You might wonder: what is it like to live in a small medieval village? Well, thanks to La Casa Etruria Artist Residency, we had a chance to experience a little bit of what it might be like.
Just ten miles from the official route of the Via Francigena, the small medieval village (borgo medievale) of Latera spills down the side of a volcanic caldera, a flow of stone medieval buildings, churches, and narrow cobblestone streets. The elevation at the top of town is around 1600 feet and probably around 1000 feet at the base of the town. Ladies with shopping bags walk slowly uphill to the café to visit with friends after the daily shopping.
La Casa Etruria, our residency house, is just under the red sign; the front door opens out to a narrow street juuust wide enough for cars to pass through.
The town looks a bit austere at first, but it is filled with friendly people, murals and art, flowers on doorsteps, small historic churches, and a museum of the land and people. I came for a two-week residency, organized by the wonderful Zehava Perez, an artist and creative spirit. As Zehava notes, Latera is “very authentic and natural,” and the area has so much to explore.
I came to the residency to write about walking the final segment of the Via Francigena, from Viterbo to Rome, about 115 km. Read about our five-day walk on my blog on WordPress: passionate geography or my Substack (they have the same posts).
If you are an artist or writer, consider applying to La Casa Etruria Artist Residency. Latera is a delightful, unique place to come to with curiosity, a little Italian if possible, and an open heart. You will be well rewarded.
The biggest surprise? The incredible forest (bosco) that surrounds the town. See the next post!
