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52-737: Surrounding towns include Terracina to the West, Fondi to the North, Itri to the North-East, and Gaeta to the East. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy"). Located near the Via Flacca , but also on the edge of the Pontine Marshes , Roman Spelunca (Latin for cave or grotto) was originally only known for the grotto on the coast, after which it

104-535: A fortress in the maritime burgh, Mola di Gaeta. The other burgh was known as Castellone, from the castle erected there in the mid-14th century by Onorato I Caetani , count of Fondi . The two villages were united again in 1863 under the name of Formia. The reunited city was badly damaged in 1943–44 in bombing operations and the Battle of Anzio . Formia lies on the Tyrrhenian Sea , in southern Lazio, close to

156-494: A grotto where some sculptures, now housed in the museum, have been found: these portrayed the assault of Scylla to Odysseus' ship, the blinding of Polyphemus , the theft of the Palladium and Odysseus lifting Achilles 's corpse. The works have been attributed to Rhodian sculptors Agesander , Athenedoros and Polydoros , and are thought to be the same authors of the group of " Laocoön and His Sons " (as attributed by Pliny

208-438: A historic coastal watchtower, is located on the tip of the headland where Sperlonga is also situated. Sperlonga is mostly a tourist town thanks to its beaches, a long beach on its west side going all the way to Terracina , and a series of short beaches and rocky cliffs on its east side towards Gaeta. The main connection is that by road from Terracina and Gaeta. The nearest railways station is that of Fondi -Sperlonga, on one of

260-459: A large new quarter developing towards the Via Appia and alongside the coast north to Monte S. Angelo. This is Borgo Marino, the "Marine Quarter". The municipality borders with Fondi , Monte San Biagio , Pontinia , Sabaudia , San Felice Circeo and Sonnino . It counts the hamlets ( frazioni ) of Borgo Hermada, Frasso (shared with Sonnino), La Fiora and San Vito. The modern town occupies

312-577: A program of draining the marshes and added a new quarter next to the channel-port. During the Napoleonic occupation Terracina was at first annexed to the Circeo département, but revolted in 1798: the riot was suppressed by French and Polish troops, led by general Étienne-Jacques-Joseph-Alexandre MacDonald . After the end of the Napoleonic Wars , the position of Terracina at the border between

364-584: A shuttle rail connection to Terracina, which is discontinued since September 20, 2012 due to a landslide by which the rail was damaged. Terracina can be reached by car from Rome by the old Via Appia, or by the more modern Via Pontina. The Via Flacca connects the city to Sperlonga and Gaeta to the south coast. A fast road link leads to the Frosinone exit of the A1 Milan-Rome-Naples motorway . Ferries connect Terracina to Ponza Terracina

416-634: A small harbour. During the 600s BC, it joined the Etruscan League of twelve cities. In 509 BC Terracina was already under Roman supremacy as reported in the 1st treaty between Rome and Carthage . It was soon re-occupied by the Volsci and was not included in the list of the Latin league of 499 BC. In 406 it was recaptured by the Romans then lost in 402 and recovered in 400, unsuccessfully attacked by

468-587: A temple of Roma and Augustus , part of the side wall of which, with engaged columns, is still visible. The edifice was consecrated in 1074, and renovated in the 12th and 18th centuries. The Cosmatesque -inlaid vestibule is preceded by an eighteen-step staircase, and supported by ten ancient columns resting upon recumbent lions, with a mosaic frieze upon them, made by 12th century Sicilian-Norman artists. The brick campanile , in Gothic - Romanesque -style, has small columns with little pointed arches and Islamic majolica in

520-609: Is twinned with: Formia Formia (ancient Formiae ) is a city and comune in the province of Latina , on the Mediterranean coast of Lazio  [ it ] , Italy . It is located halfway between Rome and Naples , and lies on the Roman-era Appian Way . According to the mythology the city was founded by Lamus , son of Poseidon , who was the king of the Laestrygones . Formiae

