Today I went on a group trip to see
Villa Lante in Baginaia, a town about two hours north of Rome. The
Villa is decorated with beautifully restored frescoes, elaborate gardens, and fountains in the excessive Roman style. The
little town surrounding the Villa was small and cozy. I can only
imagine what it must have been like to live there in the Villa's
prime.
Next, we had a wonderful 3-course lunch
at Ora Domus La Quercia. My favorites were the stuffed olives and
meat plate with the most delicious prosciutto I have ever tasted (mio
Dio, I'm not eating vegetarian on this trip!). Back in the day it
was a monastery that housed thousands of pilgrims on their way from
Canterburry to Rome. There is a lot of history and tradition behind
The Sanctuary of Saint Maria della Quercia, but I'll let you google
that on your own.
Finally, we ended the trip with a stop
in the Medieval village of Viterbo. The Medieval feel of the city is
excellently preserved. Historically, it was the administrative and
economic capital of Upper Latium. The provincial capital was at one
point the seat of the papacy. The most interesting and magnificent
building is the Papal Palace which held many artisitc treasurers.
More than 5 conclaves were held here including one which lasted 33
months, and was finally pushed along by the people who, to speed
things along, locked the cardinals in, reduced their food supply, and
opened the roof to the elements. The second most important monument
is the Cathedral of San Lorenzo. It was erected over a temple of
Hercules by well-known and influential artists (I forgot the name,
but apparently they are well-known even today). The church houses the
sarcophagus of Pope John XXI and a famous picture called Christ
Blessing by Cremona (1472)- neither of which I got to see because the
church was closed.
