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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox Italian comune
| name                = Viterbo
| official_name       = Comune di Viterbo
| native_name         = 
| image_skyline       = Palazzo dei Papi Viterbo.jpg
| imagesize           = 
| image_alt           = 
| image_caption       = Piazza di San Lorenzo and the loggia of the [[Palace of the Popes in Viterbo|Papal Palace]]
| image_flag          = Flag of Viterbo.svg
| image_shield        = Viterbo-Stemma.svg
| shield_alt          = 
| image_map           = 
| map_alt             = 
| map_caption         = 
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_map_alt     = 
| coordinates         = {{coord|42|25|N|12|06|E|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| region              = [[Lazio]]
| province            = [[Province of Viterbo|Viterbo]] (VT)
| frazioni            = [[Bagnaia, Viterbo|Bagnaia]], Fastello, Grotte Santo Stefano, La Quercia, Montanciano, Montecalvello, Monterazzano, Sant'Angelo, [[San Martino al Cimino]], Vallebona
| mayor_party         = 
| mayor               = [[Chiara Frontini]]
| area_footnotes      = 
| area_total_km2      = 406.23
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total    = 67804
| population_as_of    = 30 September 2017
| pop_density_footnotes = 
| population_demonym  = Viterbesi
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m         = 326
| twin1               = 
| twin1_country       = 
| istat        =
| saint        = [[Saint Rose of Viterbo]] and St. Lawrence the Martyr
| day                 = 4 September; 10 August
| postal_code         = 01100
| area_code           = 0761
| website             = {{Official website|http://www.comune.viterbo.it/}}
| footnotes           = 
}}
[[File:Caldera Lakes to the North of Rome.jpg|thumb|right|View from space of Viterbo and Rome]]
'''Viterbo''' ({{IPA|it|viˈtɛrbo|lang|It-Viterbo.ogg}}; [[Central Italian|Viterbese]]: {{lang|it|Veterbe}}; {{langx|la-x-medieval|Viterbium}}) is a city and ''[[comune]]'' (municipality) in the [[Lazio]] region of [[Italy]], the [[Capital city|capital]] of the [[province of Viterbo]].

It conquered and absorbed the neighboring town of Ferento (see [[Ferentium]]) in its early history. It is approximately {{convert|80|km|0|abbr=off}} north of the [[Autostrada A90]] on the [[Via Cassia]], and it is surrounded by the [[Monti Cimini]] and [[Monti Volsini]]. The historic center is surrounded by the medieval [[walls of Viterbo]], which are still mainly intact, built during the 11th and 12th centuries. Entrance to the walled center of the city is through ancient gates.

Apart from agriculture, Viterbo's main resources are pottery, peperino stone, and wood. The town is home to the Italian gold reserves, an important Academy of Fine Arts, the [[Tuscia University|University of Tuscia]], and the [[Italian Army]]'s Aviation Command headquarters and training centre. It is located in a wide thermal area, attracting many tourists from all over central Italy.

== History ==
The first report of the new city dates to the eighth century AD, when it is identified as ''Castrum Viterbii''. It was fortified in 773 by the [[Lombards|Lombard]] [[Desiderius|King Desiderius]] in his vain attempt to conquer Rome. When the [[Pope|popes]] switched to the [[Franks|Frankish]] support, Viterbo became part of the [[Papal States]]. Still, this status was to be highly contested by the emperors in the following centuries, until 1095 when it was known as a free [[medieval commune|''comune'']] (municipality).
[[File:Etruscan warrior near Viterbe Italy circa 500 BCE.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Etruscan civilization|Etruscan]] warrior, found near Viterbo, dated circa 500 BC]]
In a period in which the popes had difficulties asserting their authority over Rome, Viterbo became their favourite residence, beginning with [[Pope Eugene III]] (1145–1146) who was besieged in vain in the city walls. In 1164, [[Frederick Barbarossa]] made Viterbo the seat of his antipope [[Antipope Paschal III|Paschal III]]. Three years later, he called it a "city" and used its militias against Rome. In 1172, Viterbo started its expansion, destroying the old city of ''Ferento'' and conquering other lands. In this age it was a rich and prosperous ''comune'', one of the most important of Central Italy, with a population of almost 60,000.

In 1207, [[Pope Innocent III]] held a council in the cathedral, but the city was later excommunicated as the favourite seat of the heretical [[Catharism|Patarines]] and even defeated by the Romans. In 1210, however, Viterbo managed to defeat Emperor [[Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Otto IV]] and was again at war against Rome.

