Sant’Angelo is a small little hamlet twenty-five kilometers from Viterbo only accessible by car and bus. When you enter the hamlet, you won’t really expect much and I know I didn’t when I got off the bus. The place where I was dropped off had no murals that I could see and I was somewhat disappointed. This disappointment would change however when we turned the corner and I was face to face with murals of famous tales such as Don Quixote, Snow White, Puss in Boots and Peter Pan. It was then that I got excited about the fairy tale city of Sant’Angelo and wanted to explore.
Being a History major, as I was wandering around Sant’Angelo, I kept wondering about the history of this tiny little hamlet and why they chose to paint their building walls. I soon found out that it was an attempt to draw in more visitors and residents to the tiny hamlet. Since Sant’Angelo is a small hamlet in the middle of a mountainous valley, it is only accessible by car. Because of this, the town had been increasingly dying over the many years of its existence, with many younger residents leaving to go to bigger cities like Viterbo. This caused the town to think up an idea on how to keep people interested in their hamlet. The townspeople pondered this dilemma for some time until Gianluca Chiovelli, a citizen of Sant’Angelo, founded a cultural association for the town at the end of 2016. That resulted in giving the town a new fairy-tale aesthetic.
Now whenever you walk through the streets you will find several fairy tales that many will recognize. From Beauty and the Beast to Aladdin and the Arabian Nights it truly is a marvel. The town’s citizens are also a treat, while the majority of the citizens are older; they all come across as being some of the kindest and most welcoming people I have met so far while staying in Italy. On one occasion, this older woman walked up to my group and started showing us around the town, becoming an impromptu tour guide and showing us the more popular murals or best murals in her opinion. Another thing to note, especially for the animal lovers out there, is that Sant’Angelo is home to several cats and dogs that roam the streets vying for the love and attention tourists bring to this old town. Pair that with a nice and friendly populace, and you come up with a town that seems to really be a town of fairy tales. If you are ever in Lazio, please make sure you get to visit this incredibly unique town.
Article author
My name is Benjamin Agard and I am from Illinois, USA. I am studying History with a minor in Global Studies at Illinois College, Jacksonville. I am studying abroad in Viterbo for the fall semester to learn more about the Italian language, history and culture. I am thrilled to have this opportunity to pursue my passion of learning more about different cultures!
Mi chiamo Benjamin Agard e vengo dall’Illinois, USA. Sto studiando Storia con un minore in Studi Globali presso l’Illinois College, Jacksonville. Sto studiando all’estero a Viterbo per il semestre autunnale per conoscere meglio la lingua, la storia e la cultura italiana. Sono entusiasta di avere questa opportunità di perseguire la mia passione di imparare di più su culture diverse!
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Photographic author
My name is Sebe Shearer and I am from Texas, United States. I am studying history with a minor in Italian at the University of Houston. I am doing a semester abroad in Italy to learn more about the Italian language and also explore its rich culture. It has always been my dream to come here and experience a place with so much history, especially coming from a country that is so new in the grand scheme of things. I feel so incredibly lucky to have this opportunity.
Mi chiamo Sebe Shearer e vengo dal Texas, Stati Uniti. Sto studiando storia in italiano all’Università di Houston. Adesso sto vivendo un semestre all’estero in Italia per saperne di più sulla lingua italiana ed esplorare anche la sua ricca cultura. È sempre stato il mio sogno venire in Italia e vivere un luogo con così tanta storia, soprattutto venendo da un paese così nuovo nel grande schema delle cose. Mi sento incredibilmente fortunata ad avere questa opportunità.
