Lake Bolsena

Journey through Alta Tuscia amidst Tastes and Authentic Landscapes

Visiting the Torre Alfina Castle can be a perfect opportunity for an exciting out-of-town visit in Alta Tuscia. An experience that continues beyond the walls, where Lazio, Tuscany and Umbria meet in an area where art blends harmoniously with nature. Among the stone alleyways of ancient villages, enchanted woods and tables laden with genuine flavours, every step turns into a pleasant discovery of living traditions and small treasures that make Alta Tuscia a unique land.
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Strolling through the Lanes and Stopping to Taste

After exploring the castle and breathed in the suspended atmosphere of its halls, the journey continues in the medieval village that surrounds it. Walking through the narrow streets of Torre Alfina is like slowing down time: stone walls, flower-filled balconies, sudden glimpses that catch the eye. Here the workshops offer mature cheeses, cured meats with an intense aroma, bread baked in a wood-fired oven and desserts that tell family recipes handed down from generation to generation. The village is also famous for the spelt from the Pungolo of Acquapendenteancient and versatile ingredient, the St. Anthony's biscuit and the typical 'imbriachelle'rustic doughnuts to dip in wine to close the meal with a a simple gesture but full of tradition.

Recipes That Tell Stories

Sitting down to eat in these lands means savouring dishes that carry with them the memory of those who handed them down. Like acquacottaa humble but richly flavoured soup made with stale bread, field vegetables, potatoes and a poached egg that binds everything together delicately. Or the lombrichellihandmade fresh pasta, thick and rough, ideal for holding firm sauces such as amatriciana or cacio e pepe. Dishes that speak of home, burning fires and family Sundays and which still today tell the history of a sincere peasant cuisine.

Wines that Smell of Hills

Next to the dishes, can't miss the wines that make this land special. A glass of Grechetto, a fresh white with fruity hints, perfectly accompanies hors d'oeuvres and vegetable dishes. The Ciliegiolo, a soft and light red, is perfect with rustic first courses or white meats, while theAleatico di Gradolisweet and aromatic, it provides the perfect finish with dry desserts or mature cheeses. Small local wineries offer tastings that become authentic encounters with those who have been cultivating vines for generations, transforming wine into narrative.

Places that Enchant Nearby

Our journey of discovery in Alta Tuscia can continue a few steps from the Castle of Torre Alfina, in the Sasseto Monumental Forest. An almost magical place where centuries-old trees, moss-covered volcanic boulders and hidden paths create a fairytale atmosphere.
Continuing southwards, about half an hour's drive away, the pretty village of Bolsena welcomes visitors with its mighty Rocca Monaldeschiwhich dominates the historic centre, and the lake of the same name, the largest volcanic lake in Europe offering unforgettable sunsets.
On the south-western shore of the lake, some historic centres hold suggestive views and memories of art. Capodimontewith the bulk of the Palazzo Farnesea majestic architectural work commissioned by the noble family in the 15th century, alleys, small squares and panoramic views of the lake. Only 3 km away, the village of Martaalso known as the "Borgo dei Pescatori' tells its story between the beautiful lakeside promenade, the Clock Tower symbol of the town, the Collegiate Church of Saints Blaise and Martha and the impressive Grotto of Apparitions, a place of popular devotion which adds a spiritual touch to this lakeside walk.

An Invitation to Slow Tourism

A day in Alta Tuscia thus becomes much more than a visit: is an experience that combines history, taste and landscapes that remain in the heart. Among ancient dishes, genuine wines, charming villages and places suspended between nature and legend, every moment tells something about this land. Just let your curiosity guide you and take the time to experience the emotions. Because every experience is a gift to be welcomed with the senses and cherished with the soul.

 

Moai Vitorchiano Statue

Moai Vitorchiano Statue: History and Curiosities

Just a few kilometres from Viterbo lies Vitorchiano, the splendid village in Tuscia suspended on volcanic rocks. And here you will find the only Moai statue in the world, outside Easter Island.
Table of contents:
  1. What is a suspended village
  2. What is the Moai of Vitorchiano
  3. What a Moai looks like
  4. Where is the Italian Moai

Just fifteen minutes by car from Viterbo, stands Vitorchiano, an ancient village and historical jewel set among the volcanic rocks of Tuscia. Considered one of the most evocative historic centres in the province of Viterboalso enjoys the prestigious accolade of one of the "most beautiful villages in Italy". And here we also find the only original Moai monolith in the world, outside theEaster Island (o Rapa Nui).

What Borgo Sospeso means

The integrity of its ancient core, the dwellings that seem to blend harmoniously with the peperino cliffs on which they are erected, give Vitorchiano its distinctive appellation: the Borgo Sospeso. The origin of this name lies in the unique geology of the area. Deposits of volcanic material, shaped over millennia by volcanic activity, have created the imposing cliffs on which the villages of Tuscia. However, what makes Vitorchiano truly special is its peperino bank, fractured into enormous boulders, on which the buildings of the village rest directly. This peculiarity creates a fascinating visual illusion, making it seem as if the village has been carved into the rock. The houses, clinging and overhanging, merge with the lava rock, creating a perfect harmony with the Vezza Valley and the surrounding landscape, rich in oak, ash, beech, elm and chestnut forests.

What is the Moai of Vitorchiano

And it was precisely the abundance of peperino that made Vitorchiano the perfect place to build a gigantic Moai statue. The Moai statues are anthropomorphic monoliths carved by the indigenous Polynesian population Rapa Nui (which is also the original name of Easter Island), mostly between 1100 and 1500. They are veritable stone giants up to 21 metres high, probably augural monoliths bringing wellbeing and prosperity wherever they look. The Moai of Vitorchiano was built in 1990 by the Atan family, originally from Rapa Nui and consisting of 19 people. The occasion for the construction of the Vitorchiano monolith was the RAI television programme 'In Search of the Ark' by the journalist Mino D'Amato. Intent on promoting the restoration of the Easter Island Moai, the journalist was looking in Italy for a stone that was as close as possible to the volcanic stone from which the giants of Rapa Nuiwith which to create an Italian Moai. Vitorchiano, home of the peperino, was identified as the ideal place to realise the work, and the Atan family the right craftsmen.

What the Moai of Vitorchiano looks like

After months of work, the Atans created an original Moai by working the stone with the same ancient techniques used on Easter Island for the construction of the original Maoi. From an artistic point of view, the Moai of Vitorchiano is a testimony to the skill and mastery of the sculptors. Faithful to the originals, the statue has deep grooves, hard, simple and linear features, and fine details such as the long ears, the emphasised navel and the tapered hands clinging to the belly. Even today, the Moai of Vitorchiano represents the only Moai sculpture stone of original dimensions, present outside theEaster Island.

Where the Moai of Vitorchiano is located

The Moai statue has gone through various locations over the years. First located in the centre of Piazzale Umberto I, in 2007 it was temporarily transferred to Sardinia to be displayed in an exhibition of pre-Columbian art. Returning to Vitorchiano after nine months, the statue found its definitive location on Largo Padre Ettore Salimbeni, in the municipality's camper van area that overlooks the suggestive belvedere of the "Borgo Sospeso“.

The Moai of Vitorchiano, with its imposing presence and fascinating history, stands as an icon of one of Italy's most beautiful villages, representing a unique link between the millenary history of Easter Island and the timeless beauty of Vitorchiano, the suspended village of Tuscia.

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