Vejano is a small municipality in the province of Viterbo. It is one of the southernmost towns in the province and is located about 40 kilometers north of Rome.
Vejano City Guide
Tourist information
The address of the town hall is Piazza XX Settembre, 12 – 01010 Vejano (tel. +39 0761463051). The ZIP code is 01010 and the area code is 0761. The population is slightly above two thousand.
By car/public transport
From Viterbo by car: Take the SR2 in southern direction, until Vico Matrino. From here follow the SP493.
From Rome by car: From the Grande Raccordo Anulare follow the SP493 in northern direction.
Public transport: Bus traffic to and from the city is provided by the company Cotral. There are fairly frequent buses to and from the Saxa Rubra station in Rome. Only twice a day there is a bus to Viterbo. There is no train station in the city.
History
The foundation of Vejano is attributed to the inhabitants of the Etruscan settlement of Veio, which was destroyed by Roman troops in 396 BC. In addition to several Etruscan ruins, near the site of Fontiloro outside Vejano there are remains of a huge Roman villa.
The present municipality was created around the 13th century. Originally the town was one of the properties of the Prefetti di Vico and the Anguillara families, but in 1465 it came into the hands of the church.
The next feudal lords of Vejano were successively the Della Rovere, the Orsini and the Santacroce families. In 1671 the Altieri took over, ending up owning the city for three centuries.
In the 16th century the Santa Maria Church was built, on top of an earler, 13th century chapel.
Until 1871, Vejano was still called Viano.
Nowadays, a large square separates the historic center of the city from the modern part. This center is almost entirely uninhabited because of the unreliability of the terrain.
Vejano has hardly any industry. Most of its population is engaged in agriculture and especially the cultivation of grains and grapes.
Although Vejano is situated along the road that connects Rome to Lake Bracciano, it is largely shunned by tourism.
Tourist attractions
Vejano has a castle and a number of churches, the most important of which are the 16th century Santa Maria Assunta Church, the Madonna del Rosario Chapel and the Chiesa di Sant’Orsio.