Just writing about Viterbo was a little complicated, so I
covered probably a little bit more than necessary. No person is an island, and no city is either (well,
figuratively, that is). So I wrote
up a brief little summary of Viterbo, and a brief description of where and whom
I will be staying with. I leave on
the 29th of August… oh wait, that’s Wednesday. So, I guess I leave on Wednesday…
goodness how time does fly. My
flight departs at 7:53 a.m. from the Boise Airport (and yes, the time was that
specific… I’m surprised they didn’t add the seconds…) Anyhow, let’s cut to the
point… here is a brief summary of Viterbo!
One thing that I thought was especially interesting about
Italy was that it became a unified country only in 1861, which makes Italy as
an established country relatively new in comparison to the United States. The significance of this fact is that
despite the Italian’s robust stereotype of national patriotism, many of the
customs and heritage of its people are more so regionally based. This made me all the more excited to
find out exactly what sets the region of Lazio, and more specifically, Viterbo,
the city that I will be staying in for four months, apart from the rest.
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| Lazio, one of the 20 regions of Italy. |
Though I can’t point it out from research alone, I expect it
to have something to do with its unique and diverse array of historical architecture
and cultural antiquities that Viterbo hosts, one of the more famous cities in
the region. Viterbo was the center
of the ancient Etruscan civilization, and later, a Roman town. And coming into the middle ages, it
became a refuge for popes during the disputes over Papal authority in
Rome. This is when the
construction of the Papal Palace was commissioned to house the Papal Curia, the
official governance of the Roman Catholic Church. Surprisingly enough, during these Papal disputes, Viterbo
was a much more prosperous city than Rome. Though I could probably write an entire book on the history
of Viterbo, as its history spans all the way back to the eighth century, this
blog is unfortunately not cut out for such an endeavor.
Today though, the city is simply a relic of its diverse and
oftentimes complex past. From
fountains and palaces to churches and the famous San Pellegrino quarter, one of
the best preserved in Italy, the city is not one to disappoint. It has all the
character of Italy: narrow lanes, arches, towering medieval buildings, yet a
small town vibe and liveliness.
And if the man made isn’t enough, right outside of the city walls you
can visit an array of natural hot springs that were famous even in ancient
times.
And the funny thing is, I haven’t even been here yet. Let’s hope it’s all it says it’ll be…
though my doubts are somewhat miniscule.
Well, before I forget, let me do a brush up on the geological
location.
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| Italy! You can see Viterbo is located right to the Northwest of Rome. Just click to magnify. |
In Viterbo I will be living with a host mom in an apartment
just a 10-minute walk from the school I will be attending, Tuscia University,
along with another American student.
I have heard my host mother is a superb Italian cook- something I can’t
be more excited about! I was able
to communicate with her a bit through e-mail and she even has a little dog that
she says is just like a daughter, now that her two children have moved out of
the house (though they live just 2 hours away in Rome). I’m excited to meet my small Italian
family and to taste the best of Italian cooking.
