Vitorchiano is a small medieval village in the Tuscia area on a rock overlooking the deep ditches dug by the rivers. The houses stand on a rocky spur, so that it has been nicknamed the suspended village. Vitorchiano is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy in the region Lazio.
I Profferli di Vitorchiano
Characteristic architectural elements are the Profferli, a staircase that runs along the facade of a building. At the top of the staircase, before the entrance door, there is a small loggia. All the buildings of ancient Vitorchiano, the small squares, the alleys, the houses with external stairs, the balconies and the arches, are made of dark, gray stone, the peperino, a typical local stone that gives a peculiar color to the village. Mario Monicelli chose the villagefor its greyish colours to shoot some scenes of “The Brancaleone Army“, a film from 1966 masterfully interpreted by a visionary Gassman, Volontè and a very young Catherine Spaak.
The walls of Vitorchiano
You can also visit the Town Hall, with its important archive documents and the beautiful stone houses of the Podestà and of the Rabbi, indicating the presence of a Jewish community in the past, of Santa Rosa, the patron saint of Viterbo who was exiled here in 1250 , and the so-called House of the Witch or the Sorceress.
The Moai of Vitorchiano
Few know that in Vitorchiano there is the only Moai statue outside Easter Island exists. After careful research it was discovered that the lava is the peperino from Vitorchiano, 11 Maori indigenous created the human-like monolith, equal to the originals. It is 6 meters high and protects the Viterbo village and its inhabitants from afar.
The surrounding area has unique characteristics that make it a favorable habitat for wild animals such as foxes, martens, weasels, hawks, owls, hares and wild boars. The flora is rich in splendid wild flowers and fruits, porcini mushrooms, chestnuts and hazelnuts.
Don’t miss the traditional festivals that enliven the village. Peperino in Fiore colours the streets and houses with flowers at the beginning of June, while the Sagra del Cavatello takes place in August with a triumph of water and flour pasta with fennel sauce.
Vitorchiano is an Orange Flag village, a prestigious recognition awarded by the Italian Touring Club for the quality of tourism-environmental development.