Tuscia between Ferento and Bomarzo
A cyclable route only in the sense that the major part of the proposed route has low traffic volume; in Tuscia(*) Viterbese [the current province of Viterbo. RB] I have not seen even one meter of bicycle path; and it is also difficult to find many consecutive stretches of flat road!
The route proposed here starts from the train station near Montefiascone and ends at the station at Attigliano on the old Florence-Rome line. Going in this direction the route is mostly downhill; obviously you could also go in the opposite direction, but then with a prevalence of uphill climbs (and some that are pretty steep when crossing the area near Bomarzo).
The point of departure, therefore, is the train station of Montefiascone, which actually is located a few kilometers downhill from the city known above all for the wine Est Est Est. After leaving the station one first needs to go uphill in the direction of the village, then turn left to get onto Via Cassia [Via Zepponami], and then travel a few hundred meters downhill to the junction with Strada Ombrone which descends to Acqua Rossa. On paper this section of road would seem to be completely downhill and with little traffic, but in reality this proved to be one of the least cyclable sections of the entire route; in fact the surface of the road is highly uneven, the asphalt is crumbled especially along the sides of the road, which causes the bicycle to dance dangerously; and the traffic although relatively infrequent is still sufficient to confine the cyclist to the right side of the road, which is the section that is in worst condition.
Arriving finally at the end of the descent one finds oneself at the traffic-intense Strada Teverina, which comes up from Viterbo and heads towards the northern part of the province; turn right on Teverina and travel a few hundred meters to come to the crossroad to Ferento, on the left; in a couple of km you will reach the ruins of this ancient Etruscan city, of which there remain a few well-preserved ruins, although only the Teatro Romano [Roman theater] is still being used, for summer music performances; unfortunately there is no possibility of exploring the theater; during the day I found the theater locked and completely deserted. Too bad.
The road ends just beyond this point turning into a footpath. Therefore, go back to Teverina and turn left, a few hundred meters to a new intersection: on the right is the restaurant Acqua Rossa which recently has added a modern and comfortable small hotel with swimming pool; on the left we find Strada dell`Acqua Rossa [Strada Plan del Cerro] which takes one to Bagnaia. The name, Acqua Rossa, by the way, is derived from the ferruginous [iron ore, rust colored] water that is in the vicinity.
During July 2010 this section of road was interrupted to construct an interchange with the superhighway to Orte. Usually the biker and the pedestrian can go through the construction zone, but obviously this cannot be guaranteed given the work in progress.
After the construction site, cross over the Strada dell'Acqua Bianca and continue as far as Bagnaia(*), an historic suburb of Viterbo. Here we get on the old Strada Ortana heading east in the direction of Orte. The road passes under the railroad tracks and then heads towards the locality Pallone, part of the town of Vitorchiano. Here, on the left, a road leads downhill to the town of Vitorchiano; the old medieval village is worth a detour if you have time.
Until Pallone traffic is modest but still present; after Pallone the road becomes practically deserted, and this, added to the fact that it is downhill almost all the way, makes this the most peaceful stretch of the entire bike route.
Leave Strada Ortana at the crossroad to Bomarzo; here are a descent followed by a climb and a new descent with very steep sections through the village of Bomarzo; immediately after the village a side road to the left takes one to the Parco dei Mostri [park of the monsters] which warrants a visit if there is time (allow 45 - 60 minutes); the park derives its name from the sculptures of monstrous and fantastic beings that populate it.
From the Parco dei Mostri get back on the main road, heading north, and continue the descent that takes one to a bridge over the Tiber and immediately afterwards to the village of Attigliano, where there is a train station on the old Florence-Rome line. Here regional trains come through, most of which provide bicycle transport.
Last visit: 2010-07-28