Colonna (RM)
Encyclopedia
Colonna is a comune
(municipality) in the Province of Rome
in the Italian
region Latium
, located about 20 km southeast of Rome
, on the Alban Hills
. With a population of some 3,900, it is the smallest of the Castelli Romani
.
, located in the area of the modern comune
of Monte Compatri
. Labici was conquered in 414 BC by the Romans under the dictator
Quintus Servilius Priscus and razed to the ground. The Labicani then founded Labicum Quintanas near the Tower of the Pasolina near Colonna. The place is noted as Ad Quintanas, a station on the Via Labicana
, between Rome
and Ad Bivium.
Colonna is mentioned for the first time in 1047, in a deed of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
, a guest at the castle, which had taken its name from a column of the ancient Labicum Quintanense, when he stopped there during his march that with his army to Naples along the Via Casilina
.
In 1101 Peter, child of Gregory III
, Count of Tusculum
, received as inheritance the territory and the Castle of Columna, with Monte Porzio Catone
, Monte Compatri
and other surrounding possessions. Peter was the founder of Colonna family
, which took the name from this property.
In 1298 Pope Boniface VIII
ordered the destruction of Colonna and its castle as punishment against the Colonna family. With the advent of Pope Clement V
(1305) the Colonna family resumed the fief with all of its territories.
The Rospigliosi-Pallavicini maintained the feudal dominion on Colonna up to June 5 1848. In 1849 the Comune
and the Municipality of Colonna was constituted.
in the 16th century on the site of the Roman castrum on the highest part on the hill. The main façade has an ashlar portal, while the opposite front has a double order of five arcades. The southwest side was modified when the church dedicated to Saint Nicholas
was erected in the 18th century by the Pallavicini family.
. It has also a station on the Rome–Cassino railway
; the one on the Rome-Fiuggi narrow gauge railway is now abandoned, having been replaced by regional bus service held by COTRAL.
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:...
(municipality) in the Province of Rome
Province of Rome
The Province of Rome , is a province in the Lazio region of Italy. The province can be viewed as the extended metropolitan area of the city of Rome, although in its more peripheral portions, especially to the north, it comprises towns surrounded by rural landscape.-Geography:The Province of Rome...
in the Italian
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...
region Latium
Latium
Lazio is one of the 20 administrative regions of Italy, situated in the central peninsular section of the country. With about 5.7 million residents and a GDP of more than 170 billion euros, Lazio is the third most populated and the second richest region of Italy...
, located about 20 km southeast of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, on the Alban Hills
Alban Hills
The Alban Hills are the site of a quiescent volcanic complex in Italy, located southeast of Rome and about north of Anzio.The dominant peak is Monte Cavo. There are two small calderas which contain lakes, Lago Albano and Lake Nemi...
. With a population of some 3,900, it is the smallest of the Castelli Romani
Castelli Romani
The Castelli Romani is a group of communes in the province of Rome, Italy. They are located at short distance south-east to Rome, at the feet of the Alban Hills.-Overview:...
.
Ancient era
The territory of Colonna is believed to have included the ancient community of LabiciLabici
Labici or Labicum was an ancient city of Latium, lying in the territory of the modern Monte Compatri, about 20 km SE from Rome, on the northern slopes of the Alban Hills...
, located in the area of the modern comune
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:...
of Monte Compatri
Monte Compatri
Monte Compatri is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Latium, located about 20 km southeast of Rome on the Alban Hills. It is one of the Castelli Romani.-History:...
. Labici was conquered in 414 BC by the Romans under the dictator
Dictator
A dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
Quintus Servilius Priscus and razed to the ground. The Labicani then founded Labicum Quintanas near the Tower of the Pasolina near Colonna. The place is noted as Ad Quintanas, a station on the Via Labicana
Via Labicana
The Via Labicana was an ancient road of Italy, leading east southeast from Rome. It seems possible that the road at first led to Tusculum, that it was then extended to Labici, and later still became a road for through traffic; it may even have superseded the Via Latina as a route to the southeast,...
, between Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and Ad Bivium.
