Monte San Biagio
Encyclopedia
Monte San Biagio is a town and comune
in the province of Latina
, in southern Lazio (Italy
). It is located on the slope of a hill part of the Monti Ausoni
.
, a native of the area, but which probably belonged to Sextus Iulius Frontinus, who had a great villa in the vicinity. The Romans defeated the Samnites here, at the Passo della Portella: in the place a fortified gate was built, which was later used as the border customs of the Kingdom of Naples
. Nearby is a watchtower from the period of Pope Sixtus V
.
The origins of the modern town date back to the Middle Ages, when a castle was built here (over the Roman ruins), firstly as a stronghold of the Duchy of Gaeta
, and later of the Duchy of Fondi
. The first document mentioning the Castrum Monticelli, however, dates from 1099, from the archives of Monte Cassino
. In the following centuries it was a fief of Fondi, a possession of the dell'Aquila family from 1145. Later it was ruled by the Colonna
, the Carafa
, the Mansfeld and the Di Sangro, as part of the Kingdom of Naples
.
In the winter of 1788 the town was sacked by the French army, while, after the Bourbon restoration and the subsequent unification of Italy, the neighbourhood was the base of brigandage
. In 1862 the name was changed to Monte San Vito and, soon thereafter, to the current Monte San Biagio.
.
The town is served by a railway station on the mainline between Rome and Naples.
It is also home to 300 hectares of cork oak woods, one of the few areas of production outside of Sardinia.
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 Latina
Province of Latina
The Province of Latina is a province in the Lazio region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Latina.It has an area of 2,251 km², and a total population of 519,850...
, in southern Lazio (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...
). It is located on the slope of a hill part of the Monti Ausoni
Monti Ausoni
The Ausoni Mountains are mountain range of southern Lazio, in central Italy. They are part of the Antiappennini, a group running from the Apennines chain to the Tyrrhenian Sea. They are bounded northwards by the Monti Lepini and southwards by the Aurunci Mountains.They take the name from the...
.
History and main sights
The Roman presence in Monte San Biagio's territory is testified by the presence of a mausoleum attributed to Emperor GalbaGalba
Galba , was Roman Emperor for seven months from 68 to 69. Galba was the governor of Hispania Tarraconensis, and made a bid for the throne during the rebellion of Julius Vindex...
, a native of the area, but which probably belonged to Sextus Iulius Frontinus, who had a great villa in the vicinity. The Romans defeated the Samnites here, at the Passo della Portella: in the place a fortified gate was built, which was later used as the border customs of the Kingdom of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
. Nearby is a watchtower from the period of Pope Sixtus V
Pope Sixtus V
Pope Sixtus V , born Felice Peretti di Montalto, was Pope from 1585 to 1590.-Early life:The chronicler Andrija Zmajević states that Felice's family originated from modern-day Montenegro...
.
The origins of the modern town date back to the Middle Ages, when a castle was built here (over the Roman ruins), firstly as a stronghold of the Duchy of Gaeta
Duchy of Gaeta
The Duchy of Gaeta was an early medieval state centred on the coastal South Italian city of Gaeta. It began in the early ninth century as the local community began to grow autonomous as Byzantine power lagged in the Mediterranean and the peninsula thanks to Lombard and Saracen incursions.Our...
, and later of the Duchy of Fondi
Fondi
Fondi is a city and comune in the province of Latina, Lazio, central Italy, halfway between Rome and Naples. Before the construction of the highway between the latter cities in the late 1950s, Fondi had been an important settlement on the Roman Via Appia, which was the main connection from Rome to...
. The first document mentioning the Castrum Monticelli, however, dates from 1099, from the archives of Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino is a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, Italy, c. to the west of the town of Cassino and altitude. St. Benedict of Nursia established his first monastery, the source of the Benedictine Order, here around 529. It was the site of Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944...
. In the following centuries it was a fief of Fondi, a possession of the dell'Aquila family from 1145. Later it was ruled by the Colonna
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...
, the Carafa
Carafa
Carafa is the name of a noble Neapolitan family of Italian nobles, clergy, and men of arts.* Cardinal Oliviero Carafa, , uncle of Paul IV...
, the Mansfeld and the Di Sangro, as part of the Kingdom of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
.
In the winter of 1788 the town was sacked by the French army, while, after the Bourbon restoration and the subsequent unification of Italy, the neighbourhood was the base of brigandage
Brigandage
Brigandage refers to the life and practice of brigands: highway robbery and plunder, and a brigand is a person who usually lives in a gang and lives by pillage and robbery....
. In 1862 the name was changed to Monte San Vito and, soon thereafter, to the current Monte San Biagio.
Transportation
Monte San Biagio lies next to the Via Appia, once the main road from Rome to Campania. It is also connected by a branch of the Via Flacca from Terracina to GaetaGaeta
Gaeta is a city and comune in the province of Latina, in Lazio, central Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is 120 km from Rome and 80 km from Naples....
.
The town is served by a railway station on the mainline between Rome and Naples.
Traditions and Gastronomic Specialities
There are several dishes particular to Monte San Biagio. Shrimps from the local lakes, and wild asparagus. The pork sausages are particularly distinctive, usually hand made from the meat and lard of the pig, mixed with chilli pepper and coriander seed.It is also home to 300 hectares of cork oak woods, one of the few areas of production outside of Sardinia.