Terracina
Encyclopedia
Terracina is a town and comune
of the province of Latina
- (until 1934 of the province of Rome
), Italy
, 76 km SE of Rome
by rail (56 km by the Via Appia).
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, or as Etruscan
(Tarchna or Tarchuna, 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 in fact 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, in a site commanding the Pontine Marshes
(urbs prona in paludes, "a city flat in the marshes", as Livy
called it) and also possessing a small harbour. In 509 BCE Terracina was already under Roman supremacy, but was not included in the list of the Latin league
of 499 BCE. In 406 it was stormed by the Romans, then lost in 402, recovered in 400, unsuccessfully attacked by the Volsci
in 397, and finally secured by the establishment of a colony of Roman citizens in 329 BCE.
As a colonia
maritima it frequently appears in history. The construction of the Via Appia in 312 BCE 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 BCE to get round it by an embankment thrown out into the sea: but it was probably not until early in Trajan's time 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 meters.
Not far off the 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. The two roads 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 the Samnites defeated the Romans with losses in 315 BCE. This pass, formerly the frontier between the Papal States
and the Kingdom of Naples
, was also fortified in Early Modern
days.
It was probably in consequence of the road cut just mentioned that some of the more important buildings of the imperial period were erected in the low ground by the shore, and near the small harbour. The construction of the coast road, the Via Severiana
, from Ostia to Terracina, added to the importance of the place; and the beauty of the promontory with its luxuriant flora and attractive view had caused it to be frequented by the Romans as early as 200 BCE. 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 first one, which turned into a sanctuary
area with some patrician mansions. Marcus Favonius
, the imitator of Cato the Younger
, was born in Terracina, as was the emperor Galba
(in 3 BCE); both Galba and Domitian
possessed villa
s in the area of the city. Various new public edifices were erected starting from the time of Sulla: these included a new theatre and forum, while the sanctuary was renovated, as well as the port (under Trajan
and Antoninus Pius
, 2nd century CE). The last Roman construction was that of a new line of walls during the 5th century CE.
, and Theodoric
is said to have had a palace here. It was sacked in 409 and 595. After the Lombards
had conquered most 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 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 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 the city's internal struggles.
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 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 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 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.
After the end of World War II
, in which it suffered heavy damage, Terracina developed greatly, with a large new quarter developing towards the Via Appia and alongside the coast north to Monte S. Angelo (Borgo Marino, "Marine Quarter").
, which extend under the surrounding houses.
) is ensconced within 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 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 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 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.
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 (227 m) 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, 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 massive terrace, supported by arcades of fine opus incertum
(traditionally, but wrongly, called the "palace of Theodoric") on all sides except the east, and commanding a magnificent view seaward over the coast and over the Pontine Marshes.
On the terrace stood the Corinthian Temple traditionally attributed to Jupiter Anxur (1st century BCE), about 35 by 20 meters. The cella
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 made for dolls' houses today, in the favissae on the east of the temple. The interior cell measures 13 x 14 m, with 6 half-columns per side. However, recently the attribution of the temple to Jupiter has been put under discussion, due to the discovery of inscriptions dedicated to Venushttp://www.italiadascoprire.net/turismo-italia/177/il-tempio-di-giove-anxur-a-terracina.html.
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 the former one.
Massive remains af another temple, the Capitolium (16.5 x 16 m, with cells 9.5 x 4.5 m) 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 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. Near the amphitheatre was found in 1838 the famous marble bust of Sophocles
, now in the Lateran Museum
, Rome.
The commune of Terracina includes a considerable extent of territory towards 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 km (34.2 mi) from the slopes of the Volscian Hills, has been repaired and is in use. Three miles to the northwest, at the foot of Monte Leano, was the shrine of the nymph Feronia
, where the canal following 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 former has a shuttle rail connection to Terracina, with hourly departures.
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.
, Germany Cabourg
, France Chur
, Switzerland Exeter
, United Kingdom Jūrmala
, Latvia Mayrhofen
, Austria Mondorf-les-Bains
, Luxembourg Pécs
, Hungary
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:...
of 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...
