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San Martino al Cimino
On the Cimini Mountains, this little town is well worth a visit for its wonderful seventeenth century layout and for its impressive Cistercian abbey, built by some French monks in the early 13th century. Unfortunately, the original design of the Cistercian church was modified over the centuries. The big Gothic window on the facade was probably opened in the 15th century, and the two belfries were added in the 17th century, when the original set up of the Cistercian settlement was radically changed. Almost nothing is left of the original abbey, apart from some columns of the cloister and the Sala Capitolare, which houses a little museum. Donna Olimpia Maidalchini, pope Innocent X’s sister-in law, ordered the rebuilding of the town. This strong-willed woman died after a plague and was buried in the Cistercian church. The new Baroque town was designed with the help of famous architects such as Francesco Borromini and Marcantonio de Rossi. The Palace Doria Pamphili (seventeenth century), with its spiral staircase and 17th century frescoes, is also worth seeing. Now the palace houses the Azienda di Promozione Turistica della Provincia di Viterbo.
Testo: A.G.Tur. di Viterbo Fonte dati e immagini Amm.ne Prov. & APT di Viterbo |
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MEDIEVAL
