Full-Day Private Tour of Bolsena and Montefiascone from Rome

Highlights

• Lake Bolsena
• Montefiascone
• Private Tour from Rome

What's included

Itinerary

1. 1

   Bolsena

   3h

   Bolsena is an enchanting and incredible village to visit. Known as the city of the Eucharistic Miracle, it is a center extremely tied to the Christian-Catholic religion, is located next to a beautiful lake

2. 2

   Castello Rocca Monaldeschi

   1h

   The building dates back to the 13th-14th century, built by the inhabitants of Orvieto and partially destroyed by the population in 1815 to prevent it from falling into the hands of Luciano Bonaparte. It was then rebuilt in the forms we admire today. The upper floor is dedicated to the display of the rich archaeological documentation from the excavations of the Roman age. In the vault of the entrance hall, beautiful grotesques on a black and white background and panels with stories of Alexander the Great; on the walls, monochromes of great landscapes. In the adjoining room, on the vault, the "Convivio degli dei", on the walls scenes and figures in grisaille. On the main floor in the "Hall of Reviews", with coffered ceiling, monochrome frescoes that refer, like the others, to Pierin del Vaga and Pellegrino Tibaldi.

3. 3

   Stop 3

   1h

   the Romanesque Collegiate Church of Santa Cristina dates back to the 11th century. and consecrated by Gregory VII in 1077, but it was transformed into the present structure, mostly, by the fifteenth-century intervention wanted by cardinal Giovanni de 'Medici. The church is however the result of a sum of works and structural interventions, some dating back to the pagan period. The oldest part is constituted by the primitive oratory, obtained from the cut of the catacomb galleries surrounding the tomb of the saint. It is the tuffaceous cave where the miracle occurred. In the 11th-12th century, the Collegiate Church was built and then, at the end of the 17th century, the chapel of the Miracle. (A visit to the burial of the Saint inside a catacomb is possible, ask at the moment of the reservation to check for availability. Tickets fee not included, to be bought on spot )

4. 4

   Montefiascone

   2h

   It was chosen by the Popes Stephen IX and Gregory VII, besieged by Henry IV in 1093 but also strongly defended by the local counts. Montefiascone is a small village located higher in the territory of Bolsena Lake, known for its enchanting panorama of the basin.

5. 5

   Cattedrale di Santa Margherita

   30min

   A sanctuary of considerable historical and cultural interest which contains a great artistic treasure. The architectural structures of both the interior and exterior are an obvious advance of what is then found inside the Church. A real gem that cannot be missed.

6. 6

   Rocca dei Papi

   1h

   The Rocca dei Papi di Montefiascone has represented a place of great prestige from a religious point of view for several years. After being the residence of emperors and empresses, especially in the early years of its construction, the fortress became the chosen seat of several Popes, thanks to its proximity to the city of Viterbo which for a period was a papal city. After being the protagonist of a series of works and interventions (the last really significant date back to the 16th century), the moment of decline began for the Rocca dei Papi, traces of which are still visible today.

Before you go

Location

Italy