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Santa Maria in Gradi in Viterbo: the story of a convent, prison, and university
Just outside the medieval walls of Viterbo stands the Complesso di Santa Maria in Gradi. Today it is the prestigious home of the Rectorate of the University of Tuscia, but its history is layer upon layer of very different lives. Founded in 1244 at the behest of Raniero Capocci — a Viterbo-born and powerful cardinal with a past as a pontifical notary — it has passed through nearly eight centuries of transformation. Few places tell the story of the city quite like this one.
The cloisters and the wounded church
On entering, the first thing one sees is the magnificent medieval cloister, one of the largest in the region, with a late 16th-century well at its centre. There is also a second cloister, built later in Renaissance style. The church, however, bears the signs of a troubled history. The architect Nicola Salvi — the very same designer of the Trevi Fountain — rebuilt it from 1737 onwards, but the bombing raids of 1944 and a roof collapse in 1956 left it severely damaged.
From place of prayer to penitentiary
The most radical transformation came after Italian Unification. From 1873 to 1993, the entire complex was converted into a prison. Cells replaced monastic spaces, and even today, walking through the lecture rooms, one can still notice the iron bars left on the façade's rose window. It is a striking contrast with the university life that has animated the place since 1996.
As this is an active university campus, access to the complex may be limited. Please check the university's website for visitor information.
