is a city in the
Province Of Viterbo ,
Lazio (central
Italy ), c. 20 km from
Viterbo . The city is located in the
Cimini mountains, over two
Tufa scarps, on the SE slope of the former volcano crater now housing the
Vico's Lake .
The city's economy is based largely on agriculture, with production of
Nut s,
Chestnut s and
Wine .
The most ancient document mentioning Ronciglione dates to
1103 . An historian from 16th century
Orvieto set its foundation around 1045, due to the
Prefetti Of Vico . Later it was a possession of the
Anguillara , a
Guelph family of
Rome .
Pope Paul II conqered it to the
Papal States in
1465 .
In ,
Iron ,
Paper ,
Weapons and others. Ended in
1649 the Farnese seignory and bought back by
Pope Innocent X , in
1728 it received the status of city by
Pope Benedict XIII .
The Ronciglionesi took active part in the ,
1799 .
Ronciglione has one of the most beautiful mediaeval burgs of central Italy.
The city monuments include:
- The , originally built in the High Middle Ages, with the characteristical angle rounded towers.
- The , a Baroque edifice designed by Pietro Da Cortona , rebuilt by Carlo Rainaldi between 1671 and 1695 . The belfry is from 1734 . It houses a ''Tryptych of Christ'' by the Viterbese painer Gabriele di Francesco (15th century).
- The church of (11th century), restored in Baroque style, although still retaining a three-floors Romanesque belfry. The interior, with a single nave, houses some frescoes from th 15th century.
- The ruins of the church of (12th-13th centuries), with a notable belfry from 1436 .
- , a church began in 1581 and variously attributed to Vignola or Rainaldi. It houses paintings by Sebastiano Conca , Cavalier D'Arpino and a tabernacle by Sansovino.
- The suggestive basilica church of , along the Via Cassia , 3 km in direction of Rome. Located on a wide alture, it was built by monks ascpaed from Palestine in the 7th and 8th centuries. Traces of the ancient coenoby and the belfry can still be seen. The interior of the current edifice has a nave with aisles of irregular dimensions, with 12th-13th centuries frescoes and a ''Madonna with Child'' from the 15th century. It is dedicated to St. Eusebius, bishop of the nearby Sutri .
Ronciglione is famous for its Carnival, one of the most important in the Lazio. It was born as a derivative of the
Renaissance Carnival Of Rome . It has typical "empty races" in which the horses are left to run without riders. The cities are divided into 9
Contrade s which contend for the "Palio of the Manna".
