Municipality of Gradoli
Lat. 42.641701 Long. 11.858300
Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, 8
01010 Gradoli (VT) Italy
Tel. ++39 0761456082 – 0761456703
(37,51 kmqs with 1700 inhabitants: Gradolesi)
Gradoli is an attractive medieval village situated on the northern slope of the Bolsena lake,it lies like a thorn of fish on a tufa spur set to m 470 over-sea-level and far 43 kms, in direction NW from the chief town Viterbo. It preserves the imposing Farnese Palace of the XVI century. The DOC wine’s production and the extra virgin olive oil makes it an agricultural centre of remarkable importance. Because of the climate and the long lake’s shore, it is the centre of summer vacations.
The history of Gradoli is similar to that of other countries of the district; free commune in Two hundred was subdued to Orvieto in the XIII century, it is attached then in 1537 to the Dukedom of Castro governed by the family Farnese and when in 1649 Castro was destroyed it passed to the Pontifical State.
The principal monuments that are situated in the ancient village are: the Church dedicated to Maddalena and the Farnese Palace. The Church, with its Baroque façade, has three aisles inside in which it preserves a marmoreal baptismal source and a fresco of the sixteenth-century representing the Madonna with the Child; besides we can find a small but interesting museum of sacred art. The construction of the Palace that began in 1515 was entrusted by the Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (then Paolo III) to Anthony from Sangallo the Young. It followed then the fates of the illustrious family, and when the Dukedom of Castro fell, it gradually deteriorated. Now, after the recent restoration that has brought it to his ancient shine, it is the municipal seat including the Archivio storico with a precious harvest of volumes and a small ceramics and customs of the ‘400, ‘500 and ‘600 museum; also a Centre of cultural studies lies there.
7 kms far from Gradoli on the lake’s bank rises the fifteenth-century Church of S. Magno that enjoys of complete indulgence, a granted privilege in 1611 and renewed by Pope Benedetto XIV in 1754 for all those people who visit it from the dawn to the sunset of August 19. Gradoli is situated on the slopes of the Volsini hills that crown the northern bank of the Bolsena lake, between Tuscany and Umbria, on the Road Maremmana, that connects the Aurelia (s.s.1) to the Cassia (s.s.2); it is 125 kms far from Rome as well as from Siena. Its hilly position, that degrades on the lowland of the shore has allowed the local agriculturists to be able to cultivate grapevines and selected olives, so much to have the recognition of the denomination of controlled origin for the wines Aleatico and Grechetto as well as for the grappa and the extra virgin olive oil (this last to European level). In Gradoli is also produced a pleasant white wine that is pleasantly combined to the fish dishes and that together to other local products,it’s exalted from the good traditional kitchen.
The patrimony of the wood and lake is well preserved and it is still natural. The amenity of its shore and the possibility to make excursions in the near areas of historical-naturalistic interest like Tuscia, Umbria and Tuscany actives a notable summer tourist flow.
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