572-520: Is a well-preserved stretch of the ancient Via Appia. Above the town are several massive terrace platforms for supporting buildings; these may well belong to the Roman period, and the latter even to the Empire. The summit of the promontory, elevation 227 metres (745 ft), is reached by the old line of the Via Appia, which is flanked by tombs and by remains of an ancient defensive wall with circular towers,

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624-493: Is now visible, and its site is mainly occupied by a new quarter built by Pope Pius VI . Of the ancient harbour constructed by Antoninus Pius insignificant remains exist, and it is largely silted up. Close to it is the small modern port. In 1838, a marble bust of Sophocles was found near the amphitheatre. It is now in the Lateran Museum , Rome. The commune of Terracina includes a considerable extent of territory towards

676-434: Is the museum erected in the grounds of the former Villa of Tiberius showing the groups of sculpture found in the grotto celebrating the deeds of Odysseus . According to Tacitus and Suetonius , the roof of the grotto collapsed while Tiberius was dining, and Sejanus rushed to save Tiberius, for which Tiberius in gratitude promoted him, launching his rise to power. Tiberius moved to Capri after 26 AD. The villa included

728-579: The Barbary slave trade . In the 18th and 19th centuries Sperlonga recovered and acquired some noble residences, and agriculture flourished. However, the touristic expansion occurred only after the opening of the Terracina-Gaeta coastal road (also known as the Via Flacca ) in 1957, the building of which led to the discovery of the sculptures in the grotto. Sperlonga's main cultural attraction

780-597: The Lombards had conquered part of Italy in the late 6th century, Terracina remained an important military stronghold of the Eastern Roman Empire , and later became part of the Duchy of Naples . It was one of the northernmost outposts of Byzantine authority in the south. A monument bearing the name of Duke George of Naples stood there at the turn of the 20th century. In 872, Pope John VIII brought it under

832-552: The Samnites defeated the Romans with losses in 315 BC. The natural environment and scenery of the promontory, with its luxuriant flora and views, had caused it to be frequented by the Romans as early as 200 BC. Terracina became an important centre for the development of the fertile valley lying to the west, and started to grow new settlements at the foot of the hill which turned into a sanctuary area with some patrician mansions. New public edifices were erected starting from

884-593: The Volsci in 397, and finally secured by the establishment of a colony of Roman citizens in 329 BC as Colonia Anxurnas . As a colonia maritima the town frequently appears in history. The construction of the Via Appia in 312 BC added to its importance: the road at first crossed the hill at the back of the promontory by a steep ascent and descent. An attempt was made in 184 BC to get round it (by censor Lucius Valerius Flaccus ) on an embankment thrown out into

936-578: The Volscian Anxur . The latter is the name of Jupiter himself as a youth ( Iuppiter Anxur or Anxurus ), and was the tutelary god of the city, venerated on the Mons Neptunius (current Monte S. Angelo), where a temple dedicated to him still exists (see below ). The name Tarracina has been instead pointed out variously as pre- Indo-European origin (Ταρρακινή in ancient Greek), or as Etruscan ( Tarchna or Tarchuna ,

988-480: The 5th century AD. The nearby mineral springs by the coast, known to the Romans as Neptuniae aquae and later renamed Acqua Magnesia , are still in use, except one containing arsenic which was blocked up both by the ancients and again in 1839 as a precaution. Terracina is mentioned in the history of the Gothic War , and Theodoric is said to have had a palace here. It was sacked in 409 and 595. After

1040-561: The Elder ). Yet whether the very same artists are responsible is questionable. Some scholars believe them to be related, but not the same people; apart from Athenedoros (II) who was the last to be credited as an artist on the Laocoon group, but first to be credited with the Scylla series – suggesting that he was the youngest during the creation of the Laocoon group, but eldest artist who worked on

1092-496: The Old Highway. Formia also has great water sports to enjoy; windsurfing and sailing. Formia itself is one of the most important transport hubs of southern Lazio. The Rome–Formia–Naples railway passes through Formia-Gaeta railway station , from which visitors and residents may travel by bus to Gaeta , Minturno, Spigno and other local towns. Ferries and hydrofoils connect Formia to Ponza , Ischia and Ventotene . Formia

