While the historical aspects are fascinating, it's the kind of place that is covered in pigeon shit and graffiti. There are beggars and homeless people everywhere. One guy was particularly scary as he was already huge and wearing at least eight long coats--one atop the other--and the top one was a leopard faux fur. He looked like a cross between a pimp and a linebacker.
The star of the architectural show in Viterbo is the Palazzo Papale, or Papal Palace, where five different Popes ran the Catholic church. In a nutshell, Rome was a warring mess in the 1200s and the Pope had to get out for safety reasons. He chose Viterbo, about an hour north of Rome, because it was surrounded by a large wall, it was on a hilltop, and there were two rivers that served as natural moats to protect the palace from marauding bandits and those who would be happy to get rid of the Pope.
We took a guided tour of the Palazzo and saw the Sacristy, the Duomo, the secret chapel behind the altar. Then we were taken into the large, locked room that was the site of the first ever conclave to elect a Pope.
This first conclave was only attended by 19 Cardinals, but because they were all determined to get the top job for themselves, it took them 33 months to make a selection. Wow! And, the only reason they finally made a decision is that the people of Viterbo, who were sick of catering to every whim of this band of spoiled rotten Cardinals, interceded and said essentially that we are locking you in with nothing but bread and water and you will not be allowed out until a new Pope is chosen. Oh, and they also removed the roof so the Cardinals sat in the rain or sun all day without cover.
Finally, they chose this guy:
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