Acilia is a neighborhood and a ''

frazione A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territ ...

'' 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 ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, located about half- way between Rome and Ostia, along the

Via Ostiense The Via Ostiensis ( it, via Ostiense) was an important road in ancient Rome. It ran west from the city of Rome to its important sea port of Ostia Antica, from which it took its name. The road began near the Forum Boarium, ran between the Aventin ...

. With a population 66,932 in 2008 it is the third largest Italian ''

'' after Ostia and

Mestre Mestre () is a borough of the ''comune'' (municipality) of Venice, on the mainland opposite the historical island city in the region of Veneto, Italy. Administratively, Mestre forms (together with the nearby Carpenedo) the ''Municipalità di ...

History

The name remembers the Roman family of the

Acilii The gens Acilia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome, that flourished from the middle of the third century BC until at least the fifth century AD, a period of seven hundred years. The first of the gens to achieve prominence was Gaius Acilius, wh ...

, which during the Roman age owned their estates here. In the years around

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

the zone, once plagued by

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

, was reclaimed. The first modern settlements took place during the 1920s, but only the opening of the ''Via del mare'' and of the railway between Rome and Ostia boosted the development of the area. In 1940 Italian dictator

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 ...

inaugurated a settlement designed by the engineer Dario Pater. Here were hosted many inhabitants coming from Borgo, which had lost their homes because of the demolition of the ''spina''. Today Acilia belongs to the ''

X Municipio The city of Rome, Italy is divided into first-level administrative subdivisions. There are 15 ''municipi'' (singular: ''municipio'') in the city; each ''municipio'' is governed by a president and a council who are elected directly by its reside ...

'', the part of Rome that overlooks 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 ...

Transport

Acilia is served by a railway station on the suburban line Rome-Lido. Roman terminal of this line is at Roma Porta San Paolo station, very close to Piramide stop (

Rome Metro The Rome Metro ( it, Metropolitana di Roma) is a rapid transit system that operates in Rome, Italy. It started operation in 1955, making it the oldest in the country. The Metro comprises three lines – A (orange), B (blue) and C (green) � ...

, Line B) and not too far from the station of

Roma Ostiense Roma Ostiense is a railway station in Piazza dei Partigiani serving the Ostiense district of Rome, Italy, a short distance from the Porta San Paolo. It is run by the Rete Ferroviaria Italiana arm of the Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane group and the ...

Education

There is a public library in Acilia, Sandro Onofri.Biblioteche ed i Centri specializzati
" City of Rome. Retrieved on 8 September 2012.

Notable people

Franco Califano Franco Califano (14 September 1938 – 30 March 2013) was an Italian lyricist, composer, singer-songwriter, author and actor. During his career he sold about 20 million records. Life and career Born in an airplane above Tripoli, Libya, Califan ...

, singer, songwriter and actor lived in Acilia.

References

External links