- (until 1934 of the province of Rome
Province of Rome
The Province of Rome , is a province in the Lazio region of Italy. The province can be viewed as the extended metropolitan area of the city of Rome, although in its more peripheral portions, especially to the north, it comprises towns surrounded by rural landscape.-Geography:The Province of Rome...
), 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...
, 76 km SE of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
by rail (56 km by the Via Appia).
Ancient times
Terracina appears in ancient sources with two names: the Latin Tarracina and the VolscianVolscian language
Volscian was a Sabellic Italic language, which was spoken by the Volsci and closely related to Oscan and Umbrian.It is attested in an inscription found in Velitrae , dating probably from early in the 3rd century BC; it is cut upon a small bronze plate , which must have once been fixed to some...
Anxur. The latter is the name of Jupiter
Jupiter (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Jupiter or Jove is the king of the gods, and the god of the sky and thunder. He is the equivalent of Zeus in the Greek pantheon....
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
Indo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major current languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and South Asia and also historically predominant in Anatolia...
origin, or as Etruscan
Etruscan language
The Etruscan language was spoken and written by the Etruscan civilization, in what is present-day Italy, in the ancient region of Etruria and in parts of Lombardy, Veneto, and Emilia-Romagna...
(Tarchna or Tarchuna, the name of the Tarquinii
Tarquinius
Tarquinius is the name of an illustrious Roman family of Etruscan origin, two of whose members, according to legend, reigned as king in Rome:* Lucius Tarquinius Priscus* Lucius Tarquinius Superbus...
family): in this view, it would precede the Volscian conquest.
Terracina occupied a position of notable strategic importance: it is located in fact at the point where the Volscian Hills
Volsci
The Volsci were an ancient Italic people, well known in the history of the first century of the Roman Republic. They then inhabited the partly hilly, partly marshy district of the south of Latium, bounded by the Aurunci and Samnites on the south, the Hernici on the east, and stretching roughly from...
(an extension of the Lepini Mountains) reach the coast, leaving no space for passage between them and the sea, in a site commanding the Pontine Marshes
Pontine Marshes
thumb|250px|Lake Fogliano, a coastal lagoon in the Pontine Plain.The Pontine Marshes, termed in Latin Pomptinus Ager by Titus Livius, Pomptina Palus and Pomptinae Paludes by Pliny the Elder, today the Agro Pontino in Italian, is an approximately quadrangular area of former marshland in the Lazio...
(urbs prona in paludes, "a city flat in the marshes", as Livy
Livy
Titus Livius — known as Livy in English — was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people. Ab Urbe Condita Libri, "Chapters from the Foundation of the City," covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome well before the traditional foundation in 753 BC...
called it) and also possessing a small harbour. In 509 BCE Terracina was already under Roman supremacy, but was not included in the list of the Latin league
Latin league
The Latin League was a confederation of about 30 villages and tribes in the region of Latium near ancient Rome, organized for mutual defense...
of 499 BCE. In 406 it was stormed by the Romans, then lost in 402, recovered in 400, unsuccessfully attacked by the Volsci
Volsci
The Volsci were an ancient Italic people, well known in the history of the first century of the Roman Republic. They then inhabited the partly hilly, partly marshy district of the south of Latium, bounded by the Aurunci and Samnites on the south, the Hernici on the east, and stretching roughly from...
in 397, and finally secured by the establishment of a colony of Roman citizens in 329 BCE.
As a colonia
Colonia (Roman)
A Roman colonia was originally a Roman outpost established in conquered territory to secure it. Eventually, however, the term came to denote the highest status of Roman city.-History:...
maritima it frequently appears in history. The construction of the Via Appia in 312 BCE 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 BCE to get round it by an embankment thrown out into the sea: but it was probably not until early in Trajan's time 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 meters.
Not far off the 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
Arsenic
Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33 and relative atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also as a pure elemental crystal. It was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250.Arsenic is a metalloid...
which was blocked up both by the ancients and again in 1839 as a precaution. The two roads 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
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...
, where the Samnites defeated the Romans with losses in 315 BCE. This pass, formerly the frontier between the Papal States
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
and 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...
