Holiday apartment in Chia – Discover tuff stone, water and history

Chia is a place for travellers who do not want to view landscape and history separately. The historic centre is still built from tuff stone and overlooks a green valley. The old village lies on a tuff hill to the right of the Fosso Castello and is considered a remarkable example of the urban planning of a small fortified medieval centre. When choosing a holiday apartment in Chia, you can therefore combine different holiday interests: village history, waterscapes, circular trails and local festival traditions.

Holiday apartment in Chia between tuff stone and village history

The original village of Chia was built around 1100. A prominent landmark is the Torre di Chia, a 42-metre-high, pentagonal tower with ancient battlements. The Church of Madonna delle Grazie also leads deep into the history of the village: its construction began in 1617, and on Piazza Garibaldi it marks the start of the sightseeing route through the old village of Chia. The church also contains a copy of a 15th-century triptych. It depicts the blessing Redeemer, the Madonna Annunziata and the announcing angel.

Water, mills and film history

Around the Fosso Castello, Chia shows how closely nature and former uses are connected. The ruins of two old medieval mills stand at Fosso Castello. They were used until the period after the Second World War to produce grain products and oil. In the first mill, large stone millstones are still clearly visible; they were powered by the water of the stream. The remains of a medieval dam and volcanic boulders also formed picturesque small waterfalls there.

Among the distinctive landforms at Fosso Castello are the rock formations known as the “Marmitte dei Giganti”. Erosion and the smoothing of the rock created basins, channels and cascades. The baptism scene from Pier Paolo Pasolini’s film “The Gospel According to Matthew” was filmed at the Cascate di Chia. During filming, the writer bought the Torre di Chia; it later became his second home.

Circular trails, rock formations and Etruscan traces

The park’s circular trails also lead to Etruscan tombs. This adds another historical layer to the experience of nature, without requiring you to focus on a single travel theme. In the direction of Bomarzo lies the Etruscan Pyramid in the municipality of Soriano nel Cimino. The rock site had sacred functions; its exact origin and purpose remain unclear to archaeology. For a trip with varied interests, such destinations provide points of connection for active days and quiet discoveries.

San Giovenale and Biscotto di San Giovenale

The festival calendar gives Chia its own local rhythm. The patron saint’s festival of San Giovenale always begins on 3 May, while the actual celebration takes place on the first weekend of the month. Biscotto di San Giovenale, a traditionally handmade sweet pastry, is still prepared for this occasion. Those choosing a holiday apartment in Chia can therefore take this festive tradition into account when planning their personal trip, alongside the historical and landscape-related themes. The combination of a tuff-stone village, water, mills, film history, Etruscan traces and regional pastry makes Chia a versatile destination for you.

Further places for planning your trip

If you would like to discover other places in addition to Chia, here are the direct destinations: Tre Croci, Corchiano, San Lorenzo Nuovo, Tobia, Marina Di Pescia Romana, Castel Sant'Elia, Chiusa and Civita.

To the higher-level travel overview: Viterbo.