Tarquinian Treasure Hunt

Our first stop out the door this morning was Bar Stella; part of our hotel perks was breakfast at the bar.

Alessandro was already behind the counter ready with a smile and a cappuccino when we walked in.

Alessandro at Bar Stella

I felt compelled to apologize for my mini freak-out the day before when he had to endure my exasperation and tale of woe about the missing Hotel San Marco.

Graciously, he waved off my earlier display of brutta figura and brought us some chocolate cornetti to go along with our coffee.

While munching, I pulled out the map of Tarquinia that Miquaela had given us upon arrival. Since we’d already seen the Etruscan tombs and museum, today we wanted to explore the town itself.

The map pointed out all the places of interest, indicated by numbers corresponding to their location. We could find them by following along — a sort of treasure hunt for historical sites.

Tailoring our walk geographically rather than numerically, our first stop was number five on the map since it marked the southern border of the town: Chiesa di Santa Maria in Castello.

To get there we walked along the thick tufa walls of Porto Castello at the edge of town.

There goes Gino!

This bird is making good use of the old stone wall.

We passed by the old castle and the Tower of Matilda Camossa, a squat crenellated tower at the foot of the gates that, in medieval times, kept the enemy at bay. And right through that arch in the wall we spotted the church.

Rising next to it was the Torre di Castello, a tall, imposing stone tower.

Chiesa di Santa Maria In Castello

Construction of the Chiesa di Santa Maria in Castello began in 1121. Once the political, religious, and strategic center of town, the church eventually fell into disrepair from neglect and abuse. In the mid 1800’s it was even used as a stable for horses. Luckily, it was eventually recognized as a national monument and its restoration slowly began. It now hosts conferences, concerts, and weddings.