Corchiano is a small municipality in the eastern part of the province of Viterbo. The town is best known for the two natural parks located on its territory.
Corchiano City Guide
Tourist information
The address of the town hall is Piazza del Bersagliere 1 – 01030 Corchiano (tel. +39 0761572002). The postal code is 01030 and the area code is 0761. There is no tourist office. The city has just over three thousand inhabitants.
By car/public transport
By car: Corchiano is on the SP28, the SP29, the SP71 and the SP72. From Rome follow the SS3 until Civita Castellana and then the SP79. From Viterbo follow the sP25 until Vignanello and then the SP29.
Public transport: Per day there are two Cotral bus connections between Corchiano and Rome. The bus station in Rome is Saxa Rubra. From the bus station in Viterbo there are three daily Cotral bus connections. The nearest railway stations are those of Civita Castellana and Orte. From Civita Castellana one can then continue one’s journey by bus.
A brief history of Corchiano
The area was originally characterized by small settlements in easily defensible places. The first settlement that would later become Corchiano was probably located where the historical centre is today, in a place protected on three sides by rocks eroded by the Rio Fratta and the smaller stream Fosso Ritello. The first fairly permanent settlement was destroyed by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. The present town was founded in the 12th century
Corchiano has been inhabited since the Stone Age. In the valley of the Rio Fratta, objects belonging to the ancient Falisci and Etruscan tribes have been found.
The nucleus of today’s city dates back to the 12th century and was built on the site where the Etruscan settlement of Fescennium, destroyed by the Romans in 241 BC, probably used ot be located.
In the second half of the 15th century, the town came into the possession of the Church, and in 1539 Corchiano was annexed to the Duchy of Castro, which Pope Paul III had created for his son (yes!) Pier Luigi Farnese. When this Duchy was abolished by order of Pope Innocenzo X, Corchiano came back into the hands of the Papal State.
This situation would not change until 1786, when Corchiano was given in long lease to Tommaso Giorgi.
Tourist attractions
Most tourists visit the town for the protected natural park Pian Sant’Angelo, where one can see century-old trees. The entrance to the park is along the Strada Provinciale San Luca. Another natural park is the so called Forre di Corchiano, which is located along the Rio Fratta.
Apart from the natural reserves, where many archaeological objects, especially Etruscans and Falisci tombs, have been found, there are a number of interesting churches in the city’s territory.
The most important ones are the Madonna del Soccorso Church (15th century) and the San Biagio Church (15th century) in the historical centre. In the latter church, a number of frescoes painted by Lorenzo da Viterbo can be seen.
Curiosities
The name derives from the Latin Corculus, with the suffix -anus (“belonging to”).
Events and Festivals Corchiano
During the Christmas period, there is a so-called “live nativity scene” (presepe vivente) in the city every day.