Ricettività
Historical and tourist notes
The origins of Acquapendente are quite uncertain. A careful campaign of archaeological rem searches only, could investigate the past history of Acquapendente. For the time being, we can rely on occasional finds which, although not exceptional, are frequent in the territory.
Sporadic prehistoric recoveries are located between the valley of river Paglia and Torre Alfina. To the Etruscan period are mainly testified graves datable between the III and Il century b.C. and ascribable to the cultural influences of two remarkable adjacent centres: Chiusi and Velzna (Orvieto).
The Roman presence is even less relevant, being testified by a few memorial stones and by columbaria dug in tuff, only, but for some smaller country settlements.
The break-up of Roman empire and of its institutions, in addition to centuries of fighting and
invasions, caused a period of silence in documentary sources, which can only be found again starting from the middle of IX century.
The church of St. Vittoria, located on the Francigena road, constitutes the parish church of the village called Arisa, according to documents from the archives of St. Salvatore Abbey on Mount Amiata.
The quick expansion and importance this centre attained in short time, were due to a continual traffic of pilgrims on their way to Rome and Jerusalem: they found reception-structures and shelter, houses of refuge and markets.
Acquapendente is mentioned for the first time in the imperial diploma of Otto the First.
This document, dating back to 964, ends up with the usual wording indicating the place of subscription.
When Countess Mathilda of Canossa donated all her possessions to the Church of Rome (1102),
a long chain of contrasts started, where Acquapendente had to play the role of buffer between the
Marquisate of Tuscany and the Patrimony of St. Peter. The situation got worse With the descent of Frederic I Barbarossa: he crushed communal autonomies, seized part of the Marquisate and entrusted the territories to his nephew Guelfo the Sixth.
This context gave rise to the insurrection of Aquesians against the imperial vicar instituted by Frederic Barbarossa. According to tradition, the insurrection originated from a miraculous happening in 1166.
Here is how, in 1588, Pietro Paolo Biondi narrates the event in his ”Chronicles of Acquapendente”:
“There were twofanners working in a vineyard just outside Porta St. Vittoria, where an image of the Madonna with her Son had been placed, and they were talking about such rebellion when one of the two said to the other: it has as many chances to succeed as that cherry tree has to bloom (pointing a finger at a cherry tree, withered since many years); and all of a sudden the tree flowered
and got full of flowers in a miraculous way (…), and all the people rushed there and saw it, and they knelt down and made the now that, when they succeeded in getting rid of the tyrant, they would be subject to the saint Church for ever (…)”
As memorial of liberation, the community organised a solemn feast on the middle of May.
Today, the event lives again through the Pugnaloni: large mosaics covered with flowers, symbolising the universal theme of freedom that wins any form of oppression.
Besides the quarrels between Papacy and Empire, Aquesians had to put up with heavy troubles
caused by the town of Orvieto.
For more than one century, acts of submission and rebellion alternated between the two communities with the pacificatory intervention of prelates and Popes.
The dispute went on during the XIV century, despite the agreement drawn up during the pontificate of Boniface VIII including obligation, on behalf of Acquapendente, to support Orvieto With arms in case of war.
To troubles with Orvieto, other calamities are to be added, among which the black plague in 1384.
The town, during a crisis subsequent to the Renaissance, knew difficult times worsened by the beginning of the war with Castro.
It was sacked first by the castrensian army of Odoardo Farnese and later by the troops the Pope sent to chase the invaders.
After the peace drawn up between Odoardo Farnese and Urbano VIII, the dispute began again in
1644 under the new Pope Innocent X who ordered the siege and destruction of Castro.
On account of this event, the title of cathedral was transferred to the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre so Acquapendente became diocese.
After the French Revolution, it was the first centre to set up a republican order.
Acquapendente is located on the S.R. Cassia, 90 km from Siena and 130 km from Rome, and this is the main road from which you can arrive by car from both north and south. The nearest motorway exit and railway station are those of Orvieto, 30 km away. The main bus transport is the regional one guaranteed by COTRAL, but also by other transport companies, which connect Acquapendente, in addition to the centers of Lazio, including Rome, also with Orvieto and the Tuscan centers of Monte Amiata. From and to Viterbo: Cotral Service Viterbo – Acquapendente From and to Rome: Cotral Service Rome – Civitavecchia – Viterbo – Acquapendente From and to Orvieto: Cotral Service Orvieto – Acquapendente The closest airports are those of Rome and Perugia.
