Patrica is a hill-top ''

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 ...

'' (municipality) in the

Province of Frosinone The Province of Frosinone ( it, Provincia di Frosinone) is a province in the Lazio region of Italy, with 91 ''comuni'' (singular: ''comune''; see Comuni of the Province of Frosinone). Its capital is the city of Frosinone. It has an area of ...

in the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

region

Lazio it, Laziale , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

Territory

The town is located about southeast 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 ...

and about southwest of

Frosinone Frosinone (, local dialect: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, the administrative seat of the province of Frosinone. It is located about south-east of Rome close to the Rome-Naples A1 Motorway. The city is the main city of the Va ...

. It is at 450 m MSL on a hill that rises, close to the Lepini Mountains, in a dominant position and overlooks the Sacco Valley. The territory of the comune borders

Ceccano Ceccano is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Frosinone, Lazio, central Italy, in the Latin Valley. History The town had its origins as an ancient Volscian citadel that surrendered to the Romans in 330 BC (424 Ab Urbe Condita).''The History ...

(the capital of the province),

Giuliano di Roma Giuliano di Roma (Central-Northern Latian: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Frosinone in the Italian region Lazio, located about southeast of Rome and about southwest of Frosinone. Blessed Blessed may refer to: * The state o ...

, and

Supino Supino is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Frosinone in the Italian region Lazio, located about southeast of Rome and about west of Frosinone. Supino borders the following municipalities: Carpineto Romano, Ferentino, Frosinone, Gi ...

History

The origins of the town are not well-known. Shortly before the Roman expansion, the surrounding region was inhabited by Italic peoples speaking

Osco-Umbrian The Osco-Umbrian, Sabellic or Sabellian languages are an extinct group of Italic languages, the Indo-European languages that were spoken in Central and Southern Italy by the Osco-Umbrians before being replaced by Latin, as the power of Ancient Rom ...

languages. The Romans called it ''Patricum''. Their presence is attested by aqueduct ruins in the area. Numerous patrician villas which were located below the town. In the Middle Ages and in the modern era, it was part of the Papal State, sharing the historical events of Rome, thus becoming part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1870. During the 20th century, many residents emigrated from Patrica to

Aliquippa, Pennsylvania Aliquippa is the largest city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, located on the Ohio River about northwest of Pittsburgh. The population was 9,238 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is part ...

, in the United States, to work in the steel mills; J&L in Aliquippa. They also emigrated to Ambridge which is just across the Ohio River from Aliquippa to work in the mills in and around Ambridge as well as at J&L; American Bridge, Wycoff, A.M. Byers, Bethlehem Steel, etc. The Italian community there continues to celebrate each August the Feast of

San Rocco Roch (lived c. 1348 – 15/16 August 1376/79 (traditionally c. 1295 – 16 August 1327, also called Rock in English, is a Catholic saint, a confessor whose death is commemorated on 16 August and 9 September in Italy; he is especially invoked a ...

, patron saint of Patrica.

Mount Cacume

Mount "Cacume" (derived from the Latin ''cacumen'' for top, or peak), is mentioned in Canto IV of Dante’s ’’Purgatory’’: ''Mondazi in Bismantova e iu Cacume'', and lies just southwest of the town. In 1903, a high, cross was erected on the top of the mountain.

References

{{authority control Cities and towns in Lazio