Latera

Latera is a gorgeous town in the province of Viterbo, located in the fascinating and enchanting territory of the Bolsena Lake, facing the western shores and extremely close to the famous Mezzano Lake.

The typical landscape of this wonderful town is rich in forests, hills and vineyards, whose grapes are used to make wines of the highest quality.

The town is situated on a small hill overlooking the wonderful countryside below, boasting the beautiful natural scenery offered by Alta Tuscia.

The town is seen as a small gem of art and culture, custodian of historic palazzi, which once housed significant political figures; monuments celebrating the events of the past and churches of absolute unique beauty.

Walking down the streets is a chance to discover the amazing history of Latera hidden amongst the striking frescoes and works of art, bringing the past to life and never ceasing to amaze all those who experience it.

Not to miss:

Church of St. Rocco: dating back to the 16th century, it was designed in a very simple style and is the custodian of a marble altar, depicting the image of the saint in which the church is dedicated.

Church of St. Clemente: the principal sacred building of the town, it was built in the 15th century and was the original Baptismal seat, the only one in the province of Viterno. Designed in a very simple way, it is embellished with a precious fresco depicting the Crucifixion, a 15th century stone tabernacle and a painting depicting “La Madonna del Carmine e San Carlo” (The Madonna of Carmine and St. Carlo).

Church of Madonna del Carmine: built on the ruins of an older parish church in the first years of the 19th century, it is a building small in size but grand in its beauty and uniqueness.

Church of St. Giuseppe: an enchanting religious building constructed in the last years of the 12th century. Inside you can find some fascinating works of art and paintings, including the wonderful 17th century piece “La Natività” (The Nativity).

Church of the Madonna della Cava: possibly the oldest building in Latera, there remains little of the original structure, built sometime before the 15th century. Inside you can, however, find the original altar depicting the image of St Sebastino.

Church of St. Sebastiano: a small building dating back to the 1400’s that astounds visitors with splendid examples of architecture, numerous works of art and the two wonderful frescoes, “L’Immacolata Concezione” (The Immaculate Conception) and “Gli Angeli e San Sebastiano” (The Angels and St Sebastiano).

Palazzo Farnese: dating back to the 15th century, the building is divided into an older section, built in the 16th century and a more modern section, rebuilt in a more recent age. On its portal you can admire a religious coat of arms, whilst inside, there are arches and columns; as well as walls richly decorated with precious frescoes dating back to the 16th century.

Monumenti ai Caduti (Monument to the Fallen of WWI): a commemorative sculpture built in 1929 in the Piazza IV Novembre.

Fontana Ducale (Ducal Fountain): built in the first half of the 17th century for Duke Pietro Farnese, it takes an octagonal form with seven of the sides being embellished with the family emblems and the eighth bearing a Latin inscription celebrating the Figure of the Duke of Farnese.

Museum of the Land: located in the ancient Grancia di San Pietro, it is an interesting and stimulating exhibition of objects, utensils and instruments used in the past by farmers and peasants of the town. The display aims to retrace the past of this ancient village through a vast collection of agricultural objects.

History:

Like much of this territory, the history of Latera dates back to the 12th century, when the centre was dominated by the powerful Farnese family.

During the 1200’s it was proclaimed a Free Commune, only to submit to numerous dominations in the following centuries. From the beginning of the 15th century the Church exercised power over Laterna, before passing it to the Dukedom of Castro, who managed to maintain power until the end of the 19th century, when the town became part of the Kingdom of Italy.