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1144-608: The Papal States and the Kingdom of Naples was officially set by the Concordat signed by Pope Pius VII and Ferdinand I of Two Sicilies in 1818. In 1839 and 1843 Gregory XVI visited the city, in which he instituted works for a new port. In 1934 the city was removed from the province of Rome and added to that of Latina. After the end of World War II , in which it suffered heavy damage, Terracina developed greatly, with

1196-476: The Savio, Garzoni, Gottifredi, de' Romanis and others. In the 17th century the popes began a program of repopulation of Terracina through the resettlement of families from the country nearby lured by tax exemptions. In this period the churches of St. John (formerly St. Lawrence) and Madonna delle Grazie were both rebuilt. In the two following centuries Terracina assumed its current appearance. Pope Pius VI started

1248-443: The Scylla group. Furthermore, the differentiation in 'classicism' between the two sets of works implies that one preceded the other with separation, and thus that not all artists are the same people, but descendants. The most ancient church is that of Santa Maria (early 12th century), currently used for cultural events and spectacles: it is home to some mediaeval mosaics discovered during the last restorations. The Truglia Tower ,

1300-471: The Via Appia through the marshes ended. Along these three km of the Via Appia are numerous ancient tombs, and the fertile valley to the northeast was thickly populated in Roman days, before the intrusion of malaria. The Terracina railway station is not on the main Rome-Naples railway line. The nearest stops are the station of Priverno-Fossanova or that of Monte San Biagio -Terracina Mare: the former has

1352-593: The Volscian and Roman curtain wall, in "polygonal" style similar to those of Constantinople . Beyond a three-way crossing, next to Porta Nuova , is the Frangipane Castle or Rocca Traversa , which in 1202 became the symbol of the communal freedom of Terracina. It was damaged by Allied bombs on September 4, 1943. Other churches are those of the Annunziata (13th century, with a decorated architrave over

1404-504: The attribution of the temple to Jupiter has been put under discussion, due to the discovery of inscriptions dedicated to Venus . At the external of the temple is the "oracle", a kind of quadrilateral base with a hole from which, standing in a cave, the priests communicated the answers to the questions of the faithful. To the left of this great construction is the Small Temple, probably a civil edifice to be dated somewhat earlier than

1456-426: The city's internal struggles. The 16th century saw the communal freedoms steadily eroded, due both to the general decline of Terracina (aggravated by malaria in the increasingly marshy surrounding land) and the devastating attacks by pirates coming from North Africa. A malaria plague in 1520 contributed to this process. However, in this period the first Renaissance mansions began to be built by noble families like

1508-591: The coast from the fishponds in the Nuovo Porto to Gaeta. Cicero had a villa there. He was assassinated on the Appian Way just outside the town in 43 BC and his monumental tomb can also still be seen. The villa attributed to Cicero, now in the Villa Rubino, includes an elaborate nymphaeum and rooms decorated with frescoes and stucco. The hotel Villa Irlanda contains a cryptoporticus with stucco of

1560-561: The domination of the Holy See. However, after the crisis of papal authority in the following century, Terracina came to be ruled by local or Roman families (like that of Crescenzi , who built a massive castle, or the Frangipani , who occupied it from 1153 to 1202). In 1088 it was the seat of the first conclave held outside Rome. In the 11th and 12th centuries Terracina had a notable spurt of growth, and two new suburbs were built next to

1612-572: The former one. The remains of another temple, the Capitolium , 16.5 by 16 metres (54 by 52 ft), with cells 9.5 by 4.5 metres (31 by 15 ft), lie on the street starting from Palazzo Venditti. Built in the mid-1st century BCE, it was dedicated to the Capitoline Triad of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva . Of the lower town by the harbour, which had buildings of some importance of the imperial period (amphitheatre, baths, etc.), little

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1664-557: The monumental villa of Lucius Marcius Philippus (consul 56 BC) , stepfather of Augustus . Villa Caracciolo has a large court surrounded by rooms. Many marble sculptures have been removed from these villas, the majority of which are in the Museo Nazionale in Naples, notably a fine pair of Nereids riding on sea monsters. Remains of an amphitheatre and theatre can be seen. The enormous underground cistern dug 15 metres below ground