In the thirteenth century it was ruled alternately by the tyrants of the Gatti and Di Vico families. [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]] drew Viterbo to the [[Guelphs and Ghibellines|Ghibelline]] side in 1240, but when the citizens expelled his turbulent German troops in 1243 he returned and [[Siege of Viterbo|besieged]] the city, but in vain. From that point Viterbo was always a loyal [[Guelphs and Ghibellines|Guelph]] city. Between 1257 and 1261 it was the seat of [[Pope Alexander IV]], who also died there. His successor [[Pope Urban IV|Urban IV]] was elected in Viterbo.

In 1266–1268, [[Pope Clement IV|Clement IV]] chose Viterbo as the base of his ruthless fight against the [[Hohenstaufen]]. Here, from the loggia of the [[Palace of the Popes in Viterbo|Papal Palace]], he excommunicated the army of [[Conradin]] of [[Swabia]] which was passing on the [[Via Cassia]], with the prophetical motto of the "lamb who is going to the sacrifice". Other popes elected in Viterbo were [[Pope Gregory X|Gregory X]] (1271) and [[Pope John XXI|John XXI]] (1276) (who died in the papal palace when the ceiling of the recently built library collapsed on him while he slept), [[Pope Nicholas III|Nicholas III]] and the French [[Pope Martin IV|Martin IV]]. The Viterbese, who did not agree with the election of a foreigner directed by the [[Kingdom of Naples|King of Naples]], [[Charles I of Anjou]], invaded the cathedral where the [[Papal conclave|conclave]] was held, arresting two of the cardinals. They were subsequently excommunicated, and the popes avoided Viterbo for 86 years.

Without the popes, the city fell into the hands of the Di Vicos. In the fourteenth century, [[Giovanni di Vico]] had created a seignory extending to [[Civitavecchia]], [[Tarquinia]], [[Bolsena]], [[Orvieto]], [[Todi]], [[Narni]] and [[Amelia, Umbria|Amelia]]. His dominion was crushed by Cardinal [[Gil Álvarez Carrillo de Albornoz|Gil de Albornoz]] in 1354, sent by the [[Avignon]]ese popes to recover the Papal States, who built the castle. In 1375, the city gave its keys to Francesco Di Vico, son of the previous tyrant, but thirteen years later the people killed him and assigned the city first to [[Pope Urban VI]], and then to Giovanni di Sciarra di Vico, Francesco's cousin. But [[Pope Boniface IX]]'s troops drove him away in 1396 and established a firm papal suzerainty over the city. The last Di Vico to hold power in Viterbo was Giacomo, who was defeated in 1431.

Thenceforth Viterbo became a city of secondary importance, following the vicissitudes of the Papal States. In the 16th century it was the birthplace of [[Latino Latini]]. It became part of Italy in 1871.

In 1927 Viterbo was made a [[province of Viterbo|provincial capital]].

{{anchor|Allied air attacks}} During [[World War II]] Viterbo was occupied by the [[Wehrmacht]] after the [[Armistice of Cassibile]] and heavily bombed by the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]], suffering over twenty raids between July 1943 and June 1944; this left a third of the city destroyed or badly damaged, and caused heavy damage to [[cultural heritage]] and 1,017 civilian deaths.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/viterbo_res-176bfb4b-87e7-11dc-8e9d-0016357eee51_(Enciclopedia-Italiana)/|title=Viterbo - Enciclopedia|website=Treccani}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tusciaweb.eu/2020/01/santantonio-ci-aiuti-costruire-ponti-la-guerra-porta-solo-distruzione/|title="Sant’Antonio ci aiuti a costruire ponti, la guerra porta solo distruzione"|date=17 January 2020|website=Tusciaweb.eu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.anae.it/2020/01/24/commemorazione-bombardamento-citta-di-viterbo-del-1944/ |title=Associazione Nazionale Aviazione Esercito |access-date=29 February 2020 |archive-date=6 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220106093717/https://www.anae.it/2020/01/24/commemorazione-bombardamento-citta-di-viterbo-del-1944/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> On 20 March 2024, an unexploded MK IV Bomb was found in a construction site causing an evacuation of more than 30,000 people in a range of 1400m until the bomb could be disposed of.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.viterbotoday.it/cronaca/quanto-dura-evacuazione-bomba-viterbo-7-maggio-2024.html|title="Cinque ore per neutralizzare la bomba". Ma la fine dell'evacuazione sarà annunciata solo con il suono delle sirene|website=ViterboToday}}</ref>

