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The door of the Madonna della Neve took its name from a legend that tells of a snowfall that occurred in August right on the door. Located next to the Clock Tower, it represents the only access to the ancient castrum, inscribed in the first circle of walls built to protect the city, probably erected in the thirteenth century.
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
OUR LADY OF THE SNOW GATE (Porta della Madonna della neve)
HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION
The door of the Madonna della Neve took its name from a legend that tells of a snowfall that occurred in August right on the door. Located next to the Clock Tower, it represents the only access to the ancient castrum, inscribed in the first circle of walls built to protect the city, probably erected in the thirteenth century. Characterized by a round arch with a ring made of peperino blocks, the door is surmounted by a large coat of arms bearing the acronym S. P. Q. R. at the top and the image of Porta Romana at the bottom. The first represents the coat of arms of the city of Rome or rather the acronym that represented it, Senatus populusque Romanus, that is “The Senate and the Roman people” the government of ancient Rome. the second the Vitorchiano coat of arms. The door is located next to the Clock Tower, at the base of which is the access door to the Tourist Office, once home to the ancient notary archive. Once you pass the door, you find yourself under a large lowered round arch, an integral part of the door itself. This supports the upper gallery, on which is the access door to the Clock Tower and an open niche that overlooks Piazza Roma. Above the arch of the door, on the counter-façade, it is possible to see a niche in which is the painted image of the Virgin and Child from the 18th century. On the right of the door is the access to the Municipal Archives, a room once destined for Monte di Pietà.
ESSENTIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bernardini C. – Goletti A, nella terra fedelissima di Vitorchiano. Le Confraternite, 2000, p. 31.
Vitorchiano, il passato presente, edition edited by Fiorenzo Mascagna, historical research by Elide Vagnozzi, Stampa Arti Grafiche Artigiane 2005, pp. 40,84.
Picchetto F.- Pedrocchi A. M , file OA n. 12/ 00095506, 1977.
Special thanks to Dr. Andrea Presutti for scientific advice and archival photographic material provided on Vitorchiano.
– Vitorchiano com’era Facebook page for collecting old photos of the beautiful village of Vitorchiano, in the province of Viterbo. Images of the country, its inhabitants and its traditions.