Middle Ages
Labicum Quintanas became an episcopal see in the 4th century. The inhabited area began to decay and disappeared with the Gothic War (535-554).Colonna is mentioned for the first time in 1047, in a deed of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry III , called the Black or the Pious, was a member of the Salian Dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors...
, a guest at the castle, which had taken its name from a column of the ancient Labicum Quintanense, when he stopped there during his march that with his army to Naples along the Via Casilina
Via Casilina
The Via Casilina was an ancient Roman road in Latium.It was created from the fusion of two other ancient Roman roads, the Via Latina and the Via Labicana. It connected Rome to ancient Casilinum . It entered Rome...
.
In 1101 Peter, child of Gregory III
Gregory III, Count of Tusculum
Gregory III was the son of Gregory II. He was the Count of Tusculum from 1058, when his father died. He is usually considered to stand at the fore of the family of the Colonna....
, Count of Tusculum
Counts of Tusculum
The counts of Tusculum were the most powerful secular noblemen in Latium, near Rome, in the present-day Italy between the 10th and 12th centuries. Several popes and an antipope during the 11th century came from their ranks. They created and perfected the political formula of noble-papacy, wherein...
, received as inheritance the territory and the Castle of Columna, with Monte Porzio Catone
Monte Porzio Catone
Monte Porzio Catone is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Latium, located about 20 km southeast of Rome, on the Alban Hills....
, Monte Compatri
Monte Compatri
Monte Compatri is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Latium, located about 20 km southeast of Rome on the Alban Hills. It is one of the Castelli Romani.-History:...
and other surrounding possessions. Peter was the founder of Colonna family
Colonna family
The Colonna family is an Italian noble family; it was powerful in medieval and Renaissance Rome, supplying one Pope and many other Church and political leaders...
, which took the name from this property.
In 1298 Pope Boniface VIII
Pope Boniface VIII
Pope Boniface VIII , born Benedetto Gaetani, was Pope of the Catholic Church from 1294 to 1303. Today, Boniface VIII is probably best remembered for his feuds with Dante, who placed him in the Eighth circle of Hell in his Divina Commedia, among the Simonists.- Biography :Gaetani was born in 1235 in...
ordered the destruction of Colonna and its castle as punishment against the Colonna family. With the advent of Pope Clement V
Pope Clement V
Pope Clement V, born Raymond Bertrand de Got was Pope from 1305 to his death...
(1305) the Colonna family resumed the fief with all of its territories.
Modern age
In 1662, the Colonna family sold the Castrum Columnae to Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi. In 1710 the Ludovisi family sold it to the Rospigliosi-Pallavicini family.The Rospigliosi-Pallavicini maintained the feudal dominion on Colonna up to June 5 1848. In 1849 the Comune
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:...
and the Municipality of Colonna was constituted.
Main sights
The Baronial Palace (Italian: Palazzo Baronale) was built by the Colonna familyColonna family
The Colonna family is an Italian noble family; it was powerful in medieval and Renaissance Rome, supplying one Pope and many other Church and political leaders...
in the 16th century on the site of the Roman castrum on the highest part on the hill. The main façade has an ashlar portal, while the opposite front has a double order of five arcades. The southwest side was modified when the church dedicated to Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
was erected in the 18th century by the Pallavicini family.
Culture
In the first Sunday of July, the Donkey's Palio (Italian: Palio degli Asini) is held. The seven quarters of the town compete riding donkeys in medieval dress.Transportation
The commune is connected to Rome and southern Italy through the Via CasilinaVia Casilina
The Via Casilina was an ancient Roman road in Latium.It was created from the fusion of two other ancient Roman roads, the Via Latina and the Via Labicana. It connected Rome to ancient Casilinum . It entered Rome...
. It has also a station on the Rome–Cassino railway
Rome–Cassino–Naples railway line
The Rome–Cassino–Naples railway is a railway in Italy, the first of the three existing railway lines between the capitals of Latium and Campania to be opened when it was completed by the Società per le strade ferrate romane in 1863. The line is now fully electrified at 3 kV DC...
; the one on the Rome-Fiuggi narrow gauge railway is now abandoned, having been replaced by regional bus service held by COTRAL.