Civita Castellana: Home to an ancient people few know
Ever heard of the Faliscans? Neither had I. That is, until I visited the small town of Civita Castellana 65 kilometers (35 miles) north of Rome. This town of 15,000 people was once home to the Faliscans, a tribe that inhabited Northern Lazio from the 11th century B.C.-3rdcentury B.C. They had an elaborate society which you can study in the Archaeological Museum of the Faliscan Area. It’s in the beautiful 15th century Forte Sangallo, once a papal residence.
Civita Castellana has a slow pace and the perfect stopover between Rome and Tuscany. It is also one of Italy’s major ceramics centers. Be sure to have lunch at Boccondivino, opened just two months ago and one of the best new restaurants in Italy.
Things to do
1 • Forte Sangallo. We entered Civita Castellana from the north and as soon as we entered we saw this gargantuan stone citadel topped with an octagonal tower looming over the town.
The fort was built in 1494 by Pope Alexander VI for defense of the the powerful Borgias family. Inside is a square courtyard lined with 17 prison cells. The prison was first used for criminals and then political opponents from 1819-1905. In World War II until the 1950s it was used as a shelter for displaced families. At the same time, popes used it as a residence away from Rome.
Surrounding the courtyard are 28 ribbed vaults with beautiful frescoes covering the arched ceilings. Due to Civita Castellana’s location, the fort served as northern protection for the Catholic Church in Rome.
2 • Archaeological Museum of the Faliscan Area. This museum, opened in 1965, makes up the second floor of the castle. It has some of the oldest artifacts in all of Italy.
They date to the 10th century B.C. including jewelry and crude knives. Also on display is a skull from the 6th century B.C., well-preserved vases of every size and a makeshift tomb from the 7th century B.C. There is also the remains of what looks like an ancient Backgammon board.
Other rooms include panels of sarcophaguses from the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. All the rooms are well signed in Italian and English. It is a very underrated and little-known museum. During our visit Wednesday, we saw only two other visitors.
Info: Via del Forte 82, 39-07-615-13735,
https://direzioneregionalemuseilazio.cultura.gov.it/luoghi/museo-archeologico-dellagro-falisco-forte-sangallo,
drm-laz.mucivitacastellana@cultura.gov.it
8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday, €5.
3 • Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore. Built in 1210, the church dwarfs Piazza del Duomo with one of the biggest facades in Lazio. It features six huge columns holding up a massive archway.
Above is a Latin greeting in bright, gold lettering. Red and gold banners flank the massive wooden door. It once stood next to the Francescan convent and wooden choir stalls are still evident. Inside are six side altars, one of which features the sensational painting of San Bernardino of Siena.
The Faliscans: Italy’s other indigenous tribe
Everyone who studied Roman history knows about the Etruscans. They were the people who predated the Romans. They lived from 900 B.C.-1st century B.C. and were forcefully enveloped into the Roman Republic. But in Northern Lazio, the Faliscans predated the Etruscans. They date to the 11th century B.C. and supported the Etruscans both politically and socially. Their center is where Civita Castellani now stands.
The Faliscans also rebelled against the Romans until they became allies with the town of Veii and were defeated in 396 B.C. The Faliscans fought the Romans again in 358 B.C. but were routed and the Romans built a garrison in the town. Their culture mirrored that of the Etruscans although they spoke their own Faliscan language, which closely resembled Latin. They also took their weapons designs from the Greeks. Like the Etruscans, they were excellent artists and their
beautiful pottery is on display in the Archaeological Museum. They also had elaborate funeral rites where tombs were filled with their belongings and rich families had elaborate sarcophaguses made.
Where is it:
35 kilometers (60 miles) north of Rome.
How to get there: Numerous trains leave Rome’s Tiburtina station for Civita Castellana.
The 1-hour, 10-minute ride is €5-€6.
For more information:
Ufficio Turistico, Via Antonio Gramsci 3 – Civita Castellana.
39 0761 590220 or 39 0761 590315
Where to eat:
Boccondivino, Via delle Palme 18, 39-07-610-90733, 39-366-462-1776, noon-2:30 p.m., 8-10:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, noon-2:30 p.m. Sunday.
On a side street a couple minutes walk from Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, Boccondivino opened only two months ago by 35-year-old Giulio Parroccini who worked in a Michelin-star restaurant.
It is already a hit. An elegant restaurant with white tablecloths and peach-colored walls, primi piatti start at €16 and secondi piatti at €20. My tortello di coniglio alla cacciatora (twisted pasta filled with rabbit and covered in herbs and fennel) was one of the best meals I’ve had in Lazio.
Marina’s calamarata alla luciana (squid-shaped pasta covered in squid, peeled tomatoes, Gaeta olives, capers and white wine), she said, “Was one of the best meals of my life.”
