Ischia di Castro is a small town in the sparsely populated area to the west of the Lago Bolsena in the province of Viterbo. The center is located on a cliff between two valleys. Among Italians the territory of Ischia is extremely popular with lovers of hunting and fishing.
Ischia di Castro City Guide
Tourist information
Province: Viterbo. Region: Latium. ZIP code: 01010. City code: (+39) 0761. Suburbs: None. Town hall: Via San Rocco, 2.
By car/public transport
From Viterbo it is easiest to drive to Capodimonte on the Lago di Bolsena, followed by the SP8 to Valentano and then the SP47. From Rome the quickest way is to drive along the coast to Montalto di Castro and then take the SR312. There are direct Co.Tra.L buses from Viterbo.
A brief history of Ischia di Castro
Tombs found in the area indicate that the territory where is Ischia di Castro is located has been inhabited for a long time. During the early Middle Ages the city was property of the church. Orvieto took possession in the 13th century and gave the feud to the Farnese family. In the 16th century it became part of the duchy of Castro. In 1649 Pope Innocent X dissolved the duchy and the city again became property of the church. In 1816, Pope Pius VII gave the feud to marquis Antonio Canova, who had managed to retrieve many of the art works that had been stolen by Napoleon’s armies.
Curiosities
Until 1871 the city was simply called Castro. The word Ischia was added in order to distinguish it from similarly named place in the area.
Tourist attractions
The most important building is the 16th century Rocca Farnese (or Palazzo Farnese). Main churches are the Madonna del Carmine Church, the Madonna del Giglio Church and the San Rocco Church. The Sant’Ermete Cathedral has a 16th century baptismal font as its main attraction. The Museo Civico Archeologico is dedicated to Pietro and Turiddo Lotti and has artifacts up to the Renaissance period.
Events and festivals
The Gran Premio delle Carretelle (2nd half of August) is a race between hand made carts.