Property for Sale in Viterbo, Lazio
The Province of Viterbo is the northern tip of Lazio, bordering Tuscany and Umbria. Known as Tuscia, after the Etruscans who once ruled it, it is a volcanic landscape of crater lakes, tufa gorges, chestnut and beech woods and farmland, running from the Tiber valley in the east to a stretch of Tyrrhenian coast in the west.
The homes for sale on this site fall into two groups: village and country houses at modest prices, and villas and country estates at the upper end of the market, often with land, pools or views over a lake or the sea.
Lake Bolsena and the Northern Villages
Lake Bolsena, the largest volcanic lake in Europe, fills the north of the province. Around it are the town of Bolsena, with its castle and lakeside promenade, Montefiascone on the crater rim, known for its Est! Est!! Est!!! white wine, and San Lorenzo Nuovo, an eighteenth-century planned town above the northern shore. Further north, towards the Tuscan border, Onano and Proceno are small farming villages with stone houses and wide views.
The Teverina and the Calanchi
East of the lake, the land drops towards the Tiber through deep valleys of eroded clay. Civita di Bagnoregio, reached only by a footbridge, stands on a crumbling outcrop in the middle of this landscape. Castiglione in Teverina lies in the wine country on the Umbrian border, within the Orvieto DOC area, and Celleno and Bomarzo, home to the sixteenth-century Sacro Bosco with its giant stone sculptures, are quiet villages surrounded by farmland. Homes here range from village houses to farmhouses and villas with land.
Viterbo and the Cimini Hills
The city of Viterbo was a papal residence in the thirteenth century, and its Palazzo dei Papi and medieval San Pellegrino quarter are among the best preserved in central Italy. Hot springs on the edge of the city feed several thermal baths. Just outside, Bagnaia is known for the Renaissance gardens of Villa Lante.
The Cimini hills rise to the south-east, covered in chestnut and beech woods and hazelnut orchards around the crater Lake Vico. Soriano nel Cimino is dominated by its castle, and Vitorchiano stands on a cliff of grey peperino stone. Further south, towards Rome, Bassano Romano and Monterosi offer homes within easier reach of the capital.
Montalto di Castro and the Maremma Coast
The western edge of the province is the Lazio Maremma, a flat, open landscape of farmland and long sandy beaches. Montalto di Castro is its main town, with the resort of Montalto Marina on the coast and the Etruscan city of Vulci inland. Nearby Tarquinia is famous for its painted Etruscan tombs. Villas and country properties here often have substantial land.
Property and Lifestyle in Viterbo Province
Viterbo, Tarquinia and Civita Castellana provide hospitals, shops and year-round services, while the smaller villages have local shops and weekly markets. Hazelnuts, chestnuts, olive oil and wine are important local products, and the lakes offer swimming and sailing in summer.
If you intend to rent the property to holidaymakers, ask the comune in Viterbo province which registration and tax rules apply before signing.
Airports and Transport Connections
Rome Fiumicino and Rome Ciampino are the main airports for the province, with Fiumicino more convenient for the coast and the south. The northern villages are also within reach of Perugia and Florence airports.
The A1 motorway runs along the eastern edge of the province, with the Orte and Attigliano exits, and a dual carriageway links Orte with Viterbo. The Via Cassia runs north from Rome through the centre of the province, and the Via Aurelia follows the coast. Regional trains connect Viterbo with Rome, and the coastal railway between Rome and Pisa stops at Tarquinia and Montalto di Castro.
A car is essential for most country properties.
Buying and Renovating Property in Viterbo Province
Before committing, have a local surveyor (geometra) check that the property matches its cadastral and planning records, and confirm the permitted use of outbuildings or barns you plan to convert.
Much of the province is built on tufa, and some villages stand on cliffs subject to erosion. Check the stability of the ground, particularly in the Teverina and around the calanchi, and have older buildings assessed structurally, as central Italy has a history of earthquakes. Country homes should be checked for road access, water supply, septic systems and boundaries, and agricultural land may carry pre-emption rights for neighbouring farmers.
From villas near Montalto di Castro and the Maremma coast to village houses around Lake Bolsena and the Teverina, the Province of Viterbo offers country property within easy reach of Rome.