, was also fortified in Early Modern
Early modern Europe
Early modern Europe is the term used by historians to refer to a period in the history of Europe which spanned the centuries between the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, roughly the late 15th century to the late 18th century...
days.
It was probably in consequence of the road cut just mentioned that some of the more important buildings of the imperial period were erected in the low ground by the shore, and near the small harbour. The construction of the coast road, the Via Severiana
Via Severiana
Via Severiana was an ancient Roman road of what is now Latium, in central Italy, running southeast from Ostia to Terracina, a distance of 80 Roman miles along the coast...
, from Ostia to Terracina, added to the importance of the place; and the beauty of the promontory with its luxuriant flora and attractive view had caused it to be frequented by the Romans as early as 200 BCE. 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 first one, which turned into a sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
area with some patrician mansions. Marcus Favonius
Marcus Favonius
Marcus Favonius was a Roman politician during the period of the fall of the Roman Republic. He is noted for his imitation of Cato the Younger, his espousal of the Cynic philosophy, and for his appearance as the Poet in William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar.-Life:Favonius was born in around 90...
, the imitator of Cato the Younger
Cato the Younger
Marcus Porcius Cato Uticensis , commonly known as Cato the Younger to distinguish him from his great-grandfather , was a politician and statesman in the late Roman Republic, and a follower of the Stoic philosophy...
, was born in Terracina, as was the emperor Galba
Galba
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...
(in 3 BCE); both Galba and Domitian
Domitian
Domitian was Roman Emperor from 81 to 96. Domitian was the third and last emperor of the Flavian dynasty.Domitian's youth and early career were largely spent in the shadow of his brother Titus, who gained military renown during the First Jewish-Roman War...
possessed villa
Roman villa
A Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman republic and the Roman Empire. A villa was originally a Roman country house built for the upper class...
s in the area of the city. Various new public edifices were erected starting from the time of Sulla: these included a new theatre and forum, while the sanctuary was renovated, as well as the port (under Trajan
Trajan
Trajan , was Roman Emperor from 98 to 117 AD. Born into a non-patrician family in the province of Hispania Baetica, in Spain Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian. Serving as a legatus legionis in Hispania Tarraconensis, in Spain, in 89 Trajan supported the emperor against...
and Antoninus Pius
Antoninus Pius
Antoninus Pius , also known as Antoninus, was Roman Emperor from 138 to 161. He was a member of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty and the Aurelii. He did not possess the sobriquet "Pius" until after his accession to the throne...
, 2nd century CE). The last Roman construction was that of a new line of walls during the 5th century CE.
Middle Ages
Terracina is mentioned in the history of the Gothic WarGothic War (535–552)
The Gothic War between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy was fought from 535 until 554 in Italy, Dalmatia, Sardinia, Sicily and Corsica. It is commonly divided into two phases. The first phase lasted from 535 to 540 and ended with the fall of Ravenna and the apparent...
, and Theodoric
Theodoric the Great
Theodoric the Great was king of the Ostrogoths , ruler of Italy , regent of the Visigoths , and a viceroy of the Eastern Roman Empire...
is said to have had a palace here. It was sacked in 409 and 595. After 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...
had conquered most 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
Duchy of Naples
The Duchy of Naples began as a Byzantine province that was constituted in the seventh century, in the reduced coastal lands that the Lombards had not conquered during their invasion of Italy in the sixth century...
. It was one of the northernmost outposts of Byzantine authority in the south. A monument bearing the name of Duke George of Naples
George of Naples
George was the Duke of Naples for a decade beginning in 729. During his tenure, the dukes of Naples defended the coast of Italy from Terracina, north of Gaeta, to Palermo, on the western tip of Sicily. Indeed, at Terracina there stands an ancient monument dedicated to George.-Sources:*Gay, Jules....
stood there at the turn of the 20th century.
