A Slow Tour of Upper Lazio with Syusy and Patrizio (2)

In this second video of a new slow tour, we follow Syusy to Barbarano Romano, a medieval village in the province of Viterbo, perched on a tuff promontory. The view from the Belvedere is stunning, opening over the deep ravine below.

But the history of this area goes back much further than the village’s medieval origins. Once, an Etruscan city stood here, believed to have been called Marturanum. Titus Livy wrote that it was naturally protected – both by its position and by its walls – and that it resisted the Romans’ siege for days. It rose on another nearby tuff promontory, which was later gradually abandoned, though never completely, as archaeological evidence shows.

This land is rich in Etruscan necropolises, like the famous San Giuliano necropolis. And it’s crisscrossed by the mysterious “vie cave” (ancient Etruscan roads carved into the rock).

Syusy went to explore them, pondering the mystery of the “vie cave” and the countless tombs scattered throughout the area. She met Davide, who leads an excavation project in this area run by Baylor University in Texas. And she spoke with the CAI (Italian Alpine Club) of Viterbo, to learn how the Trail 103 project came to be. A route that now allows visitors to experience this landscape and its archaeological wonders at a slow pace.

Tune in and listen!