Residenza Palazzo Fortuna

A 16th-century palace in the centre of Civita Castellana

The Residenza Palazzo Fortuna is an affittacamere, a guesthouse with a few rooms, inside a 16th-century palace at Via Garibaldi, 23, the main street of Civita Castellana. It is a few steps from the Cosmati Cathedral and the Forte Sangallo, the town's Renaissance fortress. Civita Castellana, like Calcata, is built on a tufa outcrop between ravines, and it is the largest town closest to the Treja valley: from here it is about 15 km by road to Calcata.

What remains of the palace is an entrance hall with ancient columns, a frescoed hall, the one with the four cardinal virtues, where breakfast is served, a small inner courtyard with arches and a garden hidden in the very centre. Beneath the house is a cellar dug into the tufa, where they hold wine tastings and tastings of Tuscia produce.

The rooms

The website describes five rooms in its text and shows six with their own names: Borgia, Cosmati, Lucrezia, Valentino, Sangallo and Soratte. They differ in size and furniture, with contemporary design within the old architecture. Those facing the main street have a French window or small balcony; the Sangallo looks onto the Cathedral and the Soratte, bright and plainer, onto the inner garden. Published prices per night run from €180 (Sangallo) to €300 (Borgia), with €200, €220 and €250 in between.

Breakfast is one of its strong points: artisan teas, pastries from a bakery, yogurt from a local farm, organic jams and honeys, bread of the day, eggs prepared to order, cured meats and cheeses. If you wish, it is brought up to your room. There is free wifi, a free minibar in the room, a lift and luggage storage; massages, hairdressing and a gym can be booked at neighbouring businesses, and on request they arrange guided visits of the historic centre and the ancient Via Amerina, with its Faliscan necropolises.

Getting there and parking

Check-in is from 15:00 to 20:00 and check-out before 11:00; reception is staffed 24 hours. The palace is in the old town: they have paid parking that must be reserved in advance. Small pets are accepted for a supplement.