In Tuscania, the frescoed Judgement of Santa Maria Maggiore
In Tuscania, off the beaten track, a medieval church preserves a cycle of fourteenth-century frescoes that almost no one comes to see.
Foto: User:Pippo-b (Public domain) — Wikimedia Commons
There are places that mass tourism has simply skipped, and Tuscania is one of them. Set on the hills of the Viterbo Tuscia, among tufa fields and country roads, this Lazio town stays off the major circuits, overshadowed by nearby Viterbo and by the more popular destinations of the region. And yet those who make it here find a heritage that elsewhere would be besieged.
The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore stands just outside the built-up centre, in an isolated position beside the more famous San Pietro. It is a building of medieval origin, of spare Romanesque lines, with a stone façade bearing the marks of the centuries. Inside is preserved a cycle of frescoes attributed to the fourteenth-century painters Gregorio and Donato d'Arezzo. The walls tell sacred scenes with that late-Gothic spontaneity that precedes the full maturity of the Renaissance: figures that gaze at you across seven centuries, in a hall often completely empty.
The beauty here is precisely the silence. There are no queues, no crowded ticket desks, no organised groups chasing one another. You can sit on a stone bench, let your eyes adjust to the gloom and watch the colours re-emerge from the plaster with no one at your back. It is an experience that restores to art its contemplative dimension, the one that in Florence or Rome has become all but impossible.
Tuscania is easily reached by car and deserves a full day: beyond the churches, it preserves walls, towers and medieval alleys almost intact. Always check the opening hours in advance, as they can be limited, and take the time to explore the surrounding Tuscia as well, one of the most underrated areas of central Italy. Come with respect and slowness: that is how these places are meant to be crossed.
Getting there
Tuscania lies in the Viterbo area, some twenty kilometres from Viterbo, to which it is linked by bus. By car you arrive from the south along the Aurelia or the A12 motorway, exiting at Tarquinia, or from the A1 exiting at Orte and then taking the link road to Viterbo. The reference airport is Rome. The basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore stands just outside the walls of the town.
Practical guides for Arezzo
Practical info
When is the best time to visit In Tuscania?
The recommended time is March, April, May, October and November, when it is less crowded.
Is In Tuscania crowded?
In Tuscania is a almost deserted destination compared with the more touristy ones.
Where is In Tuscania?
In Tuscania is located in Tuscania (Viterbo), Lazio, Italy.
Suggerita come alternativa a
Se cerchi mete meno affollate simili a questa, vedi anche:
How to get there
- 🚆 Nearest station: Montefiascone ~18 km as the crow flies
- ✈️ Nearest airport: Aeroporto di Roma-Fiumicino FCO ~74 km as the crow flies
Nearest points as the crow flies (source OpenStreetMap): actual times depend on the roads, often mountain ones.