== Geography ==
=== Climate ===
Viterbo experiences a [[Mediterranean_climate#Hot-summer_Mediterranean_climate|hot-summer mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: ''Csa''). The annual average temperature is {{Convert|14.5|C|1}}, the hottest month in August is {{Convert|24.4|C|1}}, and the coldest month is {{Convert|6.4|C|1}} in January. The annual precipitation is {{Convert|869.93|mm|2}}, of which November is the wettest with {{Convert|127.09|mm|2}}, while July is the driest with only {{Convert|30.64|mm|2}}.

{{Weather box
|location = Viterbo, elevation: {{convert|300|m|abbr=on|disp=or}}, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1955–present
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 19.3
|Feb record high C = 22.3
|Mar record high C = 26.5
|Apr record high C = 27.9
|May record high C = 34.3
|Jun record high C = 40.3
|Jul record high C = 40.1
|Aug record high C = 40.1
|Sep record high C = 36.8
|Oct record high C = 29.7
|Nov record high C = 25.3
|Dec record high C = 19.9
|year record high C = 40.3
|Jan high C = 10.6
|Feb high C = 11.9
|Mar high C = 14.7
|Apr high C = 17.9
|May high C = 22.4
|Jun high C = 27.4
|Jul high C = 31.2
|Aug high C = 31.3
|Sep high C = 26.0
|Oct high C = 20.7
|Nov high C = 15.0
|Dec high C = 11.2
|year high C = 20.0
|Jan mean C = 6.4
|Feb mean C = 7.1
|Mar mean C = 9.4
|Apr mean C = 12.3
|May mean C = 16.3
|Jun mean C = 20.8
|Jul mean C = 24.0
|Aug mean C = 24.4
|Sep mean C = 20.1
|Oct mean C = 15.6
|Nov mean C = 10.7
|Dec mean C = 7.1
|year mean C = 14.5
|Jan low C = 2.2
|Feb low C = 2.2
|Mar low C = 4.0
|Apr low C = 6.7
|May low C = 10.2
|Jun low C = 14.2
|Jul low C = 16.9
|Aug low C = 17.5
|Sep low C = 14.3
|Oct low C = 10.5
|Nov low C = 6.3
|Dec low C = 3.1
|year low C = 9.0
|Jan record low C = -12.7
|Feb record low C = -10.2
|Mar record low C = -9.2
|Apr record low C = -6.2
|May record low C = -2.2
|Jun record low C = 4.2
|Jul record low C = 6.4
|Aug record low C = 8.4
|Sep record low C = 3.1
|Oct record low C = -1.1
|Nov record low C = -11.2
|Dec record low C = -11.8
|year record low C = -12.7
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 53.1
|Feb precipitation mm = 88.6
|Mar precipitation mm = 60.0
|Apr precipitation mm = 65.4
|May precipitation mm = 68.0
|Jun precipitation mm = 46.2
|Jul precipitation mm = 30.6
|Aug precipitation mm = 42.3
|Sep precipitation mm = 114.7
|Oct precipitation mm = 89.7
|Nov precipitation mm = 127.1
|Dec precipitation mm = 84.2
|year precipitation mm = 869.9
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 6.5
|Feb precipitation days = 6.4
|Mar precipitation days = 6.5
|Apr precipitation days = 7.5
|May precipitation days = 6.9
|Jun precipitation days = 4.3
|Jul precipitation days = 2.7
|Aug precipitation days = 2.9
|Sep precipitation days = 5.9
|Oct precipitation days = 7.4
|Nov precipitation days = 9.2
|Dec precipitation days = 8.0
|year precipitation days = 74.1
|humidity colour = green
|Jan humidity = 74.5
|Feb humidity = 70.6
|Mar humidity = 69.6
|Apr humidity = 70.1
|May humidity = 69.2
|Jun humidity = 66.1
|Jul humidity = 62.5
|Aug humidity = 62.8
|Sep humidity = 67.8
|Oct humidity = 73.3
|Nov humidity = 77.2
|Dec humidity = 76.1
|year humidity = 70.0
|Jan sun = 156.6
|Feb sun = 174.4
|Mar sun = 205.2
|Apr sun = 219.0
|May sun = 278.4
|Jun sun = 299.7
|Jul sun = 338.2
|Aug sun = 317.1
|Sep sun = 239.4
|Oct sun = 191.9
|Nov sun = 150.0
|Dec sun = 145.7
|year sun = 2715.6
|Jan dew point C = 1.0
|Feb dew point C = 0.8
|Mar dew point C = 2.8
|Apr dew point C = 5.4
|May dew point C = 9.5
|Jun dew point C = 12.3
|Jul dew point C = 14.0
|Aug dew point C = 14.6
|Sep dew point C = 12.2
|Oct dew point C = 9.7
|Nov dew point C = 5.5
|Dec dew point C = 2.3
|year dew point C = 7.5
|source 1 = Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (temperature)<ref name = ISPRA>{{cite web
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230917192649/https://valori-climatici-normali.isprambiente.it/
|archive-date = 17 September 2023
|url = https://valori-climatici-normali.isprambiente.it/
|title = Valori climatici normali in Italia
|publisher=Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale
|access-date = 17 September 2023}}</ref>
|source 2 = NOAA (dew point 1981–2010)<ref name= NOAA>{{cite web
|url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Viterbo_16216.csv
|title = Viterbo Climate Normals 1991-2020
|publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
|access-date = September 18, 2023
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230918014459/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Viterbo_16216.csv
|archive-date = 2023-09-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1981-2010/RA-VI/Italy/WMO_Normals_CliNo81-10.xls
|format = XLS 
|title = Ustica (16400) Climate Normals for 1981-2010 
|publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] 
|access-date = March 2, 2024
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240317065214/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1981-2010/RA-VI/Italy/WMO_Normals_CliNo81-10.xls
|archive-date = 2024-03-17}}</ref> Source 3: Temperature estreme in Toscana (extremes)<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://climaintoscana.altervista.org/italia/stazioni-wmo/viterbo/
|language = it
|title = Viterbo
|publisher = Temperature estreme in Toscana
|access-date = September 18, 2023
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230918014327/http://climaintoscana.altervista.org/italia/stazioni-wmo/viterbo/
|archive-date = 2023-09-18}}</ref>
}}