In 872, Pope John VIII
Pope John VIII
Pope John VIII was pope from December 13, 872 to December 16, 882. He is often considered one of the ablest pontiffs of the ninth century and the last bright spot on the papacy until Leo IX two centuries later....
brought it under 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
Frangipani family
The Frangipani or Frangipane is a princely family with roots in Ancient Rome. The family was powerful as a Roman patrician clan in the Middle Ages. The family was typically Guelff in sympathy and thus often bravely supported the papacy...
, who occupied it from 1153 to 1202). In 1088 it was the seat of the first conclave
Papal conclave
A papal conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a Bishop of Rome, who then becomes the Pope during a period of vacancy in the papal office. The Pope is considered by Roman Catholics to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and earthly head of the Roman Catholic Church...
held outside Rome. In the 11th and 12th centuries Terracina had a notable spurt of growth, and two new suburbs were built next to the two walled gates of Porta Maggio ("Cipollata"), Porta Albina, Porta St. Gregory and Porta Romana. A free commune
Medieval commune
Medieval communes in the European Middle Ages had sworn allegiances of mutual defense among the citizens of a town or city. They took many forms, and varied widely in organization and makeup. Communes are first recorded in the late 11th and early 12th centuries, thereafter becoming a widespread...
was also instituted. In 1217 Pope Honorius III
Pope Honorius III
Pope Honorius III , previously known as Cencio Savelli, was Pope from 1216 to 1227.-Early work:He was born in Rome as son of Aimerico...
united its diocese to those of Sezze and Priverno
Priverno
Priverno is a town and comune in the province of Latina, Lazio, central Italy.It has a station of the Rome-Naples railway mainline. Nearby is the Monti Lepini chain.-History:...
.
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
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...
's influence, nor did it stop the city's internal struggles.
Modern era
The 16th century saw the communal freedoms steadily eroded, due both to the general decline of Terracina (aggravated by malariaMalaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
in the increasingly marshy surrounding land) and the devastating attacks by pirates coming from North Africa. A malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
plague in 1520 contributed to this process. However, in this period the first Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
mansions began to be built by noble families like 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
Pope Pius VI
Pope Pius VI , born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi, was Pope from 1775 to 1799.-Early years:Braschi was born in Cesena...
started 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
Étienne-Jacques-Joseph-Alexandre MacDonald
Étienne Jacques Joseph Alexandre MacDonald, 1st duke of Taranto was a Marshal of France and military leader during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.-Family background:...
. After the end of the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, the position of Terracina at the border between the Papal States and the Kingdom of Naples was officially set by the Concordat signed by Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII , born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti, was a monk, theologian and bishop, who reigned as Pope from 14 March 1800 to 20 August 1823.-Early life:...
and Ferdinand I of Two Sicilies in 1818.
In 1839 and 1843 Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI , born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari, named Mauro as a member of the religious order of the Camaldolese, was Pope of the Catholic Church from 1831 to 1846...
visited the city, in which he instituted works for a new port.
After the end of 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...
, in which it suffered heavy damage, Terracina developed greatly, with a large new quarter developing towards the Via Appia and alongside the coast north to Monte S. Angelo (Borgo Marino, "Marine Quarter").
Main sights
The modern town occupies 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 substructuresCryptoporticus
In Ancient Roman architecture a cryptoporticus is a covered corridor or passageway. The usual English is "cryptoportico". The cryptoportico is a semi-subterranean gallery whose vaulting supports portico structures aboveground and which is lit from openings at the tops of its arches...
, which extend under the surrounding houses.
Medieval buildings
The Cathedral of SS. Pietro e Cesareo (DuomoDuomo
Duomo is a term for a cathedral church. The formal word for a church that is presently a cathedral is cattedrale; a Duomo may be either a present or a former cathedral . Some, like the Duomo of Monza, have never been cathedrals, although old and important...
) is ensconced within a temple of Roma and Augustus
Christianised sites
One aspect of Christianisation was the Christianisation of sites that had been pagan. In the 1st centuries of Christianity churches were either house churches in whatever houses were offered for use by their owners, or were shrines on the burial-sites of martyrs or saints, which following the usual...
