unfortunately.

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    Replies
    1. Poggio Martino is about 10km from Tuscania. I'm sure it's very quiet there- it's far from everything, including public transport...

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  3. Hi there,
    Looking for information of how to get from Tuscania to Rome by public transport, I found your lovely site. Thank you for sharing all of this.
    As it happens I shall attend a concert on a Saturday in July, in Tuscania. Staying the night in a hotel, I would like to travel to Rome by bus and train, in order to catch a flight at 6.20 pm. Cotral's website is a mystery to me. How do I find out if this is possible?
    Or should I ask some fellow concert-visitors to drop me off in - say - Caldare?

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    Replies
    1. I'm sure it's possible, but it will require several connections. The Cotral bus schedule can eb found here: http://servizi.cotralspa.it/Orari?com=s

      There are buses from Tuscania to Tarquinia and to Viterbo. In either place you would have to connect by train to Rome. And from Rome to FCO... not sure how fast any of that would be. From Tarquinia the train goes to Roma Trastevere from where there is a regular train to FCO.

      I would count on the whole journey lasting 4 hours at least. So if you take the first bus to Tarquinia, you should have plenty of time.

      Not sure what's there in Caldare? Never herad of it until you mentioned it.

      What's the concert you're attending?

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  4. Sorry for the delay in answering, got lost in the public transport websites...
    The concert is on July 15th: http://www.art-city.it/luoghi-lazio/eventi/43-bach-leonhartd-ovvero-l-arte-della-trascrizione.html

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    Replies
    1. Sounds great! Are you playing? We may come watch you!

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  5. DO come! It is my husband playing www.siebehenstra.nl (although the site is not very up to date)

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  6. Hi,
    Just thought that I'd add my note that I really enjoyed Tuscania as well as other places in Northern Lazio. I was in Viterbo for 3 nights and Tarquinia for 2. Thanks for such inspirational and detailed articles!
    Cheers,
    Ansh

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    Replies
    1. Ansh, sorry I must have overlooked this comment… 3 years later, I am glad to hear you enjoyed it. I hope you are doing well! Where are you located these days?

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