== Demographics ==
{{Historical populations|1861|-|1871|27232|1881|26833|1901|28660|1911|30801|1921|33347|1931|35969|1936|37130|1951|44132|1961|50047|1971|54461|1981|57632|1991|58380|2001|59308|2011|63209|2021|65931|footnote=Source: [[National Institute of Statistics (Italy)|ISTAT]]|cols=2|align=none}}

== Sights ==
[[File:Palazzo dei Papi (Viterbo) 2022.jpg|thumb|The Palace of the Popes – In the background the bell-tower of the cathedral]]
[[File:Fontana di Piazza della Rocca 16.Jh Viterbo Lazio Italien Foto Wolfgang Pehlemann DSC00022.jpg|thumb|Fontana di Piazza della Rocca (12th–16th-century) in the center of Old Town Viterbo]]
[[File:Duomo (Viterbo) - Esterno.jpg|thumb|St. Lawrence Cathedral and bell-tower]]
[[File:FontanagrandeViterbo.JPG|thumb|upright|The Fontana Grande ("Grand Fountain") in the eponymous square]]
Viterbo's historic center is one of the best preserved medieval towns of central Italy. Many of the older buildings (particularly churches) are built on top of ancient ruins, recognizable by their large stones, 50&nbsp;centimeters to a side. Viterbo is unique in Italy for its concentration of 'profferli', external staircases that were a frequent feature of medieval houses. The San Pellegrino quarter has an abundance of them, reflecting an architectural style that is unique to the town and the nearby region.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.minorsights.com/2015/05/italy-profferli-of-viterbo.html |title=The Profferli of Viterbo |access-date= 14 July 2015 |publisher=Minor Sights}}</ref>

