Roccagorga is a ''

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 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 bor ...

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 ...

, 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 northeast of

Latina Latina or Latinas most often refers to: * Latinas, a demographic group in the United States * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America. *Latin Americans Latina and Latinas may also refer ...

. Roccagorga borders the following municipalities: Carpineto Romano,

Maenza Maenza is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Latina in the Italy, Italian region Lazio, located about southeast of Rome and about east of Latina, Lazio, Latina. It is home to a castle, originally built as a watchtower in the 12th-13t ...

Priverno Priverno is a town, ''comune'' in the province of Latina, Lazio, central Italy. It was called ''Piperno'' until 1927. It has a station of the Rome-Naples railway mainline. Nearby is the Monti Lepini chain. It was the birthplace of the canonist Regi ...

, Sezze.

Physical geography

The terrain is primarily hilly and mountainous with a soil rich in calcium. This helps provide a year-round supply of water to the area. The climate is mediterranean, with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Agriculture in the area focuses on the growing of olives, as favoured by the mediterranean climate, the calcareous soil and the southern exposure of the hillsides.

History

Roccagorga is situated on Monte Nero, a hill in the southern

Lepini mountains The Monti Lepini (Italian: Lepini mountains) are a mountain range which belongs to the Anti-Apennines of the Lazio region of central Italy, between the two provinces of Latina and Rome. The range borders to the north with the Colli Albani, to t ...

. Its origins date back to the aftermath of the destruction of

Privernum Priverno is a town, ''comune'' in the province of Latina, Lazio, central Italy. It was called ''Piperno'' until 1927. It has a station of the Rome-Naples railway mainline. Nearby is the Monti Lepini chain. It was the birthplace of the canonist Reg ...

in 796 AD although it was not until the Middle Ages that it began to develop on the second peak of Gorga, around the old Castle. It is named after the matron Gorga who, according to legend, settled on Monte Nero along with the Privernati refugees.

Roccagorga Massacre

On 6 January 1913, the Savoy Agricultural Society organised a demonstration by impoverished inhabitants of the town to protest against the local tax system and the inadequate sanitation situation. The original demonstration in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, the main square in the village passed without incident. However, when a group of participants, including several women went to the offices of the society to get an

Italian tricolour The national flag of Italy ( it, Bandiera d'Italia, ), often referred to in Italian as ''il Tricolore'' ( en, the Tricolour, ) is a tricolour featuring three equally sized vertical pales of green, white and red, national colours of Italy, with ...

, the

Carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign polic ...

took offense. When they stepped forward to confiscate the flag from the woman carrying it, the demonstrators came to her assistance. Scuffles broke out and some demonstrators started throwing stones. The Army opened fire and killed 7 inhabitants of Roccagorga, with a further 23 non-fatal casualties. The Prime Minister, Giovanni Giolitti, then declared that the revolt was so serious that large-scale arrests were required.

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...

was the editor of '' Avanti'', the left-wing newspaper of the

Italian Socialist Party The Italian Socialist Party (, PSI) was a socialist and later social-democratic political party in Italy, whose history stretched for longer than a century, making it one of the longest-living parties of the country. Founded in Genoa in 1892, ...

. He wrote an article entitled "State Assassination" in which he denounced the repression. He continued to mount a press campaign against the government, but was then arrested and tried for provoking the soldiers to disobedience and insulting the army. However, he was acquitted by the jury. The piazza was subsequently renamed ''Piazza VI Gennaio'' (6 January square) to commemorate the event.

Main sights

*Hermitage of St. Erasmus. *Ethnical Museum of the

Lepini Mountains The Monti Lepini (Italian: Lepini mountains) are a mountain range which belongs to the Anti-Apennines of the Lazio region of central Italy, between the two provinces of Latina and Rome. The range borders to the north with the Colli Albani, to t ...

. * Church of St Leonard and St Erasmus. *Baronial Palace.

References

External links

Official website
Cities and towns in Lazio {{Latium-geo-stub