LATERA: THE "SNAIL-SHAPED" VILLAGE AMIDST HILLS AND VALLEYS - DMO La Francigena e le Vie del Gusto in Tuscia

LATERA: THE “SNAIL-SHAPED” VILLAGE AMIDST HILLS AND VALLEYS

Latera is a village in the Tuscia region with a characteristic shape reminiscent of a snail. Perched on a hill, its fame comes from the geological and natural richness of the volcanic origin Caldera of Latera, which has a history spanning two hundred thousand years.

The snail-shaped village amids hills and valleys

From here, the landscape below is very picturesque with views of Lake Bolsena and Lake Mezzano. Latera was an important settlement during the Etruscan period, but its traces are lost until the time of the Lombard invasions when it became a subject of territorial disputes. In the medieval period, it became a stronghold of the Aldobrandeschi family and later underwent changes of ownership, passing through Orvieto and then the Church, finally coming under the ownership of the Farnese family.

The village has retained its typical medieval structure, and access to the village is through a single gate with a bridge that presumably used to be a drawbridge over a deep moat protecting the ancient fortress. Once inside the village, you can admire the Church of San Clemente, which has ancient origins, and what remains of the Farnese Palace.

What characterizes Latera are its four fountains: Canale, Piscero, Ducale, and Trincheri, located in different corners of the village, each symbolizing the different districts, characterized by distinct colors.

Events in Latera

Among the events in the village, there’s the Sagra del Pizzicotto, a traditional dish of Latera’s peasant cuisine, the Sagra del Marrone, and the Feast of the Madonna and the Castagnolo festival, featuring a characteristic sweet of the Carnevale season.