* [[Palace of the Popes in Viterbo|Palazzo dei Papi]] or Papal Palace: main attraction of Viterbo, the palace hosted the papacy for about two decades in the 13th century, and served as a country residence or refuge in time of trouble in Rome. The columns of the palace are ''[[spolia]]'' from a Roman temple.
* [[Viterbo Cathedral|Cathedral of San Lorenzo]]: Cathedral or duomo was originally erected as episcopal see of the exempt [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Viterbo|bishopric of Viterbo]] in [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] style by [[Lombardy|Lombard]] architects at the site of an ancient Roman temple of [[Hercules]]. It was rebuilt from the sixteenth century on, and heavily damaged in 1944 by Allied bombs. The [[Gothic art|Gothic]] [[Bell tower|belfry]] was built in the first half of the 14th century, and shows influence of [[Siena|Sienese]] architects. The church houses the sarcophagus of [[Pope John XXI]] and a picture ''Christ Blessing'' (1472) by [[Girolamo da Cremona]].
* [[Palazzo Comunale, Viterbo|Palazzo Comunale]] (town hall; begun 1460), Palazzo del Podestà (magistrate's residence; 1264) and Palazzo della Prefettura (police HQ; rebuilt 1771): three civic buildings around the central square, Piazza del Plebiscito. The Palazzo Comunale houses a series of 17th century and [[Baroque]] frescoes by [[Tarquinio Ligustri]], [[Bartolomeo Cavarozzi]] and [[Ludovico Nucci]].
* [[Sant'Andrea Apostolo, Viterbo|Sant'Andrea Apostolo]]: a Romanesque-style, Roman Catholic church
* [[Santa Maria della Peste, Viterbo|Santa Maria della Peste]]: a small 16th-century temple-church (''tempietto'')
* [[Santa Maria della Salute, Viterbo|Santa Maria della Salute]]: a small [[Gothic art|Gothic]] church with a highly decorated portal 
* Palazzo Farnese: 14th–15th-century palace was the childhood home of Alessandro Farnese, the future [[Pope Paul III]], and his beautiful {{Citation needed|date=July 2016}} sister, [[Giulia Farnese]].
* [[Palazzo Gatti, Viterbo|Palazzo Gatti]]: 13th-century Gothic architecture palace.
* [[Palazzo Mazzatosta, Viterbo|Palazzo Mazzatosta]]: 13th-century aristocratic palace.
*''Rocca'' (castle)
* [[Santa Maria Nuova, Viterbo|Santa Maria Nuova]] (11th-century), [[San Sisto, Viterbo|San Sisto]] (second half of 9th-century), and [[San Giovanni in Zoccoli, Viterbo|San Giovanni in Zoccoli]] (11th-century): three Romanesque churches.
* [[Palazzo degli Alessandri, Viterbo|Palazzo degli Alessandri]]: a typical medieval patrician house in central Viterbo
* [[Fontana di Piano Scarano, Viterbo|Fontana di Piano Scarano]]: medieval fountain inside Viterbo city walls
* [[Fontana di Piazza della Rocca, Viterbo|Fontana di Piazza della Rocca]]: public fountain in the center of the Old Town, construction 12th–16th century
* [[Fontana Grande, Viterbo|Fontana Grande]]: public fountain, construction began in 1206.
* [[San Francesco, Viterbo|San Francesco]]: gothic church built over a pre-existing Lombard fortress. It has a single nave with a Latin cross plan. It houses the sepulchre of [[Pope Adrian V]], who died in Viterbo in 1276, considered the first monument by [[Arnolfo di Cambio]].
* Sanctuary of Santa Rosa: church is a sober 19th-century reconstruction, where every year a new [[Macchina di Santa Rosa]], or dedicatory tower is displayed.
* [[Museo Civico, Viterbo|Museo Civico]]: City museum for arecheologic items from the pre-historic to Ancient Roman times, and a Pinacoteca (picture gallery) with works by [[Sebastiano del Piombo]], [[Antoniazzo Romano]], [[Salvator Rosa]], [[Antiveduto Grammatica]] and others. 
* [[Orto Botanico dell'Università della Tuscia]]: [[botanical garden]] operated by the university.

=== Baths of Viterbo ===
In the valley of the Arcione River just to the west of Viterbo are a number of springs celebrated for the healing qualities of their waters, and in use since Etruscan and Roman days.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.minorsights.com/2014/08/italy-hot-springs-near-viterbo.html |title=Hot Springs Near Viterbo |access-date= 14 July 2015 |publisher=Minor Sights}}</ref> In fact, the imposing ruins of a great Roman bath are still to be seen and were drawn in plan and perspective by Renaissance artists including [[Giuliano da Sangallo]], [[Michelangelo]], and [[Giorgio Vasari|Vasari]].<ref>Mack, 1988, pages 197–98</ref> One of the most famous were the thermal springs known as the "Bullicame", or bubbling place, whose reputation had even reached the ears of the exiled poet [[Dante Alighieri]]. Canto 14 (lines 79–81) of Dante's ''[[Inferno (Dante)|Inferno]]'' describes how:

