5 bedrooms historic house, 315 m²

Viterbo, Viterbo (province)

Tuscia

This stunning medieval home nestled in the heart of medieval San Pellegrino quarter dates from the 1200s. Lovingly restored, the current home was created from two adjoining buildings and part of a medieval street (now enclosed). One of the buildings was originally one of the towers for which Viterbo was once known, although now only the first few storeys remain. The house is built very solidly from local Peperino stone, and is a particularly beautiful example of the traditional buildings in the San Pellegrino quarter, said to be Italy's best preserved medieval quarter.  

A narrow road leading between the San Pellegrino and the Pianoscarano districts once ran between the buildings, but was then enclosed when the two houses were joined into one: you can still see the arches and some windows inside the building. Here you will find a stone vaulted room (photos 22 and 23, with the bed with the red canopy) and a bathroom. 

Also on this level is another large room with antique woodbeam ceiling and ancient stone walls (including an old stone manager and wall niche). This room is visible in photos 2, 17 and 18, including the elegant iron chandelier and bed, and the angle kitchen. There is an ensuite bathroom. and a door leading to a charming courtyard patio garden, complete with fountain. Stairs from this level lead down to the two huge cellars, dug entirely by hand, and connected by a tunnel, which were still used until very recently as a wine cellar.

On the floor above, the elegant period salon with its wood ceiling and patterned floor looks out onto the streets of the historic centre through leaded windows each with a central crest depicting Viterbo's coat of arms. The floor is Venetian mosaic tile, and the door lintels are all in Peperino stone. From the salon, doors open into two rooms, one overlooking the courtyard garden, the other out over the rooftops of Viterbo to the valley beyond. The kitchen, with its huge fireplace, opens onto a charming terrace overlooking the courtyard. Also on this level you will find a bathroom and a laundry.

Characteristic stone stairs, with hand painted decorative risers, lead up to three further bedrooms, each with an ensuite bathroom.

All bedrooms have air conditioning, and there is of course heating throughout. There is an alarm system, as well as a convenient intercom system. 


THE SAN PELLEGRINO QUARTER

One of the largest and best preserved medieval quarters in Europe, the San Pellegrino district is a delightful maze of squares, narrow alleyways, staircases, fountains and towers. Largely built between 1100 and 1200, everything from the houses to the streets themselves was constructed of peperino, known to the Romans as 'lapis albanus' and later known colloquially by a name referring to its distinctive pepper-like speckles.

A distinctive and traditional feature of the quarter are the staircases: a 'profferlo', or external staircase leading from the ground to a small loggia outside the main entrance on the first floor. The arch below the staircase generally had a door into a shop or storeroom. Another common feature is the 'richiastro', a small internal courtyard, sometimes shared between houses. 

The quarter is named from the ancient San Pellegrino church and its adjoining piazza. The church is first mentioned in 1045, although much of its current appearance is more recent. It still has traces of frescoes from the 1400s. The stunning Palazzo degli Alessandri that runs around the edge of the piazza is one of the jewels of Viterbo. Casa San Pellegrino is to be found just past the San Pellegrino piazza.

The historian Cesare Pinzi described the piazza of San Pellegrino: "Halfway along this road, one emerges, beneath many overpasses, into a narrow piazza, called San Pellegrino. Here the scene presents itself with a rare and enchanting beauty. Two sides of the square are occupied by a surprising medieval palace, of such austere and singular architecture, that it cannot be found in other monuments of those times, whether preserved for us in our city or in other cities."


VITERBO

Although of Etruscan origin, the most striking part of modern Viterbo is its large medieval quarter, centred around San Pellegrino. As well as a wealth of important civil and religious buildings, Viterbo boasts a large park, botanic gardens, nature reserve with important archeological sites, thermal springs, and a network of hidden tunnels (last used in WWII as air raid shelters). The rich cultural life of the town includes many museums, theatres, art exhibitions and musical festivals ranging from Jazz to Baroque to Pop. There are many other festivals throughout the year also, including some in medieval costume, as well as the flower festival of San Pellegrino in fiore (the medieval quarter is decorated in early May with floral arrangements from all over Italy), and the famous Mille Miglia vintage car rally. And, of course, the striking Macchina di Santa Rosa, in which a statue of the patron saint of Viterbo is born through the historic centre on a thirty metre high tower, carried by a hundred men. 


VIA ROMANA Srls 

Via Romana Srls is an Italian-incorporated company owned by a British/Australian Chartered Accountant and her photographer daughter, and offers a package of services to facilitate all aspects of the purchase and restoration of Italian property by overseas clients. The Via Romana team works in collaboration with various fully-licensed Italian real estate agencies.