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Surrounded by an area rich in vegetation and water, Castel Sant' Elia is halfway between Rome and Viterbo.
Inhabited first by the Falisci, then by the Etruscans, in the Middle Ages it became a typical village with protective walls and watchtowers, still visible today.
Remembered for the meeting between the Pope and the Queen of the Lombards, Theodolina, the village has strong religious roots as evidenced by the 15 churches, most being dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Entering the orbit of Roman families like the Orsini and the Farnese, it experienced a period of splendour leading to the construction of the new castle.
It was precisely the Castrum, with the basilica of St Elias, that gave the settlement its name.
The rupestrian Church of San Leonardo, carved into a tuff ridge below the old town and the Sanctuary of S. Maria ad Rupes, reached by 144 steps, carved into the rock is unmissable.
01030 Castel Sant'Elia VT, Italia