, 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
Cosmatesque
Cosmatesque, or Cosmati, is a style of geometric decorative inlay stonework typical of Medieval Italy, and especially of Rome and its surroundings. It was used most extensively for the decoration of church floors, but was also used to decorate church walls, pulpits, and bishop's thrones...
-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
Italo-Norman
The Italo-Normans, or Siculo-Normans when referring to Sicily, were the Italian-born descendants of the first Norman conquerors to travel to the southern Italy in the first half of the eleventh century...
artists. The brick campanile
Campanile
Campanile is an Italian word meaning "bell tower" . The term applies to bell towers which are either part of a larger building or free-standing, although in American English, the latter meaning has become prevalent.The most famous campanile is probably the Leaning Tower of Pisa...
, in Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
-Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
-style, has small columns with little pointed arches and Islamic majolica in 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 the Volscian and Roman curtain wall, in "polygonal" style similar to those of Constantinople
Walls of Constantinople
The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople since its founding as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire by Constantine the Great...
. 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 the portal by a Master Andrew of Priverno
Priverno
Priverno is a town and comune in the province of Latina, Lazio, central Italy.It has a station of the Rome-Naples railway mainline. Nearby is the Monti Lepini chain.-History:...
), 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.
Roman remains
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 m x 6.34 m wide. Under it 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 (227 m) 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, the so-called Cinta Sillana (once attributed to Theodoric
Theodoric the Great
Theodoric the Great was king of the Ostrogoths , ruler of Italy , regent of the Visigoths , and a viceroy of the Eastern Roman Empire...
, but dating from the first decades of the 1st century BCE). The summit is occupied by a massive terrace, supported by arcades of fine opus incertum
Opus incertum
thumb|280px|Layers of opus incertum on the left side of the Temple of Iovis Anxur in [[Terracina]], [[Italy]].Opus incertum was an ancient Roman construction technique, using irregular shaped and random placed uncut stones or fist-sized tuff blocks inserted in a core of Opus caementicium.Initially...
(traditionally, but wrongly, called the "palace of Theodoric") on all sides except the east, and commanding a magnificent view seaward over the coast and over the Pontine Marshes.
On the terrace stood the Corinthian Temple traditionally attributed to Jupiter Anxur (1st century BCE), about 35 by 20 meters. The cella
Cella
A cella or naos , is the inner chamber of a temple in classical architecture, or a shop facing the street in domestic Roman architecture...
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 made for dolls' houses today, in the favissae on the east of the temple. The interior cell measures 13 x 14 m, with 6 half-columns per side. However, recently the attribution of the temple to Jupiter has been put under discussion, due to the discovery of inscriptions dedicated to Venushttp://www.italiadascoprire.net/turismo-italia/177/il-tempio-di-giove-anxur-a-terracina.html.
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 the former one.
Massive remains af another temple, the Capitolium (16.5 x 16 m, with cells 9.5 x 4.5 m) lie on the street starting from Palazzo Venditti. Built in the mid-1st century BCE, it was dedicated to the Capitoline Triad
Capitoline Triad
In ancient Roman religion, the Capitoline Triad was a group of three supreme deities who were worshipped in an elaborate temple on Rome's Capitoline Hill, the Capitolium. Two distinct Capitoline Triads were worshipped at various times in Rome's history, both originating in ancient traditions...
of Jupiter, Juno
Juno (mythology)
Juno is an ancient Roman goddess, the protector and special counselor of the state. She is a daughter of Saturn and sister of the chief god Jupiter and the mother of Mars and Vulcan. Juno also looked after the women of Rome. Her Greek equivalent is Hera...
and Minerva
Minerva
Minerva was the Roman goddess whom Romans from the 2nd century BC onwards equated with the Greek goddess Athena. She was the virgin goddess of poetry, medicine, wisdom, commerce, weaving, crafts, magic...
.
Of the lower town by the harbour, which had buildings of some importance of the imperial period (amphitheatre, baths, etc.), little is now visible, and its site is mainly occupied by a new quarter built by Pope Pius VI
Pope Pius VI
Pope Pius VI , born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi, was Pope from 1775 to 1799.-Early years:Braschi was born in Cesena...
