Nettuno is a town and ''
comune
The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...
'' of the
Metropolitan City of Rome in the
Lazio
it, Laziale
, population_note =
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, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
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region of central Italy, south of
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
. A resort city and agricultural center on the
Tyrrhenian Sea
The Tyrrhenian Sea (; it, Mar Tirreno , french: Mer Tyrrhénienne , sc, Mare Tirrenu, co, Mari Tirrenu, scn, Mari Tirrenu, nap, Mare Tirreno) is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy. It is named for the Tyrrhenian pe ...
, it has a population of approximately 50,000.
![Nettuno01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Nettuno01.jpg)
Economy
It has a touristic harbour hosting about 860 boats and a shopping centre, selling everything for fishing and sailing. There is also a yacht club.
Nettuno is the city of the
D.O.C. wine
Cacchione.
Nettuno has a large base for the Italian Force, whose territory extends to the
Province of Latina
The Province of Latina ( it, Provincia di Latina) is an area of local government at the level of province in the Republic of Italy. It is one of five provinces that form the region of Lazio. The provincial capital is the city of Latina. It is bo ...
, and an Italian Police School, where especially
police dogs are trained.
Nettuno is one stop south of
Anzio
Anzio (, also , ) is a town and ''comune'' on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.
Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands ...
on the local train from Rome and also the last stop of the
FL8 line.
History
According to a theory, the town would be a direct survival of the Roman
Antium
Antium was an ancient coastal town in Latium, south of Rome. An oppidum was founded by people of Latial culture (11th century BC or the beginning of the 1st millennium BC), then it was the main stronghold of the Volsci people until it was conqu ...
, the territory of which almost entirely corresponded to Nettuno and modern
Anzio
Anzio (, also , ) is a town and ''comune'' on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.
Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands ...
.
[Paola Brandizzi Vittucci, ''Antium: Anzio e Nettuno in epoca romana'', Roma, Bardi Editore, 2000. ] Giuseppe Tomassetti considered Nettuno the real heir and continuation of the ancient Antiates.
[Giuseppe Tomassetti, ''La Campagna romana antica, medioevale e moderna'', vol. II, Roma, 1910.] In contrast, Beatrice Cacciotti doubted an ancient origin of the town, and postulated a
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
origin.
Nettuno was probably the location of the ancient
Volscian
Volscian was a Sabellic Italic language, which was spoken by the Volsci and closely related to Oscan and Umbrian.
Overview
Volscian is attested in an inscription found in Velitrae (Velletri), dating probably from early in the 3rd century BC; it ...
port town of Caenon, which was the closest port of the town Antium (which did not have a natural harbour of its own). According to a more recent theory, the town Caenon would be located on a hill more east to Nettuno, and the port (similarly to the old theory above), would have been over the mouth of the river Loricina.
In 469 BC, the town Caenon was
destroyed
Destroyed may refer to:
* ''Destroyed'' (Sloppy Seconds album), a 1989 album by Sloppy Seconds
* ''Destroyed'' (Moby album), a 2011 album by Moby
See also
* Destruction (disambiguation)
Destruction may refer to:
Concepts
* Destruktion, a ...
by the Roman consul
Titus Numicius Priscus
Titus Numicius Priscus was a Roman politician active in the fifth century BC and was consul in 469 BC.
Family
The ''Numicii'' were a plebeian family in Rome. He was the only member of the family to achieve the consulship. Diodorus Siculus gav ...
.
A medieval castle, the ''castrum Neptuni'', now known as the Borgo Medievale, most likely arose in the 10th or 11th century. According to local tradition, the name ''Neptunus'' would derive from a temple to the Roman god
Neptune - the symbol of the town - but it has been hypothesized a derivation from the marshes already present in the area in the
late ancient era, or from a raptor night bird, the ''noctunus''.
Nettuno, which territory practically coincided with that of the Roman Antium,
in the Middle Ages had an agricultural evolution.