1716-587: The more important buildings of the imperial period were erected on the low ground near the small harbour. The construction of the coast road, the Via Severiana , from Ostia to Terracina, added to the importance of the place. The Via Appia and the Via Severiana met some few miles east of Terracina, and the Via Appia then traversed the pass of Lautulae , between the mountains and the Lake of Fondi , where

1768-652: The name of the Tarquinii family): in this view, it would precede the Volscian conquest. Terracina occupied a position of notable strategic importance: it is located at the point where the Volscian Hills (an extension of the Lepini Mountains ) reach the coast, leaving no space for passage between them and the sea, on a site commanding the Pontine Marshes ( urbs prona in paludes , "a city surrounded by marshes", as Livy called it) and also possessing

1820-479: The northwest with much undergrowth ( macchia ) valuable for charcoal burning, and a considerable extent of pasture and arable land. The ancient aqueduct, bringing water some 55 kilometres (34 mi) from the slopes of the Volscian Hills, has been repaired and is in use. About 5 kilometres (3 mi) to the northwest, at the foot of Monte Leano, was the shrine of the nymph Feronia , where the canal following

1872-787: The old Appian Way, enclosed in a large 83-by-68-metre (272 by 223 ft) funerary precinct. Other sights include: Formia is the seat of the National Athletics School of the Italian National Olympic Committee , founded in 1955. Athletes such as Pietro Mennea and Giuseppe Gibilisco trained here. Formia is also a hub for cycling events of various types; road cycling and mountain biking All of which gives access to Parks in Gaeta and Formia; Parco Monte Orlando, Parco Regionale Riviera di Ulisse, Parco Naturale dei Monti Aurunci, and Tours to Rome via

1924-496: The patron saint of sailors. Paulinus of Nola and Therasia stopped at Formiae on their journey back to Nola after visiting Rome at Easter 408. There they read Augustine 's letter 95 addressed to them. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire the city was sacked by "barbarians" and the population moved to two distinct burghs on the nearby hill, which were under the rule of Gaeta . Charles II of Anjou built

1976-578: The population began to move to the nearby promontory of St. Magnus, in order to escape the unhealthy marshes and the Saracen attacks. The danger posed by the Saracens is made clear by the presence of many watchtowers all along the coast to Gaeta . In the summer of 1534 the small centre was destroyed by the Ottoman fleet under Barbarossa , during which many inhabitants, especially women, were enslaved in

2028-668: The portal by a Master Andrew of Priverno ), San Domenico (erected in the first decades of the 13th century, and enlarged in 1298) and San Francesco (1222), which follows the Gothic Cistercian style of the Abbey of Fossanova . Many Roman ruins were brought to light only after the World War II bombings. These include a quadrifrons arch, which served as entrance to the forum. Two sides can be still seen in good condition, 6.4 by 6.34 metres (21.0 by 20.8 ft) wide. Under it

2080-499: The sea: but it was probably not until early in Trajan 's time (98-117 AD) that a cut in the rocks at the foot of the promontory ( Pisco Montano ) finally solved the problem. The depth of the cut is indicated by marks on the vertical wall at intervals of 10 Roman feet; the lowest mark, about 1 m above the present road, is CXX , corresponding to 36 metres (118 feet). It was probably in consequence of this road cut that some of

2132-418: The site of the old one. The present piazza is the ancient Roman forum, and the Roman pavement of slabs of travertine with the inscription A. AEMILIUS A. F. in letters once filled in with bronze, is well preserved. The paving is supported by massive arched substructures , which extend under the surrounding houses. Terracina Cathedral ( Cattedrale dei SS. Pietro e Cesareo ) ( Duomo ) is ensconced within

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2184-673: The so-called Cinta Sillana (once attributed to Theodoric , but dating from the first decades of the 1st century BCE). The summit is occupied by a large terrace, supported by arcades of fine opus incertum (traditionally, but wrongly, called the "palace of Theodoric") on all sides except the east, with views seaward over the coast and over the Pontine Marshes. On the terrace stood the Corinthian-order temple traditionally attributed to Jupiter Anxur (1st century BCE), about 35 by 20 metres (115 by 66 ft). The cella

