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00 Capranica
Stemma di Capranica

Lazio · Viterbo

Capranica

A medieval hill town on the old Via Cassia, taken by the Anguillara family in 1305 and remembered as the place Petrarch stayed in 1337.

Best time
Apr–Oct
By car
1 h 12 min from Rome
By train
Station in the comune
Population
6,302

Known for

  • TONDA GENTILE ROMANA

    Hazelnut DOP grown on the surrounding Cimini slopes, with Capranica part of the Città della Nocciola network.

  • ANGUILLARA

    Noble family that took the town in 1305 and hosted Petrarch in 1337, the period that gave the centro storico its present form.

  • VIA FRANCIGENA

    Marked stage on the Canterbury-Rome pilgrim road, threading the hazelnut country between Sutri and Vetralla.

  • TUSCIA

    The commune also lies inside the Tuscia DOP production zone.

When to visit

Best · Apr–Oct

  • J10°
  • F12°
  • M13°
  • A16°
  • M21°
  • J26°
  • J31°
  • A30°
  • S24°
  • O20°
  • N15°
  • D11°
  • Best
  • Hot or crowded
  • Quiet
  • Mostly closed

Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.

The festa: San Terenziano, first Sunday of September

Why come

Capranica sits in the Tuscia at the fifty-fifth kilometer of the Via Cassia, on a hill overlooking the Sutri valley between Lake Bracciano and Lake Vico. The Etruscans worked this ground; the medieval borgo grew along the Cassia after the road was rebuilt in the second century BC. The Anguillara family appeared in 1305 and held the town through most of the fourteenth century.

In 1337, under Orso degli Anguillara, Francesco Petrarca stayed here on his way south, the moment local memory still attaches to the place. Castrovecchio is the oldest quarter, a wedge of stone houses and stepped streets above the Castello degli Anguillara. The town is one of the Italian comuni crossed by the Via Francigena, with a marked stage running north toward Sutri and Vetralla. Hazelnut groves cover the surrounding slopes; Capranica is a member of the Città della Nocciola network and supplies the Tonda Gentile Romana, the local DOP variety.

We've been

Feature from our free newsletter

Capranica | The stop on the journey

So a borgo like Capranica, and especially Capranica, has nothing to offer except this vibe. After darkness sets, the town becomes the same medieval village that it was 500 years ago. The only difference is the electric lighting and some satellite dishes on some roofs.

From the Capranica letter, August 2026

Read the full feature on anywhereitaly.com

Read on

Capranica in our articles

How to get there

From Rome (FCO), about 1h 42m by car.

Naples / Salerno (NAP) is about 3h 11m away.

By car from the centre of Perugia 2h 14m or Siena 2h 45m.

There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.

Coming from Rome?

Coming by train into Roma Termini? Capranica is about 1h 14m away by road.

Every town within reach of Rome airport.

Capranica, photo 1
Capranica, photo 2

What to see

  • Castello degli Anguillara

    Medieval fortress at the head of Castrovecchio, seat of the Anguillara family from 1305 and the place Petrarch stayed in 1337.

  • Castrovecchio

    Oldest quarter of the town, a wedge of stone houses and stepped streets rising above the Cassia toward the castle.

  • Chiesa di San Francesco

    Fourteenth-century Franciscan church on the edge of Castrovecchio, with fresco fragments and Anguillara family tombs.

  • Via Francigena stage

    Marked pilgrim stage on the old route to Rome, running north toward Vetralla and south through the hazelnut country.

The slow-trip planner

Building a trip? Find where Capranica fits in a slow Italy circuit.

Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.

Plan your trip

Through the year

What happens here

Feasts and festivals that come back year after year. We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the source before you plan a journey around one.

  • Festeggiamenti in Onore di San Terenzianopatron saint's feast

    usually held in August. TrovaSagre

Living here

  • Population 6,302
  • In-betweeni
  • Pharmacy in town
  • High school within a 30-minute drive
  • Train station in the comune
  • Nearest airport Rome, 1 h 42 min drive
  • Regional capital Roma, 1 h 12 min drive

Common questions

What is Capranica known for?
Capranica is a medieval hill town on the old Via Cassia, taken by the Anguillara family in 1305 and remembered as the place Petrarch stayed in 1337.
Where is Capranica?
Capranica is a comune in the province of Viterbo, in Lazio, at 370 meters above sea level.
What is the nearest airport to Capranica?
Rome (FCO), about 1h 42m by car.
Can you get to Capranica without a car?
Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
How long is the drive from Perugia to Capranica?
About 2h 14m by car.
When is the best time to visit Capranica?
Best in Apr–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 31 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 14 rain days.
Is there a sagra or a festival in Capranica?
Yes. Festeggiamenti in Onore di San Terenziano. August is when the first of them falls.
Which other towns are like Capranica?
Castelnuovo di Porto, Magliano Sabina and Arpino.
How many people live in Capranica?
6,302 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

The numbers

  • Elevation: 370 m
  • Population: 6,302
  • Surface area: 40.97 km²

These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

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