Ferento and its Roman Theatre

Ferento is located in an area of Upper Lazio between Viterbo and Bagnoregio. Ferento was an opulent Roman Town Hall where the main activities were trade, agriculture, breeding and the extraction and processing of Tufo and Peperino. Among the activities of Ferento stands out in particular the processing and marketing of Iron, which was easy to find in large quantities and especially on the surface, on much of the surrounding territory. For these reasons Ferento became a very rich city, inhabited by skilled craftsmen and powerful traders who controlled the traffic of goods moving from the Tyrrhenian coast to the hinterland and vice versa. Given the comforts and services that the city offered, there were many Roman families who chose it to spend their holidays, thus increasing the importance and fame of the city. The most important and well-preserved monument of Ferento, the Theatre, is remarkable. The Theatre of Ferento, as we see it today, was built in the first century AD, in the north-eastern area of the town. At present it is used for some important events that take place mainly in summer. At the limits of the archaeological area there are also interesting remains of Etruscan necropolis and Roman burial grounds. One of the latter belonged to the family of Emperor Otone.