Fondi
Fondi | |
---|---|
Comune di Fondi | |
UTC+2 (CEST) | |
Postal code | 04022 |
Dialing code | 0771 |
Patron saint | St. Honoratus of Fondi |
Saint day | 10 October |
Website | Official website |
Fondi (
Before the construction of the highway between the latter cities in the late 1950s, Fondi had been an important settlement on the Roman
Geography
Fondi is the main town of the
The territory of Fondi is partially included in the
History
Fondi has an ancient history, beginning with early settlements about 1000 BC: later the area was settled by the Italic tribes of Aurunci and, subsequently, Volsci. According to the legend, it would have been founded by Hercules in memory of the killing of Cacus.
The first historical reference to Fondi dates to 338 BC, at the time of the Latin War, when its inhabitants (together with those of the nearby Formia) gained minor Roman citizenship status (civitas sine suffragio). After a failed attempt of revolt led by Vitruvius Vaccus (330 BC), Fondi remained a Roman prefecture; later (188 BC) it received full citizenship, with a government led by 3 aediles.
The importance of Fondi lay in its position across the old
After the
In 1140 Fondi passed to the Dell'Aquila family, of Norman heritage, and then, in 1299, to the powerful Caetani barons (in the person of Loffredo Caetani, nephew of Pope Boniface VIII), who for two centuries made Fondi the centre of their power, and a centre of artistic development as well. Here in 1378 the powerful Count
The Caetani lost Fondi after
In 1534, Fondi was sacked by
In 1818 the declining city, surrounded by malaria-infested marshes
After the
Economy
Agriculture in the area around Fondi has always been favoured by the presence of abundant water sources and by the climatic conditions. The traditional production of
Fondi is the seat of an important market for agriculture and food products which distribute millions of tons of agricultural products every year.
Main sights
Fondi's main sights include:
- The Castle, with a characteristic round tower standing more than 30 metres (98 ft), symbol of the city. The castle was built in the 14th century by Onorato I Caetani over a stretch of ancient Roman walls. In the 16th century it was the seat of Giulia Gonzaga's court of literates and artists. Since 1987 it houses the city's Museum.
- The adjacent Palazzo del Principe ("Prince's Palace"), constructed in 1466–77 is attributed to the Catalan architect Matteo Forcimanya. Its portals, the mullioned window, the court and the loggiato form a synthesis of Catalan-Gothic and Angevine architectures.
- The Cathedral of St. Peter (Duomo, 14th century) is built over a Roman edifice identified as a temple of Jupiter. It houses the sepulchre of Cristoforo Caetani, a marble bishop cathedra and Cosmatesque pulpit from the 13th century, an Annunciation Tryptych by Cristoforo Scacco and Majesty with St. Peter and St. Paul by Antoniazzo Romano.
- The Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta, preceded by a wide staircase and built in the 15th century by Onorato II Caetani. It has a Latin cross plant, with an aisle and two naves: main points of interests are a cyborium from 1491 and the venerated statue of the Madonna of the Sky.
- The medieval churches of San Domenico and San Francesco.
- Abbey of San Magno, Fondi
Twin towns - sister cities
Fondi is twinned with:[5]
- Dachau, Germany
See also
- Unicusano Fondi Calcio
- Caetani
- Giulia Gonzaga
- Lake Fondi
Sources
- Di Fazio, M. (2006). "Fondi ed il suo territorio in età romana. Profilo di storia economica e sociale". British Archaeological Reports. Oxford.
- Piscitelli Carpino, M.T. (2002). Fondi tra Antichità e Medioevo. Naples.
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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.
- ^ a b "Popolazione Fondi (2001-2017) Grafici su dati ISTAT". Tuttitalia.it (in Italian). Retrieved 4 July 2018.
- ^ Peyronel Rambaldi, S. (2021). Giulia Gonzaga: A Gentlewoman in the Italian Reformation. Italien: Viella Libreria Editrice. p. 72-73
- ^ "Gemellaggio Fondi-Dachau". comunedifondi.it (in Italian). Fondi. Archived from the original on 2019-12-19. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
External links
- Official page for the government of Fondi (in Italian)
- Handball Club Fondi Archived 2020-11-29 at the Wayback Machine