Orte
Encyclopedia
Orte is a comune
(municipality) in the province of Viterbo
, in the Italian region Latium Lazio, located about 60 km north of Rome
and about 24 km east of Viterbo. As of 31 December 2006, Orte had a population of 8,364.
Orte is situated in the Tiber
valley on a high tuff cliff, encircled to North and East from a handle of the Tevere river. It is an important road and rail hub.
nearby, now preserved in the Vatican Museums
. Orte was theatre of battles between Etruscans and Romans (310 and 283 BC), near the Vadimone lake, in both of which the Romans were victorious.
The Romans domination made it the municipality of Horta (also Hortanum). Under the rule of Augustus
it received numerous public works
. Subsequently, because of its strategic position, Orte was occupied by the Ostrogoths, the Byzantines
and the Lombards
.
In the Middle Ages
the city was never seat of a fief, becoming a free comune
under a podestà
.
, opened in 1865, forms part of the Florence–Rome railway and the Rome–Ancona railway. It is situated in Piazza Giovanni XXIII
, in the locality of Orte Scalo, approximately two kilometres southeast of the town centre.
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 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 the Italian region Latium Lazio, located about 60 km north 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...
and about 24 km east of Viterbo. As of 31 December 2006, Orte had a population of 8,364.
Tiber
The Tiber is the third-longest river in Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Umbria and Lazio to the Tyrrhenian Sea. It drains a basin estimated at...
valley on a high tuff cliff, encircled to North and East from a handle of the Tevere river. It is an important road and rail hub.
History
The Etruscans inhabited the area from the 6th century BC and called it *Hurta, as testified by the findings in a necropolisNecropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
nearby, now preserved in the Vatican Museums
Vatican Museums
The Vatican Museums , in Viale Vaticano in Rome, inside the Vatican City, are among the greatest museums in the world, since they display works from the immense collection built up by the Roman Catholic Church throughout the centuries, including some of the most renowned classical sculptures and...
. Orte was theatre of battles between Etruscans and Romans (310 and 283 BC), near the Vadimone lake, in both of which the Romans were victorious.
The Romans domination made it the municipality of Horta (also Hortanum). Under the rule of Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
it received numerous public works
Public works
Public works are a broad category of projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community...
. Subsequently, because of its strategic position, Orte was occupied by the Ostrogoths, the Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
and the Lombards
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
.
In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
the city was never seat of a fief, becoming a free 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:...
under a podestà
Podestà
Podestà is the name given to certain high officials in many Italian cities, since the later Middle Ages, mainly as Chief magistrate of a city state , but also as a local administrator, the representative of the Emperor.The term derives from the Latin word potestas, meaning power...
.
Events
- Saint'Egidio Abate's Day and Ottava of Saint'Egidio: from 31 August to the second Sunday in September. A Medieval festival with shows, fairs, conventions, seminaries of study, art exhibitions of art and archery competitions (the "Palio", contented by the archers of the Seven ContradeContradaContrada is a generic name given to various types of Italian city subdivisions, now unofficial. Depending on the case, a contrada will be a località, a rione, a quartiere , a borgo, or even a suburb.The best-known contrade are the 17 Contrade of Siena, since they form the teams in the Palio...
). - Religious procession of Dead Christ: every Friday before Easter. A torchlight procession representing early religions orders ("Confraternite").
Transport
Orte railway stationOrte railway station
Orte railway station serves the town and comune of Orte, in the region of Lazio, central Italy. Opened in 1865, it forms part of the Florence–Rome railway and the Rome–Ancona railway....
, opened in 1865, forms part of the Florence–Rome railway and the Rome–Ancona railway. It is situated in Piazza Giovanni XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
, in the locality of Orte Scalo, approximately two kilometres southeast of the town centre.