Since 1420 it was a
fief
A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form ...
of the
Colonna
The House of Colonna, also known as ''Sciarrillo'' or ''Sciarra'', is an Italian noble family, forming part of the papal nobility. It was powerful in medieval and Renaissance Rome, supplying one pope (Martin V) and many other church and politic ...
family,
then in the early 16th century passed to the
Borgia nobles, later returned under the control of the Colonna, which kept it until 1594. In the 15th and 16th centuries Nettuno was among the major coastal fortified centers in Lazio, of which was considered the important
breadbasket
The breadbasket of a country or of a region is an area which, because of the richness of the soil and/or advantageous climate, produces large quantities of wheat or other grain. Rice bowl is a similar term used to refer to Southeast Asia; and C ...
: to support the walled and turreted Borgo Medievale, between 1501 and 1503, in the Borgia's period, the
Forte Sangallo
Forte Sangallo, also known as the Fortezza di Nettuno, is a Renaissance fortification built on the Tyrrhenian Sea, in the historic village of the City of Nettuno, in the south of Rome. The fortification is a very popular tourist destination today ...
was built by
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history
The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...
architect Antonio da Sangallo the Elder, as it was essential to defend the town against attacks from the sea.
In 1582 the poet
Antonio Ongaro
Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language-speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular mal ...
was in Nettuno hosted by the Colonna, and there for the first time he recited his fisherman’s tale entitled ''Alceo''.
The scholar
Luigi Pirandello
Luigi Pirandello (; 28 June 1867 – 10 December 1936) was an Italian dramatist, novelist, poet, and short story writer whose greatest contributions were his plays. He was awarded the 1934 Nobel Prize in Literature for "his almost magical power ...
wrote a novel, ''Va bene'', set in this town in 1904.
In 1925 the ''Convenzione di Nettuno'', between Italy and
Jugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
, was signed in the town to regulate the conditions of the Italian citizens in Dalmatia.
From 1940 to 1945, Nettuno and nearby
Anzio
Anzio (, also , ) is a town and ''comune'' on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.
Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands ...
were a single municipality (''comune'') called Nettunia.
On January 22, 1944, Anzio and Nettuno were the theatre of an Allied forces landing and the ensuing
Battle of Anzio, which began with
Operation Shingle
The Battle of Anzio was a battle of the Italian Campaign of World War II that took place from January 22, 1944 (beginning with the Allied amphibious landing known as Operation Shingle) to June 5, 1944 (ending with the capture of Rome). The op ...
during
The Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. American forces (
5th Army) were surrounded by Germans in the caves of Pozzoli in February 1944 for a week, suffering heavy casualties.
Main sights
Nettuno is a popular tourist destination. Sights include a well-preserved old quarter, the Borgo Medievale, with medieval streets and small squares, and the
Forte Sangallo
Forte Sangallo, also known as the Fortezza di Nettuno, is a Renaissance fortification built on the Tyrrhenian Sea, in the historic village of the City of Nettuno, in the south of Rome. The fortification is a very popular tourist destination today ...
mentioned above.
Nettuno is also a centre of pilgrimage to the
shrine
A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon, or similar figure of respect, wherein they ...
of
Saint Maria Goretti
Maria Teresa Goretti (; October 16, 1890 – July 6, 1902) is an Italian virgin-martyr of the Catholic Church, and one of the youngest saints to be canonized. She was born to a farming family. Her father died when she was nine, and the family ...
, in which a
crypt houses the mortal remains of the saint. The church keeps also a valuable polychromed wooden statue of
Our Lady of Grace, which is honoured by the town with a procession every year on the first Saturday of May. It was originally
Our Lady of Ipswich
Our Lady of Ipswich (also known as Our Lady of Grace) was a popular English Marian shrine before the English Reformation. Among Marian shrines, only the shrine at Walsingham attracted more visitors.
