Directions from Soriano to Corviano

Before Going

Corviano is probably one of the most amazing things you will see in Italy because it is a largely undisturbed site. There are countless larger and more historically significant sites in Italy, but there is something to be said about the raw beauty of Corviano. You have to visit to really understand. That said, several precautions should be taken before going. Please read this in full before you decide.

Be Prepared

Make sure you bring along water, some food, and a cell phone. A portable GPS is worth its weight in gold! You will be doing a light hike, but Corviano is very off the beaten path. If you choose to go without a guide, be extremely cautious, as it is not difficult to get lost. That said, at the end of this article, I will show you how to get found should you get lost.

Be Adventurous

Corviano is not for everybody. You should be in fairly good shape, and able to walk for a few miles. While you don't need to be a mountain climber, there are many uneven surfaces next to very steep cliffs. There is nothing to keep you from falling out of the cave dwellings to the valley below. Additionally, you will be in the woods with poorly maintained trails at best. Be prepared for things like poison ivy and the possibility of snakes and spiders.

Know when not to go

Corviano should only be visited in dry periods. If there has been a sigificant amount of rain, it may be impossible to arrive, and the trails may be impossible to follow.

During the winter months, there is a fair amount of hunting done in the area . While I have never seen them, Wild Boar hunting is done in this area, so there is the risk of being a victim to the boar, and to the hunter.

Do you see the hunter in the picture above? This is taken at Corviano in January. I saw the hunter by accident and he gave me a dirty look. I decided I didn't want to be a story on the evening news about an accidental shooting, and chose not to visit that day.

If you didn't see the hunter in the picture above, I have exposed him in the picture below.

OK, all of the warnings are behind us. Here are the directions to Corviano:

Pictures in the article

All of the pictures in this article were taken in January. If you go at another time of year, foilage will cause things to look quite different than what uyou see here.

Directions to Corviano

Before starting, get yourself to the Soriano/Bomarzo exit of the Orte-Viterbo Superstrada (Freeway). This is one of the only two exits for Soriano, and is probably the one just after the one you exited when first coming to Soriano.

We will start the directions at the bridge that crosses over the freeway, coming from Soriano.

The road may or may not have a directional sign to Corviano. TURN RIGHT on the rough road. This road will turn into a dirt road very shortly.

You will have a hair over 2 miles of dirt road, but it may seem like more because you will be going slowly.

Shortly after the villa, you will find yourself facing this stream. This is the first of 2 big decision points. If it has been raining, the stream may be impassible. Please use good judgement here.

From here you have 3/4 of a mile to go.

Just after the stream, you will have another fork. TAKE THE ROAD TO THE RIGHT.

Here is decision point #2. As you approach the road to the right, you will see that the dirt road becomes quite rough and a little steep. This small hill is the last place where you may get stuck (I have been stuck here). As long as the dirt is dry, if you take it slow and steady, you should have no problem getting past it.

The road from this point is quite rough, but this is the only part that is difficult to pass.

Soon you will see several directional signs. I don't know why there are two identical signs for Corviano, but they do point in the only direction you can go.

The third sign 'parcheggio' means parking. DO NOT PARK HERE. Just keep driving.

Finally you will see this road with a sign that tells you to turn right to Corviano. Note the barrier gate at the beginning of the road so that you know you are at the right place.

DO NOT TURN HERE! Your car will not make it on this road. Just ahead, you will see a turn out where you can park.

As you see, there is a little turn off for parking. There are rarely other people at Corviano, but if there are cars parked here, you should still have no trouble finding another spot to park without blocking the rest of the road.

Once you have parked, go back to the road with the barrier gate and follow it on foot. It isn't a long walk at all.

Soon you will find youself ina clearing, which is where the cave dwellings can be found. You will see a trail that can be followed to see more cave dwellings, the necropolis and more.

Following the Trails

The trails in Corviano are fairly easy to follow, and they take you to the things you will want to see. However, after the necropolis, I suggest that you turn back. Once you pass the necropolis, the trails get difficult to follow, and you can get easily lost.

If you get lost

If you do end up lost, the trails in the area will generally lead to the dirt road you took to get to Corviano in the first place. The main trail will end up next to the beautiful villa we passed driving to Corviano. If you get to that point on foot, your best bet is to continue on to the road, and walk back to the car along the road.