2236-523: The time of Sulla including a new theatre and forum, while the sanctuary was renovated. Marcus Favonius , the imitator of Cato the Younger , was born in Terracina, as was the emperor Galba (in 3 BC); both Galba and Domitian possessed villas in the area. The port was built under Trajan and Antoninus Pius in the 2nd century AD. The last Roman construction was that of a new line of walls during

2288-476: The town of Gaeta and next to the borders of Campania region. The municipality borders with Esperia ( FR ), Gaeta , Itri , Minturno and Spigno Saturnia . It includes the hamlets ( frazioni ) of Castellonorato, Gianola-Santo Janni, Marànola, Penitro and Trivio. The most famous monument of Formia is the mausoleum traditionally identified with the Tomb of Cicero : it is a 24-metre-high (79 ft) tower on

2340-480: The two Rome-Naples main lines (the one going via Formia ). Terracina Terracina is an Italian city and comune of the province of Latina , located on the coast 56 km (35 mi) southeast of Rome on the Via Appia (76 km (47 mi) by rail). The site has been continuously occupied since antiquity. Terracina appears in ancient sources with two names: the Latin Tarracina and

2392-429: The two walled gates of Porta Maggio ("Cipollata"), Porta Albina, Porta St. Gregory and Porta Romana. A free commune was also instituted. In 1217 Pope Honorius III united its diocese to those of Sezze and Priverno . The 1357 Costituzioni Egiziane ("Egyptian Constitutions") marked the beginning of a stronger papal authority, which however did not impede the growth of the king of Naples 's influence, nor did it stop

2444-734: The walls. The interior has a Cosmatesque pulpit supported by ancient columns resting on lions, a Paschal candlestick of 1245, and a pavement of the same period with beasts and dragons. To the right of the Duomo is the Gothic Palazzo Venditti , from the first half of the 14th century. Nearby is also the Torre Frumentaria ("Wheat Tower", 13th century), which now houses the Museo Pio Capponi. The town walls consist of Byzantine and medieval towers erected along

2496-572: Was also part of the Formian territory. It became a renowned resort during the Republican era for rich Romans to build elaborate villas and Horace called it "the city of the Mamurrae" as the rich and noble equestrian family of Mamurra had strong interests there, including the villa-estate nearby at Gianola, which can still be seen. The impressive remains of Roman villas still stretch along

2548-501: Was decorated internally with engaged half-columns, and contained the pedestal for the statue of the Jupiter, who would have been venerated here as a child-god: this attribution is confirmed by the discovery of numerous leaden votive figures, like those later made for dolls' houses, in the favissae on the east of the temple. The interior cell measures 13 by 14 metres (43 by 46 ft) with 6 half-columns per side. However, recently

2600-572: Was founded by the Italic population of the Aurunci . It was called Formiae (derived from Hormia or Ormiai , after its excellent landing) by ancient authors. It appeared for the first time in history in 338 BC when, after the Latin Wars , it received the Roman status of Civitas sine suffragio as it remained neutral, together with the city of Fondi . Throughout antiquity the city of Caieta

2652-405: Was named. A Republican villa was built here, later owned by the emperor Tiberius . The Grotto was embellished by Tiberius into a magnificent triclinium , mentioned by ancient writers, and with the famous exquisite sculptures which were discovered in situ . After the fall of the Western Roman Empire , in the 6th century, the ruins of the imperial residence served as refuge for local people. Later

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2704-567: Was probably the biggest Roman urban cistern in the world until the Piscina Mirabilis was built at the end of the 1st c. BC. Sextus Julius Frontinus (40 – 104 AD), “Curator Aquarum” of all the aqueducts of Rome, had a villa in Formiae in which Aelianus met the emperor Nerva . The city was the site of St Erasmus 's martyrdom around 303 AD, during the persecutions of Diocletian . St Erasmus later also became known as Saint Elmo,

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