Background
For centuries, England has been ...
, although it left
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
after the
Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
.
The privately-owned Villa Costaguti-Borghese at Nettuno was built in 1648, has gardens in a landscape park designed about 1840, now protected as a
nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
. The ''
Borghese Gladiator
The ''Borghese Gladiator'' is a Hellenistic life-size marble sculpture portraying a swordsman, created at Ephesus about 100 BC, now on display at the Louvre.
Sculptor
The sculpture is signed on the pedestal by Agasias, son of Dositheus, who i ...
'' was discovered at Nettuno.
At the north edge of town is the
Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial, where over 7,800 US soldiers are buried.
Near the eastern border of Nettuno there is
Torre Astura 260px, The medieval coastal Tower of the Frangipani.
Torre Astura, formerly an island called by the ancients merely Astura (Greek: ), is now a peninsula in the ''comune'' of Nettuno, on the coast of Latium, Italy, at the southeast extremity of the ...
: a fortified coastal tower of medieval origin, which overlooks a point of land; it is built over the ruins of a Roman villa with a fish pond. The area its a pleasant coastal place, also frequented by
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the esta ...
.
Sport
Nettuno Baseball Club
The Nettuno Baseball Club, established in 1945, is situated and based in Nettuno, Italy. The club competes in the Italian Baseball League, with one team competing in the first division (''Danesi Nettuno BC'') and a second team playing in the s ...
is one of the most important Italian
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
teams, often the winner of the
national championship
A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, indi ...
. Baseball was taught to the local people by American soldiers after their landing in World War II.
Notable people
*
Paolo Segneri
*
Luigi Trafelli, physicist and mathematician
*
Maria Goretti
Maria Teresa Goretti (; October 16, 1890 – July 6, 1902) is an Italian virgin-martyr of the Catholic Church, and one of the youngest saints to be canonized. She was born to a farming family. Her father died when she was nine, and the family ...
*
Bruno Conti
Bruno Conti (; born 13 March 1955) is an Italian football manager and former player. He is currently head of A.S. Roma's youth sector.
Throughout his playing career, Conti was usually deployed as a winger, and also previously played for Roma, ...
, football player and manager
*
Pierpaolo Piccioli
Pierpaolo Piccioli (born 1967) is an Italian fashion designer, and has been the creative director of Valentino since 2008, jointly with Maria Grazia Chiuri from 2008 to 2016.
Early life
Piccioli was born in Nettuno in 1967.
Piccioli studied ...
(born 1967), Italian fashion designer
*
Anna Favella
Anna Favella (born September 21, 1983) is an Italian stage, television and movie actress. She is best known for her role as Elena Marsili in the TV series Terra Ribelle, directed by Cinzia TH Torrini, and Terra Ribelle – Il nuovo mondo, dir ...
, actress
Twin towns – sister cities
Nettuno is
twinned with:
*
Ardee
Ardee (; , ) is a town and townland in County Louth, Ireland. It is located at the intersection of the N2, N52, and N33 roads. The town shows evidence of development from the thirteenth century onward but as a result of the continued deve ...
, Ireland
*
Bandol
Bandol (; oc, Bandòu) is a commune in Var department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, southeastern France. Bandol and the seat of its eponymous commune, was founded in 1595 and built around a small military fort.
The Bandol wine region, lo ...
, France
*
Traunreut
Traunreut (; Central Bavarian: ''Traunreit'') is a town in southeastern Bavaria, Germany in the Traunstein district. It is located at . Traunreut lies in the heart of the Chiemgau region between Munich and Salzburg, approximately 10 km east ...
, Germany
*
Wehr, Germany
References
External links
Forte Sangallo City of Nettuno.
*
*
{{Province of Rome
Cities and towns in Lazio
Coastal towns in Lazio
Mediterranean port cities and towns in Italy
Roman sites in Lazio
Italic archaeological sites
Volsci