The Province of Viterbo () is a province in the region of Lazio in Italy. Its capital is the city of Viterbo.
It has a population of 307,812 in an area of across its 60 municipalities.
History
The area of the province of Viterbo contained a number of Etruscan cities including Tuscania, Vetralla, Tarquinia, and Viterbo. Viterbo was conquered by the Roman Republic in 310 BCE; despite this, minimal information is known of the city until it was utilised in 773 CE by Desiderius, King of the Lombards, as a base against the Holy Roman Empire. Matilda of Tuscany gifted the city to the papacy in the 11th century. Frederick Barbarossa was based in Viterbo as he planned to invade Rome in 1153, and he conquered the city in 1160 while preparing to attack Rome.
After a period as a free commune, in the early 13th century Viterbo became part of the Papal States. The Knights of Saint John were expelled from Rhodes in the 16th century and were temporarily granted refuge in Viterbo before they could travel to Malta. Pope Paul III described himself as a citizen of Viterbo and formed a university in the city. It joined the Kingdom of Italy on 12 September 1870. During World War II, Viterbo was heavily bombed.
Geography Viterbo is the most northerly of the provinces of Lazio. It is bordered to the south by the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital and to the south-east by the province of Rieti. It is also bordered by the regions of Tuscany (province of Grosseto) to the north and by Umbria (province of Terni) to the east. The Tyrrhenian Sea is located to the west.
The territory falls in and makes up the largest part of the historical region of Tuscia, with the name sometimes being used synonymously with that of the province.
As of 2017, the province has a total population of 318,163 inhabitants over an area of , giving it a population density of 89.05 inhabitants per square kilometre. The provincial president is Marcello Meroi and the province contains 60 (municipalities).
The territory of the Province of Viterbo can be roughly divided into four geographical areas:
the coastal and flat area of the Lazio Maremma; the Alta Tuscia, which is more hilly and has a volcanic origin, corresponding to the areas near Tuscany and Lake Bolsena; the area of the Cimini Mountains around Lake Vico and the regions bordering the metropolitan city of Rome; lastly, the eastern part bordering Umbria, encompassing the areas bathed by the Tiber River.
It can be said that the city of Viterbo geographically belongs both to the Alta Tuscia and the Cimini area, as it is located right below the mountains, yet at a short distance from Lake Bolsena.
Government List of presidents
Municipalities
The province has 60 municipalities:
Acquapendente Arlena di Castro Bagnoregio Barbarano Romano Bassano in Teverina Bassano Romano Blera Bolsena Bomarzo Calcata Canepina Canino Capodimonte Capranica Caprarola Carbognano Castel Sant'Elia Castiglione in Teverina Celleno Cellere Civita Castellana Civitella d'Agliano Corchiano Fabrica di Roma Faleria Farnese Gallese Gradoli Graffignano Grotte di Castro Ischia di Castro Latera Lubriano Marta Montalto di Castro Monte Romano Montefiascone Monterosi Nepi Onano Oriolo Romano Orte Piansano Proceno Ronciglione San Lorenzo Nuovo Soriano nel Cimino Sutri Tarquinia Tessennano Tuscania Valentano Vallerano Vasanello Vejano Vetralla Vignanello Villa San Giovanni in Tuscia Viterbo Vitorchiano
Demographics As of 2026, the population is 307,812, of which 49.5% are male, and 50.5% are female. Minors make up 13.3% of the population, and seniors make up 26.7%.
Immigration As of 2025, immigrants make up 12.2% of the population. The 5 largest foreign countries of birth are Romania, Albania, Ukraine, Morocco, and Bangladesh.
References
External links