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Along Via Santa Maria, built between the 13th and 14th centuries, on the left there is the so-called “Bishop’s House” so called perhaps because it was the residence of the bishop of Bagnoregio during his pastoral visits.
Info: Info point Vitorchiano – Pro loco Vitorchiano. Piazza Roma, s.n.c.
Tel. 0761373739 prolocovitorchiano@gmail.com – infopointvitorchiano@gmail.com
Municipality of Vitorchiano, Tourist Office – Piazza Sant’Agnese, 16 – cap. 01030 – tel. 0761373745. www.comune.vitorchiano.vt.it, e-mail info@comune.vitorchiano.vt.it
HOUSE OF THE BISHOP
HISTORICAL NOTES AND DESCRIPTION
Along Via Santa Maria, built between the 13th and 14th centuries, you will find on the left the so-called “Bishop’s House” so called perhaps because it was the residence of the bishop of Bagnoregio during his pastoral visits. The building stands on a stairway proffered in peperino, which rests on a round arch, on which the balcony develops. On the balustrade stands a peperino column with a molded capital, to which the richly sculpted supporting column of the arch corresponds at the bottom. On the left, going up the stairs, there is a small window, while two entrance doors overlook the balcony. The two doors are surmounted by two round arches with ring nut in relief. Next to the first door, inserted into the wall, is a peperino ashlar. The first and second levels are separated by a string course on which there are four windows, two of which have been filled in. Higher still is the last level with a single window in the center of the facade. The round arch, which supports the landing, has a deep barrel vault and shows on the left a column with a capital worked in bas-relief. The right side has buttresses, also worked in bas-relief, with geometric decorations also present on the upper molded frame. The pillar has two faces differently worked in bas-relief and on the external one it is possible to recognize the reproduction of a twisted column with a decorated capital. On the wall along the staircase is a trefoil window with ferrule and piers made up of peperino ashlars and with a floral decoration applied in the center. Particularly interesting is also the peperino ashlar placed next to the access door to the house as a shelf, fluted and decorated in the center with geometric elements. Today used as a private residence, the building was born with this connotation. The valuable and high-quality architectural features of the aristocratic architecture of the 13th – 14th century frame the Bishop’s house as one of the most characteristic monuments of the village of Vitorchiano.
ESSENTIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY
D’Arcangeli V., Vitorchiano, in “Tuscia viterbese. I Comuni”, vol II, 1968, pp. 473-476.
Vitorchiano, il passato presente, edition edited by Fiorenzo Mascagna, historical research by Elide Vagnozzi, Stampa Arti Grafiche Artigiane 2005.
Special thanks to Dr. Andrea Presutti for scientific advice and archival photographic material provided on Vitorchiano.
– Vitorchiano com’era Facebook page for the collection of old photos of the beautiful village of Vitorchiano, in the province of Viterbo. Images of the country, its inhabitants and its traditions.