. 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. Near the amphitheatre was found in 1838 the famous marble bust of Sophocles
Sophocles
Sophocles is one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived. His first plays were written later than those of Aeschylus, and earlier than or contemporary with those of Euripides...
, now in the Lateran Museum
Lateran
Lateran and Laterano are the shared names of several architectural projects throughout Rome. The properties were once owned by the Lateranus family of the former Roman Empire...
, Rome.
The commune of Terracina includes a considerable extent of territory towards 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 km (34.2 mi) from the slopes of the Volscian Hills, has been repaired and is in use. Three miles to the northwest, at the foot of Monte Leano, was the shrine of the nymph Feronia
Feronia
Feronia may mean:* Feronia , a goddess of fertility in Roman and Etruscan mythology* Feronia , a genus of plants* Feronia Inc., a plantations company operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, where the canal following 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.
Transport
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 BiagioMonte San Biagio
Monte San Biagio is a town and comune in the province of Latina, in southern Lazio . It is located on the slope of a hill part of the Monti Ausoni.-History and main sights:...
: the former has a shuttle rail connection to Terracina, with hourly departures.
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
Sperlonga
Sperlonga is a coastal town in the province of Latina, Italy, about half way between Rome and Naples.Surrounding towns include Terracina to the West, Fondi to the North, Itri to the North-East, and Gaeta to the East.-History:...
and Gaeta
Gaeta
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....
to the south coast. A fast road link leads to the Frosinone
Frosinone
Frosinone is a town and comune in Lazio, central Italy, the administrative seat of the Province of Frosinone. It is located about 75 km south-east of Rome close to the Rome-Naples Autostrada A1...
exit of the A1 Milan-Rome-Naples motorway.
Twin towns
Bad HomburgBad Homburg
Bad Homburg vor der Höhe is the district town of the Hochtaunuskreis, Hesse, Germany, on the southern slope of the Taunus, bordering among others Frankfurt am Main and Oberursel...
, Germany Cabourg
Cabourg
Cabourg is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region of France.Cabourg belongs to the Paris Basin. The commune is located next to the sea and the back country is a plain, favourable to the cereal culture...
, France Chur
Chur
Chur or Coire is the capital of the Swiss canton of Graubünden and lies in the northern part of the canton.-History:The name "chur" derives perhaps from the Celtic kora or koria, meaning "tribe", or from the Latin curia....
, Switzerland Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, United Kingdom Jūrmala
Jurmala
Jūrmala is a city in Latvia, about 25 kilometers west of Riga. Jūrmala is a resort town stretching and sandwiched between the Gulf of Riga and the Lielupe River...
, Latvia Mayrhofen
Mayrhofen
- Twin towns : Chur, Switzerland Bad Tölz, Germany Bad Homburg, Germany Terracina, Italy Cabourg, France Bad Mondorf, Luxembourg- Transport :Mayrhofen has one railway station, which is located next to the Zillertaler Bundestrasse. The station is a terminus for all Train services operated by the...
, Austria Mondorf-les-Bains
Mondorf-les-Bains
Mondorf-les-Bains is a commune and town in south-eastern Luxembourg. It is part of the canton of Remich, which is part of the district of Grevenmacher. Mondorf-les-Bains is a spa town , and has the only casino in Luxembourg....
, Luxembourg Pécs
Pécs
Pécs is the fifth largest city of Hungary, located on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the south-west of the country, close to its border with Croatia. It is the administrative and economical centre of Baranya county...
, Hungary
Notable people
- Marcus FavoniusMarcus FavoniusMarcus Favonius was a Roman politician during the period of the fall of the Roman Republic. He is noted for his imitation of Cato the Younger, his espousal of the Cynic philosophy, and for his appearance as the Poet in William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar.-Life:Favonius was born in around 90...
(c. 90 BC–42 BC), Roman politician - Servius Sulpicius Galba (3 BC- 69), Roman EmperorRoman EmperorThe Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
External links
- Terracina's international website
- Ferdinand Gregorovius' Walks - Terracina
- Web site in English about the city of Terracina in Italy - with photo gallery
- Information about Terracina