La storia di Civita Castellana, inizia con i Falisci, un’ antica popolazione che abitava l’Italia centrale. Il territorio dell’attuale città infatti, coincide con Falerii Veters, antico insediamento della popolazione Falisca.
The history of Civita Castellana begins with the Falisci, an ancient population who lived in central Italy. The territory of the city coincided infact with the Falerii Veters, ancient settlement of the Falisca population.
The Falisci, very warlike people, clashed with neighboring Roma and emerged inevitably defeated. Hence the abandonment of the fortified site of Falerii Veteres and the foundation of a new settlement: Falerii Novi.
In the Middle Ages, after a period of neglect, the city returned to be inhabited and became what actually is Civita Castellana. It became a refuge of popes such as Clement III and Adrian IV and was the scene of fights between two families, the Di Vico and the Savelli until, in 1426, the Holy See reaffirmed definitively itself.
During the Renaissance it become again residence for many Popes, such as Alexander VI, Julius II and Pius VI.
In the sixteenth it suffered two attacks by the Lanzichenecchis who understood the strategic importance of the city, but Civita Castellana managed to resist quoting as only wound the city archives burned.
The following centuries finally represented a peaceful period, although Civita Castellana was crossed by the French troops of General Mac Donald, by Garibaldi in Mentana and by Vittorio Emanuele II.
It was then in modern times (especially in the nineteenth century) that thanks to a Venetian entrepreneur, Giuseppe Trevisan, Civita Castellana became the “City of ceramics”.