Surroundings

Acquapendente

Acquapendente is a small city in the province of Viterbo, in Latium, nestled between Tuscany and Umbria in the northern part of Lazio. Its location makes it an ideal spot from which to explore all three of those regions, getting a good feel for the area.
The area of modern Acquapendente was settled by Etruscans in Roman times, as findings have shown. However, the first historical document of the modern city dates from the 9th century AD, with a town named Farisa or Arisa along the Via Francigena. A document from Emperor Otto I, dated 964, contains the first recorded use of the name Acquapendentem. The name of the city, meaning "Pending Water", stems from the presence of several small waterfalls forming the Paglia, a stream setting the boundary between Lazio and Tuscany.
The city was later part of the March of Tuscany and, from the end of the 14th century and beginning of the 15th, it was part of the commune of Siena. In 1449 it became an independent centre within the Papal States.
The Diocese of Acquapendente was under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Orvieto until 1649.
Each year, on the 3rd Sunday of May, the Festa dei Pugnaloni is held.
I Pugnaloni are large wooden panels (3.60m. x 2.60m.) covered with a mosaic of flowers and leaves. The theme of the panels is freedom from all forms of oppression. The origin of the Festa dei Pugnaloni is traced back to one of the major episodes in the history of Acquapendente: the "miracle" of the Madonna del Fiore occurred in 1166.
I Pugnaloni are exposed in the streets of Acquapendente on the 3° Sunday of May.
The main sights to visit are:

• The Cathedral of Santo Sepolcro (1149).
• The Watch Tower, a remain of the Imperial Castle.
• The Church of St. Augustine (16th century).
• The Church of St. Francis.
• The Castle of the frazione Torre Alfina, whose central tower (Cassero) was built by the Lombard king Desiderius. In 2007, Torre Alfina has been admitted as one of the "The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy" by i Borghi più Belli d’Italia.
• The Castle of the frazione Trevinano (known from the 12th century).
• The Monte Rufeno Natural Reserve, 2 km north to the city, at 748 m of altitude. It has secular woods housing wildlife including, among the others, boars, eagle owls, turtles and beech martens.