Granted, Rome has so much to see that you may disregard any day trips outside of the city for, well, the next time. In reality, there are many great places of interest within easy reach of Italy's capital, and it may be nice to escape the crowds and noise of the big city for a few hours in charming, less frequented, history-rich small towns.

Viterbo, known as City of Popes because it hosted the papal seat in the 13^th century, is about an hour and 40 minutes from the train station of Roma Ostiense. There’s much to see in this town in northern Lazio, starting with the historic medieval center, the largest in Europe. Main sights include the Papal Palace and the Cathedral of San Lorenzo. The city is also famous for the Macchina di Santa Rosa procession, which takes place every year in September and is included in Unesco’s List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.