Barbarano Romano is a small medieval town built on a triangular plateau on top of a cliff made of volcanic rock. It is located around 30km south of Viterbo. Highlights are the Porta Romana city gate and the Archaeological Museum.
Barbarano Romano city guide
Tourist information
The tourist information office is located in the Piazza Guglielmo Marconi, 21.
The city does not have a railway station. From Rome and Viterbo it can be reached by bus (Co.Tra.L).
A brief history of Barbarano Romano
On one side the village is protected by huge medieval walls, on the other two sides by the gorges created by the river Biedano and its tributary.
Already in the Bronze Age there were settlements in the area. In the Etruscan age, between the 7th and 4th centuries BC, the villages started to be concentrated around the Colle di San Giuliano.
In 1188 Pope Celestino III gave the village to the City of Viterbo and the name Barbarano was used for the first time in official documents. There were continuous fights between Viterbo and the prefects of Rome over the city, but between 1283 and the 19th century Barbarano remained subject to Roman feudal law, which is why nowadays it is still called “Romano“.
Barbarano Romano Tourist Attractions
The Roman gate inside a 15th century tower that gives access to the village. There used to also be a drawbridge.
The oldest part of the village used to be part of a castle.
The Palazzo dei Priori is now the Palazzo Comunale.
The 12th century Chiesa del Crocifisso, with a 15th century wooden crucifix. The church is located in the Piazza del Castello.
The Archaeological Museum (Museo Archeologico delle Necropoli Rupestri) of the city is located in the Via Sant’Angelo, 2 (Phone: +39 0761 414507). The collection consists of objects excavated on the terrritory of Barbarano.
Top 10 tourist attractions Barbarano Romano
Tourist Attractions near Barbarano Romano
- The city lies in the middle of a protected park, the Parco Regionale Marturanum, where several Etruscan necropolises can be seen.