Province of Viterbo Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Province of Viterbo Viterbo
Province

Country	Italy
Region	Lazio
Capital	Viterbo
Area
• Total	3,612 km² (1,395 sq mi)
Population (2005)
• Total	299,830
• Density	83/km² (210/sq mi)
Postal Code	01100, 010xx
Telephone prefix	0761, 0763, 0766, 06
ISTAT	056
Vehicle registration	VT
No. of communes	60

Viterbo (also called provincia di Viterbo in Italian) is a province in the Lazio region of Italy. Its main city and capital is Viterbo.

Where is Viterbo?
- Facts and Figures
A Look at History
- Ancient Times
- Later History
Gallery
See also

Where is Viterbo?

The Province of Viterbo is the most northern province in the Lazio region of Italy. To its south, it shares a border with the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital. To the southeast, it borders the Province of Rieti.

It also borders two other regions. To the north, it touches Tuscany (specifically the Province of Grosseto). To the east, it borders Umbria (the Province of Terni). The Tyrrhenian Sea is located to the west of the province.

Facts and Figures

As of 2017, the province had about 318,163 people living there. The total area of the province is around 3,615 square kilometers (about 1,396 square miles). This means there are about 89 people living in each square kilometer.

The province is made up of 60 smaller towns or areas called comuni. The leader of the province is called the provincial president.

A Look at History

Circondario di Viterbo in the Province of Rome in the 19th century

The area that is now the Province of Viterbo has a very long history. Many ancient Etruscan cities were once located here. These included Tuscania, Vetralla, Tarquinia, and Viterbo itself.

Ancient Times

The city of Viterbo was taken over by the Roman Republic in 310 BCE. Not much is known about Viterbo for a long time after that. However, in 773 CE, a king named Desiderius used Viterbo as a base. He was fighting against the Holy Roman Empire.

Later, in the 11th century, a powerful woman named Matilda of Tuscany gave the city to the Pope. In 1153, Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor stayed in Viterbo. He was planning to invade Rome. He conquered Viterbo in 1160 while getting ready to attack Rome.

Later History

After a period of being a free city, Viterbo became part of the Papal States in the early 13th century. These were lands ruled by the Pope.

In the 16th century, the Knights of Saint John were forced to leave Rhodes. They found a temporary home in Viterbo before moving to Malta. Pope Paul III considered himself a citizen of Viterbo. He even started a university in the city.

Viterbo officially joined the Kingdom of Italy on September 12, 1870. During World War II, the city of Viterbo was heavily bombed.