Lazio, Italy · Europe
San Martino al Cimino is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Viterbo, 52km from Cascata delle Marmore.
San Martino al Cimino is a town located in Lazio, Italy. With a population of 2,340, it is an important destination in Europe.
On a road trip, San Martino al Cimino sits in Italy, where you drive on the right. It's in the Europe/Rome time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add San Martino al Cimino to your route.
The Abbey of San Martino al Cimino (or San Martino in Monte) is a former monastery on the northwest slopes of the Monti Cimini. It was a Cistercian territorial abbey between the 13th and 16th centuries. The buildings are located at an elevation of 580 metres (1,900 ft), 4 miles (6.4 km) outside of Viterbo.
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dedicated to Saint Martin in the Monti Cimini existed by 833 (or 838), when a certain Benedict, son of Anspert, gave it to Abbot Sichard of Farfa. By 1045, it was had its own abbot and followed the Benedictine rule, like its mother house. It was abandoned shortly after 1122 as Farfa went into decline.
In 1150, Pope Eugene III gave the site to the Cistercians of the Abbey of Saint-Sulpice. Its holdings were insufficient to provide a living for the monks and in 1206 the general chapter of the Cistercian Order admonished the abbot of Saint-Sulpice to provide more support. In 1207, Pope Innocent III convinced the abbot to renounce Saint-Sulpice's control of San Martino al Cimino to its own mother house, the Abbey of Pontigny. Abbot Peter of Pontigny personally led a large contingent of monks from Pontigny to San Martino.
The 13th century was the high point for San Martino. It had properties throughout the Patrimony of Saint Peter and was the largest monastery in Roman Tuscia. It became a territorial abbey, its abbots exercising episcopal jurisdiction within their own lands. Construction began around 1225 on a new church and new cloisters, completed only after 1400. The church was consecrated around 1230. In 1254, Cardinal Gil Torres made a generous bequest to the abbey. The commune of Viterbo frequently elected monks from San Martino for the office of chamberlain. The abbey owned the church of San Pellegrino in the city.
In the 14th century, the abbey went into decline. In 1378, it was placed in commendam. By 1442, its community consisted of the abbot and two monks. A village had, however, developed around it, today San Martino al Cimino. In 1564, the Cistercian abbey came to an end. Cardinal Ranuccio Farnese renounced the commendatory abbacy and Pope Pius IV entrusted its pastoral responsibilities to the Chapter of Saint Peter.
In 1645, Pope Innocent X place it under the patronage of the Pamphili family. They renovated the abbey church in the Baroque style, demolished many other buildings and built a palace for themselves on the land. In 1911–1915, its original Gothic form was restored. On the main façade, the rose window is original, but the campaniles were added in the 14th century. Since 1936, the title of abbot of San Martino al Cimino is held by the bishop of Viterbo.
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San Martino al Cimino offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.
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San Martino al Cimino is located in Lazio, Italy, Europe. The coordinates are 42.3698 latitude, 12.1251 longitude.
San Martino al Cimino has a population of approximately 2,340 people, making it a town in Italy.
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Essential numbers in Italy
ACI roadside assistance: 803 116. ZTL (limited traffic zones) in city centres are camera-enforced.
Full driving guide for Italy8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
The 16th-century 'Park of Monsters', a wooded valley of colossal mannerist grotesques: an ogre's mouth you walk into, a leaning house, war elephants carved from living bedrock. Ignored for centuries, adored by Salvador Dalí.
17 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
A dying hilltop village in Lazio perched on an eroding volcanic plateau accessible only by a narrow pedestrian bridge.
29 km · about 35 min drive
racetrack
Rome's historic racetrack, opened in 1951 north of the city and named after F1 pioneer Piero Taruffi. A staple of Italian GT racing with regular open track days for road drivers.
31 km · about 35 min drive
cathedral
A dramatic Umbrian hill town perched atop volcanic tufa cliffs, crowned by one of Italy's most ornate Gothic cathedrals.
39 km · about 45 min drive
landmark
Tufa-rock town rising sheer from the Maremma canyons, riddled with Etruscan cave cellars and the sunken 'vie cave' walkways carved into the cliffs. Known as 'Little Jerusalem' for its historic Jewish quarter and synagogue.
47 km · about 55 min drive
waterfall
A 165-meter man-made waterfall created by the ancient Romans in 271 BC, now one of Italy's most impressive cascades.
52 km · about 60 min drive
museum
A vast complex of galleries culminating in the Sistine Chapel, containing one of the world's most important art collections.
58 km · about 65 min drive
castle
A towering cylindrical fortress on the banks of the Tiber in Rome, originally built as a mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian.
59 km · about 70 min drive
April to October
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