Otricoli

The village of Otricoli, in the province of Terni, is located on the top of the hill that overlooks the archaeological area where the ancient Roman city of Ocriculum once stood, a dominating position over a long stretch of the Tiber valley that gives the urban settlement the appearance of a stronghold, from which its name is derived.
Inside its early medieval walls, today's historic centre preserves buildings and monuments from periods that are sometimes a long way apart, ranging from the Middle Ages right through to the 20th century: highlights include Palazzo Priorale, which now houses the Antiquarium Comunale (Municipal Antiquarium), and the Collegiate Church dedicated to S. Maria Assunta (St. Mary of the Assumption), an interesting example of a pre-Romanesque place of worship dating back to the 7th century, with decorative materials from the Roman and medieval periods. In modern times, the historical centre continued to expand with buildings of considerable artistic and architectural value, such as the Oratorio di San Giuseppe da Leonessa (Oratory of St. Joseph of Leonessa), the Church of San Salvatore and the Squarti-Perla house, with its exceptional door built entirely from ancient fragments. Of the city of Ocriculum, the monuments of the ancient Roman settlement are still clearly visible, such as the defloro and basilica area, the theatre, the baths and the archaic necropolis.