Soriano nel Cimino
Soriano nel Cimino is a town and comune in the province of Viterbo, in the Lazio region of central Italy. Perched on the south-western slopes of Monte Cimino within the Cimini volcanic hills, the town is best known for the imposing Castello Orsini, a 13th-century fortress remodelled by the powerful Roman Orsini family, and for the Festival of the Chestnuts held each October in the forests of the surrounding Cimini mountains.
At a glance
- Type
- Medieval hill town and comune
- Period
- Medieval origins, 13th century and later
- Style
- Medieval and Renaissance fortified settlement
- Location
- Province of Viterbo, Lazio, Italy
- Coordinates
- 42.4184° N, 12.2344° E
Overview
Soriano nel Cimino occupies a panoramic position in the Cimini hills, an ancient volcanic highland covered by beech and chestnut forests that has been inhabited since Etruscan and Roman times. The town’s historic centre clusters around the Castello Orsini, which dominates the skyline and houses a museum with medieval artefacts and a celebrated 14th-century fountain attributed to the workshop of Arnolfo di Cambio. The surrounding natural park of Monte Cimino adds ecological and scenic value to the area’s rich cultural heritage.
History
The site was occupied in antiquity, but Soriano nel Cimino rose to prominence in the Middle Ages under the dominion of the Orsini, one of the most powerful noble families of central Italy. The castle was built in the 13th century and later expanded; Pope Nicholas III (Giovanni Gaetano Orsini) is closely associated with its development. The town passed between papal and noble control over subsequent centuries and was incorporated into the Papal States before becoming part of unified Italy in 1870. Its forests and spring waters made it a favoured retreat for Renaissance popes and cardinals escaping summer heat in Rome.
What you see
The Castello Orsini is the town’s defining monument: a massive polygonal fortress with cylindrical towers, containing frescoed halls and a museum of medieval sculpture. Particularly remarkable is the Fontana Papacqua, a 14th-century monumental fountain in the castle courtyard decorated with mythological and zoomorphic reliefs. The historic centre also features the collegiate church of San Nicola di Bari and several palaces of the Orsini era, while the surrounding hills offer trails through ancient chestnut woodland with views across the Tiber valley.
Cultural significance
Soriano nel Cimino preserves one of the best-maintained medieval fortresses in northern Lazio, together with a rare surviving example of 14th-century monumental sculpture outside a major urban centre. The annual Sagra delle Castagne (Chestnut Festival) draws visitors from across Italy and reflects centuries of dependence on the Cimini forests as a source of sustenance and communal identity.
Practical information
- Location
- Soriano nel Cimino, Province of Viterbo, Lazio, Italy
- Castello Orsini
- Check the Comune di Soriano nel Cimino official website for current opening times and admission
- Festival
- Sagra delle Castagne — typically held in October
Getting there
Soriano nel Cimino is most easily reached by car from Viterbo (approximately 20 km south-east via the SS204) or from Rome (approximately 80 km north via the A1 motorway, exiting at Orte, then northward). Local buses connect Soriano to Viterbo, which has rail links to Rome Ostiense. The town itself is best explored on foot; the steep medieval streets are not suited to vehicles.