Ceccano
Encyclopedia
Ceccano is a town and comune
in the province of Frosinone
, Lazio, central Italy
.
According to tradition, the name was changed into the current one in the early Middle Ages, in honor of one Petronius Ceccanus, father of Pope Honorius I
. Conquered by the Lombards
at the time of King Aistulf
(c. 750), later it became an important fortress of the Papal territories. From 900 to 1450 it was ruled by the local Counts of Ceccano, most likely of German origin; later their territories were assigned to Rodrigo Borgia by Pope Alexander VI
and then to the Colonna family
.
From 3 November 1943 and 31 May 1944, during World War II
, the town suffered 38 air attacks from Allied forces despite having no strategical importance; in one of them the Church of Santa Maria a Fiume, a national monument, was destroyed.
During excavations for the construction of the TAV
high speed railroad, remains of a large Roman villa have been discovered.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
in the province of Frosinone
Province of Frosinone
The Province of Frosinone is a province in the Lazio region of Italy, with 91 comuni . Its capital is the city of Frosinone. It has an area of 3,244 km², and a total population of 489,042 .The Province was established by Royal Decree on 6 December 1926 with territories belonging to Lazio...
, Lazio, central Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
History
The town had its origins as an ancient Volscian citadel that surrendered to the Romans in 424 BC. Its name in ancient times was Fabrateria Vetus.According to tradition, the name was changed into the current one in the early Middle Ages, in honor of one Petronius Ceccanus, father of Pope Honorius I
Pope Honorius I
Pope Honorius I was pope from 625 to 638.Honorius, according to the Liber Pontificalis, came from Campania and was the son of the consul Petronius. He became pope on October 27, 625, two days after the death of his predecessor, Boniface V...
. Conquered by the Lombards
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
at the time of King Aistulf
Aistulf
Aistulf was the Duke of Friuli from 744, King of Lombards from 749, and Duke of Spoleto from 751. His father was the Duke Pemmo.After his brother Ratchis became king, Aistulf succeeded him in Friuli. He succeeded him later as king when Ratchis abdicated to a monastery...
(c. 750), later it became an important fortress of the Papal territories. From 900 to 1450 it was ruled by the local Counts of Ceccano, most likely of German origin; later their territories were assigned to Rodrigo Borgia by Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI , born Roderic Llançol i Borja was Pope from 1492 until his death on 18 August 1503. He is one of the most controversial of the Renaissance popes, and his Italianized surname—Borgia—became a byword for the debased standards of the Papacy of that era, most notoriously the Banquet...
and then to the Colonna family
Colonna family
The Colonna family is an Italian noble family; it was powerful in medieval and Renaissance Rome, supplying one Pope and many other Church and political leaders...
.
From 3 November 1943 and 31 May 1944, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the town suffered 38 air attacks from Allied forces despite having no strategical importance; in one of them the Church of Santa Maria a Fiume, a national monument, was destroyed.
Main sights
- Church of Santa Maria a Fiume (13th century), rebuilt on the original lines after the destruction in World War II
- Church of San Nicola (12th century), including columns with inscriptions in Lombard style.
- Castello dei Conti, a medieval castle overlooking the Sacco RiverSacco RiverThe Sacco is a river of central Italy, a right tributary of the Liri.The river is formed by the confluence of two streams of the Monti Simbruini in the Apennines of Abruzzo. It flows towards south-east for a total of 87 km, crossing Ciociaria between the mountain ranges of the Ernici to the...
Valley.
During excavations for the construction of the TAV
Treno Alta Velocità
Treno Alta Velocità SpA is special purpose entity owned by RFI for the planning and construction of a high-speed network in Italy.-Purpose:...
high speed railroad, remains of a large Roman villa have been discovered.