The current town centre of Otricoli is located on the top of the hill overlooking the archaeological area, in the same place inhabited by pre-Roman populations: a dominating position, on a long section of the Tiber’s valley, which gives the urban settlement the aspect of fortress from which the name derived.
The history of Otricoli is linked to its status of special “castrum”, determined by its important strategic position: an Umbrian castle lapped from Tiber and crossed by the ancient Flaminia Road. The current historical centre is particular because it keep inside the early medieval city walls, buildings and monuments of historical epochs that are even very far from each other, ranging from medieval times until 1900.
The most qualifying point of the “castle” is its centre marked by the presence of two arches typical of the Viterbo region, big Renaissance and early Medieval palaces and especially the Prior Palace, current seat of the Municipal Antiquarium, as well as the pre-Romanesque Collegiate devoted to St. Mary Assunta.
The church is an interesting model of pre-Romanesque place of worship of the 7th century, almost completely renovated in the 9th century. Divided in three aisles by masonry pillars and columns, presents inside substantial refurbishments (carried out especially in the Renaissance and in 1600) and a significant number of decorative materials of Roman and medieval age (among which a wooden altarpiece of the 12th century). In the modern time, simultaneously to the birth of the village, that is of “a village next to the castle” with its own buildings (of the 1800 and 1900) and life, the historical centre continued to expand through the construction of highly valuable buildings.
Qualifying elements of the 1700 architecture are the Oratory of St. Joseph from Leonessa, the Church of St. Salvador and the house Squarti-Perla, with its exceptional door built entirely from ancient fragments. Particularly notable, furthermore, for the 19th and 20th century, are, beyond the porches of the Village, ancient post-stages and other three palaces inside the historical centre located near the Collegiate.