<blockquote><poem>
In silence we had reached a place where flowed
a slender watercourse out of the wood—a stream
whose redness makes me shudder still.
As from the Bullicame pours a brook [[History of cannabis in Italy#Grand Duchy of Tuscany|whose
waters are then shared by prostitutes]], so did this
stream run down across the sand.<ref>Mack, 1988, p. 198</ref>
</poem></blockquote>
[[File:Bagno del Papa.jpg|thumb|Bagno del Papa in Viterbo]]
[[File:Viterbo Aroundly App.jpg|thumb|"The Awakening" by Seward Johnson in Viterbo]]
Not far from the Bullicame, whose waters were apparently always taken in the open, is the Terme dei Papi ("Bath of the Popes"). Almost totally concealed within the structure of a modern luxury spa hotel are the remains of a Renaissance bath palace that attracted the attention of two popes.<ref>Mack, 1992</ref> Actually, the origins of this bathing establishment date to the Middle Ages when it was known as the Bagno della Crociata (named either after a Crusader who supposedly discovered the spring or from a corruption of the Italian word for crutch). Early 15th-century documents describe a bath building that covered three distinct thermal springs all under one roof.<ref name="Mack, 1992, 46">Mack, 1992, 46</ref>

This bath house was transformed circa 1454 by the [[Pope Nicholas V]], who commissioned a bath palace (according to Nicholas's biographer, [[Giannozzo Manetti]]) "with such magnificence and with such expense that it was not only deemed suitable for a stay and salutary for the sick but seemed an edifice destined to have rooms fit for princes and for living regally".<ref name="Mack, 1992, 46"/> A more precise description of Pope Nicholas' palace was described by the Viterbese chronicler [[Niccola della Tuccia]] in the 1470s, who stated the new Bagno del Papa as a battlemented building, resembling a fortress, about 30 x 20&nbsp;m in size with high towers at the corners of its southern façade. Located outside Viterbo, the spa would have been an easy target for assaults had the building not assumed a militant character, which also affirmed papal authority. Aside from the regal apartments described by Manedtti there were vaulted chambers at the lowest level to accommodate the patrons of the several thermal springs.<ref name="Mack, 1992, 46"/>

Manetti and Vasari both named the Florentine architect and sculptor [[Bernardo Rossellino]] as the architect of the project in Viterbo.<ref>Valtieri</ref> There is, however, no documentation or architectural evidence to connect Rossellino directly with the construction of the Bagno del Papa. To the contrary, Vatican payment records from 1454, preserved in the state archives in Rome, identify a stonemason from Lombardy, named Stefano di Beltrame, as the builder who "had done or was doing in the house ordered by the pope at the bagni della Grotta and Crociata of Viterbo."<ref>Mack,1992, 46–47</ref>

Construction at the Bagno del Papa was continued on through the reigns of several popes after Nicholas V. The Vatican accounts mention of payments "for building done at the bath palace of Viterbo" during the reigns of [[Pope Callixtus III|Calixtus III]], [[Pope Paul II|Paul II]], and [[Pope Sixtus IV|Sixtus IV]]. There also is evidence [[Pope Pius II]] was responsible for the addition of a western wing to the building.<ref>Mack, 1992,47</ref>

Travelers' descriptions, etched views, and local guidebooks chronicle the fate of the Renaissance Bagno del Papa over the years and through several rebuildings resulting in a general assumption that most of the original 15th-century structure had vanished. A guide to Viterbo from 1911 does note that some remnants were still to be detected in basement piers and vaults. In operation as a thermal hospital in 1927, the building was blown up by retreating German forces in 1944.<ref>Mack, 1992, 47–49</ref>

Despite all the travails, much of the original Bagno del Papa built by Popes Nicholas V and Pius II survives, including the corner towers and the vaulted chambers where Renaissance patrons once bathed.<ref>Mack, 1992, 50. For a general discussion of medieval and Renaissance thermal bathing practices and the architectural environments in which the waters were taken see Charles R. Mack, "The Wanton Habits of Venus: Pleasure and Pain at the Renaissance Spa," ''Explorations in Renaissance Culture'', 26,2 (Winter), 2000, 257–76</ref>

== Military ==
Viterbo became a centre of military aviation due to its proximity to [[Rome]], especially after the opening of the Air Force base (now the [[Rome Viterbo Airport]] but still used for military purposes) during the 1930s. The [[Italian Army|Army]] Aviation Command headquarters and training school ([[Italian language|Italian]]: [[:it:Scuola marescialli dell'Aeronautica Militare|Scuola marescialli dell'Aeronautica Militare]]) are both located there.

