The Corso Italia is the main shopping street in Viterbo. It connects the Piazza Verdi with the Piazza delle Erbe.
Corso Italia Viterbo
History and description
At the beginning of the Corso Italia, at the junction with Via Mazzini, you can see a plaque on the left side of the street. This has the shape of the Porta di Sonza, an ancient city gate that used to be located here.
This is the spot where the oldest city walls of Viterbo used to end. Outside these walls the Sonza used to flow, a stream that is now known as the Urcionio. The son of Emperor Barbarossa had granted a great privilege to this gate: When a slave walked through it, he was given back his freedom.
The Caffè Schenardi is one of the oldest cafes of Viterbo. It is named after its first owner, who towards the end of the 19th century had a shop belonging to an aristocratic family converted into a coffee house.