Tipology | Name | Address | Phone | Website |
Affittacamere | Casa del Pellegrino | Via Roma, 51 | 339 8499965 | – |
Affittacamere | Casa di Lazzaro | Via dei Cappuccini 23 | 0763 730177 | www.casadilazzaro.org |
Affittacamere | Casa vacanza la piantata | Via cassia km 137,600 | 338 1795286 | https://casavacanzelapiantata.com |
Affittacamere | Il borgo | Via Porta S.Angelo 3 | 0763 734094 | www.ilborgoristorantecamere.com |
Affittacamere | La letterina | Via G. Pascoli 19 | 0763 717130 | www.laparolina.it |
Affittacamere | Ostello per la gioventù podernovo | Ass.ne: Il Vento soffia ancora (Torre Alfina) | 340 7384604 | – |
Affittacamere | Podere orto | SP51 Trevinano | 0763 989024 | www.podereorto.com |
Agriturismo | Acerona | loc. Acerona | 0763 711128 | www.acerona.com |
Agriturismo | Belvedere | Località Podere Belvedere | 0763 716041 | www.albergolaripa.eu |
Agriturismo | Buonumore | Via Cassia, km 130 | 0763 733508 | – |
Agriturismo | Casale Vitello | Loc. Capita | 339 5373715 | – |
Agriturismo | Gli Alberelli | Strada Trevinanese, 25A | 0763 734794 | www.agriturismoglialberelli.com |
Agriturismo | Il Cerqueto | Via Falconiera, 101 | 0763 732106 | www.cerqueto.it |
Agriturismo | Il Morello | località Morello 216 | 0763 715041 | www.ilmorello.it |
Agriturismo | Il Palluccaro | Loc. Palluccaro | 0763 733501 | www.agriturismosearch.com |
Agriturismo | Il Pulicaro | Str. Cassia km. 114,200 | 0763 716757 | www.pulicaro.it |
Agriturismo | Il Sentiero | Strada Vicinale di Montepetrocco | 338 2242535 | www.agriturismoilsentiero.it |
Agriturismo | Il Tesoro | Borgo di campagna Il Tesoro | 0763 716045 | www.iltesoro.eu |
Agriturismo | La Casaccina | Podere Elvella | 0763 717129 | www.agriturismolacasaccina.it |
Agriturismo | La Collina dei Ciliegi | S.P. Procenese s.n.c. | 329 4104259 | – |
Agriturismo | La Macchia | Podere S.Stefano 10 | 0761 450533 | www.lamacchiaguesthouse.com |
Agriturismo | La Quiete | Via Cassia Km 130 | 338 8378017 | www.agriturismolaquiete.eu |
Agriturismo | Le Coste | Via Predio S. Anna, 151 | 347 4325567 | – |
Agriturismo | Le Crete | via Cassia al km 129,4 | 331 6871167 | www.agriturismocasalelecrete.com |
Agriturismo | Le Querce | Via Gioacchino Rossini | 329 3286567 | www.agriturismo-lequerce.com |
Agriturismo | Le Roghete | Via di Villa Rogheta 137 | 340 5330260 | www.leroghete.it |
Agriturismo | Murera | Via Predio S.Anna | 333 6144823 | – |
Agriturismo | Podernuovo | Str. della Falconiera | 339 8434684 | www.podernuovo.it |
Agriturismo | Pomantello | Località Pomantello | 0763 716092 | www.pomantello.de |
Agriturismo | Querce Campocane | Strada Vicinale Mulino Elvella | 0578 53714 | lequercedicampocane.blogspot.it |
Agriturismo | San Filippo | Strada della Falconiera | 338 7524339 | www.maneggiosanfilippo.it |
Agriturismo | Sant’Angelo | Strada Vicinale di Sant’Angelo | 338 7271044 | www.agriturismosantangelo.it |
Agriturismo | Santa Veronica | S.P. Procenese Km 0,300 | 340 9418965 | www.agriturismosantaveronica.it |
Area di sosta | Campo Boario | Loc palazzetto dello Sport | ||
Area di sosta | laghetto Pesca Sportiva S.Biagio | Loc. S.Biagio | 348 3427737 | |
Bed & Breakfast | Casale il pero | Via Casale il Pero, 11/a | 0763 717104 | – |
Bed & Breakfast | L’albero bianco | Loc. Albero Bianco, 8A | 0763 730154 | – |
Bed & Breakfast | Predio S.Fernando | Strada della Falconiera | 0763 733065 | www.bbsanfernando.com |
Bed & Breakfast | Vigne Grandi | A Torre Alfina | 0763 716000 | www.torrealfina.org |
Hotel | La ripa | Viale Colesanti 27 | 0763 730136 | www.albergolaripa.eu |
Hotel | Nuovo castello | Via Cardarelli 6 (Torre Alfina) | 0763 716106 | www.nuovocastello.it |
Hotel | Toscana | Piazza N. Sauro, 5 | 0763 711220 | www.albergotoscana.net |