The Army's [[Non-commissioned officer|NCO]] training establishment ([[Italian language|Italian]]: [[:it:Scuola sottufficiali dell'Esercito Italiano|Scuola sottufficiali dell'Esercito Italiano]]) is also located in the city.

== Government ==
{{See also|List of mayors of Viterbo}}

== Notable people ==
;Born in Viterbo
*[[Leonardo Bonucci]] (born 1987), footballer
*[[Angelo Peruzzi]], footballer
*[[Bartolomeo Cavarozzi]] (1587–1625), painter
*[[Giacomo Cordelli]] (active c. 1600–1620), painter
*[[Domenico Corvi]] (1721–1803), [[Neoclassicism|Neoclassicist]] painter
*Saint [[Crispin of Viterbo]] (né Pietro Fioretti), member of the [[Friars Minor Capuchin]]
*[[David D'Antoni]] (born 1979), footballer
*[[Giles of Viterbo]] (1472–1532), Augustinian friar, bishop and cardinal
*[[Cristiano Lombardi]] (born 1995), footballer
*[[Elio Marchetti]] (born 1974), racing driver
*[[Giuseppe Ottaviani]] (born 1978), trance musician
*[[Gabrielle Réval]] (1869-1938), novelist, essayist
*Saint [[Rose of Viterbo]] (1233–1251), patron saint of the city
*[[Gianni Scipione Rossi]] (born 1953), journalist

;Lived in Viterbo
*[[Antonio del Massaro]] (also known as "Antonio da Viterbo"), painter 
*[[Reginald Pole]], cardinal, archbishop of [[Archbishopric of Canterbury|Canterbury]], church reformer
*[[Kathleen Napoli McKenna]], Irish Republican activist and journalist
*[[Licia Fertz]], influencer and activist

;Died in Viterbo
*Saint [[Hyacintha Mariscotti]] (1585–1640), nun

== Religion ==
{{See also|Santi Faustino e Giovita, Viterbo|label 1 = the refurbished Santi Faustino e Giovita church|San Carlo, Viterbo|label 2 = the San Carlo deconsecrated Roman Catholic church}}

=== Patron saints ===
[[File:Chiesa di Santa Giacinta Marescotti.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Tomb with the body of Saint [[Hyacintha Mariscotti]] exposed for public veneration in Viterbo, Italy]]
[[Rose of Viterbo|Saint Rose]] is the patron saint of Viterbo. The legend of Santa Rosa is that she helped to eradicate those few who supported the emperors instead of the popes, around 1250. [[Saint Lawrence]] is the male patron saint. [[Hyacintha Mariscotti|Saint Hyacintha Mariscotti]] is the co-patroness of the city.

=== ''Macchina di Santa Rosa'' ===
The transport of the [[Macchina di Santa Rosa]] takes place every year, on 3 September, at 9&nbsp;o'clock in the evening. The Macchina is an artistic illuminated bell-tower with an imposing height of 30&nbsp;m. It weighs between 3.5 and 5&nbsp;tonnes and is made of iron, wood and [[papier-mâché]]. At the top of the tower, the statue of the patron saint is enthusiastically acclaimed by the people in the streets of the town centre, where lights are turned off for the occasion. <!-- 'this text is in fair use from [http://www.comune.viterbo.it/ the official city council website] --> One hundred Viterbesi men (known as the ''Facchini'') carry the Macchina from Porta Romana through each of the major streets of Viterbo to seven churches to be blessed, concluding with a strenuous ascension up to the Piazza di Santa Rosa, its final resting place. Each Macchina's lifespan differs, but contests for a new design are held every few years.

== Transportation ==
[[File:Stazione di Viterbo Porta Fiorentina.jpeg|thumb|Porta Fiorentina is one of three train stations serving Viterbo.]]
The [[Rome Viterbo Airport]] was opened in 1936 as part of [[Viterbo Air Force Base]], located {{convert|3|km|0|abbr=off}} from the town. On 26 November 2007, Italian transport minister [[Alessandro Bianchi (politician, born 1945)|Alessandro Bianchi]] announced that Viterbo had been chosen as the site of the next airport in Lazio to serve Rome.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wantedinrome.com?id_n=3853&title=Viterbo+gets+Rome%27s+third+airport.&on=transport&PHPSESSID=81af5d99f3bf4b12668fbc1eef007260|title=Wanted in Rome &#124; Italy's news in English|date=12 February 2021|website=Wanted in Rome}}</ref> However, in 2013 those plans were abandoned.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wantedinrome.com/news/viterbo-airport-plan-scrapped/|title=Viterbo airport plan scrapped|date=29 January 2013}}</ref>
Viterbo is served by regional trains departing from Station Ostiense, Trastevere, S. Pietro and sometimes at Termini in Rome. Porta Romana is the station serving the old city center.

