Turnover day in Civitavecchia is a little cold and grey. Clouds flying by overhead look fairly threatening, but we’re hoping as we travel more inland, the weather will improve. We are up and out with most of the departing guests, hopping on the port shuttle which leaves pretty quickly once we are aboard. We are – shock! – early, of course, so we have to literally cool our heels for about 15 minutes before Europcar opens. But, we’re first in line, so we get out car and get out of town fast (what a difference from last year when it was an absolute nightmare to just drop off our rental here – with 3 ships in port and everyone renting and returning).
Today we are exploring Viterbo, and ancient medieval city and Celleno, a “ghost” town in Northern Lazio – one of the few ghost towns this far north in Italy.
Since Celleno is farthest flung, we head there directly, following the autostrada out of Civitavecchia and then out onto the old road that links Lazio and Umbria. It’s like retracing our steps to Orvieto, we’re just not going as far. Back on the highway, we pass by the exits for Viterbo, knowing we’ll return in a few hours, and exit soon after heading out into the hinterlands of the Lazio region. TIM takes us through little villages and farmland and then turns us down some narrow little lane, lined with a huge stone wall where gardeners have propped up ladders to climb up and trim random vegetation. The road winds its way up and along a ridge, then down to a valley area where there are fresh springs and people filling empty jugs full of the fresh spring water. We’re wondering if this route is correct, when we take a right out onto a better road (I don’t think I’d characterize it as a “main” road), we get the first glimpse of Celleno and know TIM has done us right.
We drive down the narrow lane, passing the one remaining little cafe here outside of old Celleno and park in the area below the massive Tuffa wall that supports and protected the town.
While probably settled back in Etruscan or Roman times, the town is first mentioned in the early 11th Century when the lands were given to the Conti family of Bagnoregio (where we visited last year). The “Castello” (which really means a group of fortified buildings, not a true castle) has been part of many of the wars in the region, but is aligned with Viterbo and was quite an active community until it was abandoned after an earthquake destroyed part of the town and made the rest unstable. This is fantastic. We are absolutely alone as we wander through the little passageways and huge walled staircases that make up the interior of the Castello.
It is peaceful and serene up here, with incredible views out across the countryside.
Peaceful that is, until we hear the cacophony of sheep bleating in the distance, but getting louder and louder by the minute. Holy cow (or sheep – as the case may be), it’s a whole flock of sheep being herded up the main road! Wow. I run down the steps to the plaza where we parked for a better view, and when the sheep see me, they start heading for me until the Shepherd throws a stick at them and turns them back to the street.
I actually have the presence of mind to take a video which you can watch here. What an awesome experience.
We returned to our explorations with the sound of sheep keeping us company as they fade into the distance.
In the main courtyard, you can see where there have been restorations done to most of the buildings. It almost looks like someone lives here – but there is not sign of activity, so we continue to wander, snapping pictures of the different structures and views.
What a find! We have to tear ourselves away, knowing we still have Viterbo to explore before returning to the ship. So back the car we go, taking a last look at Celleno and the little community streets right outside its walls…
…then onto those same little streets, retracing our route back through the fresh spring valley and up along the stone wall still being worked on by gardeners, all the while hoping against hope we don’t encounter the sheep herd on the way out (which we don’t, fortunately).
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