Palace of the Popes in Viterbo

Known as the city of the popes, Viterbo is a true medieval jewel in the Upper Lazio region. Few people know the wonders that even the historical center of Viterbo has to offer, both in terms of warm hospitality and its wonderful atmosphere with undeniable medieval charm, a city full of harmony and tranquility with typical culinary refinements to be savored.

There are several Romanesque and Doric churches to visit, as well as their cloisters, bell towers, towers, noble palaces, and particularly fascinating surroundings. Massive walls guard the elegant lines of the city, with towers placed to protect the ancient Etruscan city. Some call Viterbo the "little Rome" because many popes found refuge here from the turmoil of Rome and left their mark with their buildings. The thirteenth-century districts of San Pellegrino and Pianoscarano have remained intact, and walking through their alleys is a real journey through time.

The Palazzo Dei Papi is a testimony of the passage of the popes around the thirteenth century, who found here a quiet, safe, and cheaper place to build.

The Palace of the Popes

This palace was built between 1255 and 1266 by the Captain of the People, Raniero Gatti, a member of the most important Guelph family in the city, to host the Roman popes who turned Viterbo into a "Little Rome". The building was an extension of the Bishop's Curia, where Pope Alexander IV took refuge when he had to flee from Rome.

From the outside, the Palazzo Dei Papi can be recognized thanks to the beautiful Loggia Dei Papi or Loggia Della Benediction, built in 1267, with pointed arches that can be admired from Piazza San Lorenzo. Inside the palace is the majestic Aula del Conclave, which hosted the first and longest conclave in history, lasting 33 months. The hall is entirely frescoed and bears the coat of arms of Pope Clement VIII. It is said that the citizens, exhausted by the length of the audience, decided to lock the cardinals up, cum clave, to force them to make a decision. Unfortunately, it still took three years to elect a new pope, but the word conclave comes from here.

The Palazzo Dei Papi deserves an in-depth visit because there are many stories that a local guide can tell about a place like this, where the history of the state of the Church and of medieval Italy was made.