== Education ==
The city is home to the [[Tuscia University]], established in 1979.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.civitanews.it/il-presidente-della-repubblica-sergio-mattarella-inaugura-lanno-accademico-a-viterbo/ | title = Il presidente della Repubblica Sergio Mattarella inaugura l'anno accademico a Viterbo | access-date = 17 January 2021 | archive-date = 20 April 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210420072105/https://www.civitanews.it/il-presidente-della-repubblica-sergio-mattarella-inaugura-lanno-accademico-a-viterbo/ | url-status = dead }}</ref> It is also the city where students of [[School Year Abroad]]'s Italy program study, their school housed in a 16th-century palazzo on Via Cavour.

== Twin towns – sister cities ==
Viterbo is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:

* {{flagicon|New York}} [[Binghamton, New York]], United States
* {{flagicon|New York}} [[Albany, New York]], United States
* {{flagicon|São Paulo}} [[Santa Rosa de Viterbo, São Paulo]], Brazil
* {{flagicon|Umbria}} [[Gubbio]], [[Province of Perugia|Perugia]], Umbria, Italy
* {{flagicon|Calabria}} [[Palmi, Calabria|Palmi]], [[Province of Reggio Calabria|Reggio Calabria]], Calabria, Italy
* {{flagicon|Campania}} [[Nola]], [[Metropolitan City of Naples|Naples]], Campania, Italy
* {{flagicon|Sardinia}} [[Sassari]], [[Province of Sassari|Sassari]], Sardinia, Italy
* {{flagicon|Molise}} [[Campobasso]], [[Province of Campobasso|Campobasso]], Molise, Italy
* {{flagicon|Massachusetts}} [[Springfield, Massachusetts]], United States

== Notes ==
{{Reflist}}

== Sources ==
*Charles R. Mack, "The Bath Palace of Nicholas V at Viterbo", in ''An Architectural Progress in the Renaissance and the Baroque: Sojourns In and Out of Italy'', Papers in Art History VIII, Pennsylvania State University, Vol. I, 1992, 45–63.
*Charles R. Mack, "The Renaissance Spa: Testing the Architectural Waters", ''Southeastern College Art Conference Review'', XI, 3, 1988, 193–200.
*Valtieri, Simonetta, "Rinascimento a Viterbo: Bernardo Rossellino", ''Architettura, croniche e storia'', XVII, 1972, 686–94.

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage|Viterbo}}
* {{Official website|http://www.comune.viterbo.it/}}, 
* [http://www.viterbolive.it/ ViterboLive.it] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090121025855/http://www.viterbolive.it/ |date=21 January 2009 }}
* [http://www.tuscia360.it/scheda.php?l=en&q=viterbo Tuscia 360 about Viterbo, including virtual tour featuring several VR panoramas] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603061345/http://www.tuscia360.it/scheda.php?l=en&q=viterbo |date=3 June 2015 }}
* [http://www.infoviterbo.it/ Viterbo Tourist Promotion]
* [http://www.viterboonline.com/ ViterboOnline.Com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615055635/http://www.viterboonline.com/ |date=15 June 2011 }}
* [http://www.festadelleciliegie.it/english/ Festa delle Ciliegie] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050308191846/http://www.festadelleciliegie.it/english/ |date=8 March 2005 }} (Cherry Festival and other information)
* [http://www.webvisionitaly.com/category.php?id=220&ref_genre=&ref_item=284/ Viterbo Video Guide]
* [http://www.museocolledelduomo.it Museo del Colle del Duomo (Pope palace)] Pope palace, Museo del Colle del Duomo
* [http://www.tusciaoperafestival.com International Festival from July to September] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205135401/http://www.tusciaoperafestival.com/ |date=5 December 2020 }}
* [https://italiantourism.us/italy-travel-guide/lazio-sightseeing/viterbo/ Viterbo Travel Information]

{{Province of Viterbo}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Viterbo| ]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Lazio]]
[[Category:Gothic architecture in Lazio]]