Ariccia
Ariccia | |
|---|---|
| Comune di Ariccia | |
 Ariccia and Vallericcia | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Ariccia  | |
UTC+2 (CEST) | |
| Postal code | 00072 |
| Dialing code | 06 |
| Patron saint | St. Apollonia |
| Saint day | February 9 |
| Website | Official website |
Ariccia (
Overview
Ariccia is the center of a region that was extremely important in
In modern times, Ariccia has become famous for its
History
Ancient legend connects the town's name and
Ruins found in the city confirm the existence of a settlement in the 8th–9th centuries BC. From the end of the 6th century BC until 338 BC, the city was the central member of the Latin League.
In its territory, which then included the
In 508 BC,
In 495 BC, Aricia was the site of a battle between the Aurunci and Rome, Rome being the victor.[8]
Aricia was definitively conquered by the
Augustus had family connections to Aricia according to Suetonius. This came from the maternal line. This was used as an insult by his enemies, most notably Mark Antony who said that his maternal great grand-father was originally African, then owned an oil-shop followed by a bakery.[9]
Being rather near to the Imperial capital, and favoured by a fresher climate, Aricia was chosen by many of the Rome's patricii as a location for their leisure villas. It also was recognized for the calibre of its wine and foodstuffs. Martial wrote favourably of its leeks and Pliny relished a unique variety of Arician cabbages.
Because of its wealth and its strategic location near the coast, the city was sacked several times during and after the fall of the Roman Empire, by Goths, Vandals and, finally, by the Saracens who destroyed it in 827. The inhabitants subsequently moved to the ancient acropolis and founded a new community.
In 990 the Castrum Ariciensis ("Ariccia's Castle") was a dominion of Guido, count of
The population of Ariccia began to decline, however. After a period under the administration of the castle of
Pope Sixtus IV handed Ariccia over to the Savelli, who executed several works to improve its condition, including the draining of the volcanic lake (Lake of Vallericcia) which lay to the west, between the hills and the sea.
Systematic archaeological excavations of the site began around this period. In 1637 Giovanni Argoli, at the request of his patron the Cardinal Lelio Biscia, writes up a description of votive objects and inscriptions found during excavations at Aricia.[10]
In 1661 the city passed to the powerful
In 1854 Pope Pius IX ordered the construction of a bridge. This bridge bypassed the large wood (now the Parco Chigi) in the valley, which hindered access to Ariccia from Rome along the Via Appia.
Nearly a century later, the bridge—along with much of the city—was destroyed by retreating
In 2015, the Roman Curia's yearly Lenten spiritual exercises were again held at Ariccia, at the Casa Divin Maestro (House of the Divine Master), from 16:00 on the First Sunday of Lent, February 22, 2015, to the morning of Friday, February 27, 2015. The 2015 exercises were to be led by Carmelite Father Bruno Secondin, on the theme from the readings of the Prophet Elijah, "Servants and prophets of the living God"; during the retreat, all audiences are suspended.[11]
Main sights
The most noteworthy sight in Ariccia is the northern entrance from the famous bridge which leads to Bernini's Baroque square. The main monuments include:
- Palazzo Savelli Chigi, whose perfectly restored rooms are renowned as a location for Luchino Visconti's The Leopard and for other historical movies and television programs, was built by Prince Augusto Chigi in 1740.
- Bernini, whose circular dome was inspired by his restoration of the Pantheon. In the interior, the apse is a notable fresco by Borgognone.
- Fontana delle Tre Cannelle ("Fountain of the three spouts"), once thought to contain the tomb of Simon Magus.
Other monuments include the Porta Romana, also by Bernini, and, two kilometres (1 mi) outside the city, the venerated Sanctuary of the Madonna di Galloro, with facade by Bernini. The latter is the final stop of a religious procession held on 8 December and called "Procession of the Lady", as a young woman is asked to lead it.
The area around Ariccia houses many interesting archaeological finds such as the Villa of the Roman Emperor
Culture
Ariccia has a long history of welcoming artists and writers who have departed from Rome's heat and bustle for the breezy hillsides and groves overlooking the
The forested landscapes of Ariccia, which had given birth to the Latin-Roman cult of Diana, also had a special appeal to later writers and artists, especially those associated with
The Locanda Martorelli, the hotel which faced the palace in the Piazza di Corte, was a popular stop between Rome and Naples for those on the Grand Tour, and was frequented by artists and writers such as J.M. William Turner, Corot, Henrik Ibsen, Gogol, D'Azeglio, Richter, Hans Christian Andersen, and Henry Longfellow.
Today, the Palazzo Savelli Chigi often hosts exhibitions drawing from its own extensive collections as well as visiting exhibitions. The Palace is also the site of frequent public musical performances.
Much of the city's greatest art, Roman-era sculpture excavated by archaeologists, has been distributed to the world's collections of classical artwork, so one often sees the name "Ariccia" pinned next to statues of Augustus or Diana that are being displayed far from Latium.
Education
Ariccia is home to Auburn University's only international campus, the Joseph S. Bruno Auburn Abroad in Italy program, which is housed in the Palazzo Savelli Chigi. This year-round program is sponsored by the Auburn University College of Human Sciences and is open to students from any major on the Auburn campus.
Transportation
Public transportation is provided by the region's
Twin towns
Cournon-d'Auvergne, France
Lichtenfels, Germany
Prestwick, United Kingdom
References
- ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- Servius on Aeneid, ii. 116
- ^ a b Ashby, Thomas (1911). . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 2 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 490.
- Hermann Peter, Historicorum Romanorum Fragmenta
- Ab urbe condita, 2.14
- ^ Dionysius of Halicarnassus Rom. Antiq. 7.5-6
- Ab urbe condita, 2.26
- ISBN 978-0-19-953756-3.
- ^ Epistola ad Jacobum Philippum Tomasinum de templo Dianae Nemorensis, in: Giacomo Filippo Tomasini, De donariis ac tabellis votivis liber singularis, Padova, 1654 in-4 pag. 13 ff.; reprinted in: Johann Georg Graevius (ed.), Thesaurus antiquitatum romanarum (in Latin), vol. XII, pp. 751 ff.
- ^ "press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2015/02/22/0141/00308.html - Translator". www.microsofttranslator.com.
- ^ I, 5 "A journey to Brindisi"
External links
Media related to Ariccia at Wikimedia Commons
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