Acquapendente
Encyclopedia
Acquapendente is a city and comune
in the province of Viterbo
, in Lazio (Italy
). Acquapendente is an important centre for the agricultural production of vegetables and wine
, and has a tradition of pottery
craftmanship.
s in Roman
times, as archaeological finds have shown. However, the first historical document of the modern city dates from the 9th century AD, with a town named Farisa or Arisa along the Via Francigena
. A document from Emperor Otto I
, dated 964, contains the first recorded use of the name Acquapendentem. The name of the city, meaning "Hanging Water", stems from the presence of several small waterfalls forming the Paglia, a stream setting the boundary between Lazio and Tuscany
.
Acquapendente was the first stop in Italy in the travels of Saint Roch in the early 14th century; the saint supposedly spent several days in the hospital there curing plague
victims.
The city was later part of the March of Tuscany
and, from the end of the 14th century and beginning of the 15th, it was part of the commune of Siena
. In 1449 it became an independent centre within the Papal States
.
Acquapendente was also the birthplace of the anatomist Hieronymus Fabricius
.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
in the province of Viterbo
Province of Viterbo
The Province of Viterbo is a province in the Lazio region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Viterbo. It is bordered to the north by the Province of Grosseto and Siena, by the north-east with the Province of Terni and Rieti, in the west by the Tyrrhenian Sea and south by the Province of Rome.It...
, in Lazio (Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
). Acquapendente is an important centre for the agricultural production of vegetables and wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
, and has a tradition of pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
craftmanship.
History
The area of modern Acquapendente was settled by EtruscanEtruscan civilization
Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to a civilization of ancient Italy in the area corresponding roughly to Tuscany. The ancient Romans called its creators the Tusci or Etrusci...
s in Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
times, as archaeological finds have shown. However, the first historical document of the modern city dates from the 9th century AD, with a town named Farisa or Arisa along the Via Francigena
Via Francigena
The Via Francigena is an ancient road between Rome and Canterbury, passing through England, France, Switzerland and Italy. In mediaeval times it was an important road and pilgrimage route...
. A document from Emperor Otto I
Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto I the Great , son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duke of Saxony, King of Germany, King of Italy, and "the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy" according to Arnulf of Milan...
, dated 964, contains the first recorded use of the name Acquapendentem. The name of the city, meaning "Hanging Water", stems from the presence of several small waterfalls forming the Paglia, a stream setting the boundary between Lazio and Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
.
Acquapendente was the first stop in Italy in the travels of Saint Roch in the early 14th century; the saint supposedly spent several days in the hospital there curing plague
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
victims.
The city was later part of the March of Tuscany
March of Tuscany
The March of Tuscany or Tuscia was a frontier march in central Italy, bordering the Papal States to the south and east, the Ligurian Sea to the west, and the rest of the Kingdom of Italy to the north. It was a Carolingian creation, a successor of the Lombard Duchy of Tuscia...
and, from the end of the 14th century and beginning of the 15th, it was part of the commune of Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
. In 1449 it became an independent centre within the Papal States
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
.
Acquapendente was also the birthplace of the anatomist Hieronymus Fabricius
Hieronymus Fabricius
Hieronymus Fabricius or Girolamo Fabrizio or by his Latin name Fabricus ab Aquapendende also Girolamo Fabrizi d'Acquapendente was a pioneering anatomist and surgeon known in medical science as "The Father of Embryology."...
.
Main sights
- Acquapendente CathedralAcquapendente CathedralAcquapendente Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Sepulchre, in the town of Acquapendente in Lazio, Italy.-History:...
(1149). - The Watch Tower, a remain of the Imperial Castle.
- The church of St. Augustine (16th century).
- The church of St. Francis.
- The Castle of the frazioneFrazioneA frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...
Torre Alfina, whose central tower (Cassero) was built by the Lombard king DesideriusDesideriusDesiderius was the last king of the Lombard Kingdom of northern Italy...
. The castle was captured by the Neapolitan condottiero Fabrizio MaramaldoFabrizio MaramaldoFabrizio Maramaldo was an Italian condottiere.An illiterate native of Naples or Calabria, his exact origins are unknown, though he hailed from the Kingdom of Naples, and was perhaps of Spanish origin. He fled Naples after having murdered his wife and sought protection at the Gonzaga under Federico...
in 1527, during the Siege of RomeSack of Rome (1527)The Sack of Rome on 6 May 1527 was a military event carried out by the mutinous troops of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in Rome, then part of the Papal States...
, but the defenders gallantly retained the Cassero. - The Castle of the frazioneFrazioneA frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...
Trevinano (known from the 12th century). - The Monte Rufeno Natural Reserve, 2 km north to the city, at an altitude of 748 m. It has spectacular woods housing wildlife including among others boarBoarWild boar, also wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises...
s, eagle owlEurasian Eagle OwlThe Eurasian Eagle-Owl is a species of eagle owl resident in much of Eurasia. It is also one of the largest types of owls.-Description:The Eagle Owl is a large and powerful bird, smaller than the Golden Eagle but larger than the Snowy Owl...
s, turtleTurtleTurtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
s and beech martenBeech MartenThe beech marten , also known as the stone marten or white breasted marten, is a species of marten native to much of Europe and Central Asia, though it has established a feral population in North America. It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN on account of its wide distribution, its large...
s.