Rome and Civitavecchia Rail Road
Encyclopedia
The Rome–Civitavecchia railway line is one of the oldest railways in Italy
, in the Papal States
, opening in 1859 and is 72.6 km long. The line now forms part of the Pisa–Rome line
.
for Central Pius Company), named in honour of Pope Pius IX
, who had overturned the Vatican
's previous opposition to innovations such as railways in the Papal States
. It was headed by the haulage contractor Mr. Hubert Debrousse, a French engineer, and 950 workers were engaged on 27 railway work sites. Work commenced in October 1856 and in thirty months the railway and two stations were built between the Porta Portese station in Rome
, near the current Roma Trastevere station
and a temporary station at Civitavecchia
. The line was opened for service on 24 April 1859, with two trips a day from Rome and two trips a day from Civitavecchia, with a journey time of 2½ hours. In 1860 the railway was absorbed into the Società per le Strade Ferrate Romane
.
The railway equipment consisted of eleven French steam locomotives (built by Cail & C. of Paris
), one English steam locomotive, 21 first class passenger carriages and 25 second class passenger carriages. The rails were built by "Losh, Wilson & Bell Company" of Newcastle
, England
.
On 2 July 1860 the permanent Civitavecchia station
opened for service and construction began on the of the section of the line from Civitavecchia to the Papal States' northern border with Tuscany
, which was inaugurated and opened for service on 22 June 1867. On 22 October 1863, the line was extended south over the Tiber
on a lift bridge—built out of cast iron and prefabricated in England—in order to connect with the new Roma Termini station
.
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...
, in 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...
, opening in 1859 and is 72.6 km long. The line now forms part of the Pisa–Rome line
Pisa–Livorno–Rome railway
The Pisa–Rome railway is one of the trunk lines of the Italian railway network. It connects Italy’s northwest with its south, running along the Tyrrhenian coast between the Italian regions of Tuscany and Lazio, through the provinces of Pisa, Livorno, Grosseto, Viterbo and Rome. The line is double...
.
History
The railway was built by the Società Pio Central (ItalianItalian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
for Central Pius Company), named in honour of Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
, who had overturned the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
's previous opposition to innovations such as railways in 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...
. It was headed by the haulage contractor Mr. Hubert Debrousse, a French engineer, and 950 workers were engaged on 27 railway work sites. Work commenced in October 1856 and in thirty months the railway and two stations were built between the Porta Portese station in 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...
, near the current Roma Trastevere station
Roma Trastevere railway station
Roma Trastevere railway station is a major station serving the city and comune of Rome, Italy. Opened in 1911, it forms part of the Pisa–Livorno–Rome, Rome–Capranica–Viterbo and Rome–Fiumicino railways....
and a temporary station at Civitavecchia
Civitavecchia
Civitavecchia is a town and comune of the province of Rome in the central Italian region of Lazio. A sea port on the Tyrrhenian Sea, it is located 80 kilometers west-north-west of Rome, across the Mignone river. The harbor is formed by two piers and a breakwater, on which is a lighthouse...
. The line was opened for service on 24 April 1859, with two trips a day from Rome and two trips a day from Civitavecchia, with a journey time of 2½ hours. In 1860 the railway was absorbed into the Società per le Strade Ferrate Romane
Società per le Strade Ferrate Romane
The Società per le strade ferrate romane was an Italian railway company from 1865 to 1885.The Società Generalle delle Strade Ferrate Romane was formed in 1860 from a merger of the Società Pio Centrale , builder of the Rome–Civitavecchia railway and the Società Pio Latina The Società per le strade...
.
The railway equipment consisted of eleven French steam locomotives (built by Cail & C. of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
), one English steam locomotive, 21 first class passenger carriages and 25 second class passenger carriages. The rails were built by "Losh, Wilson & Bell Company" of Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
On 2 July 1860 the permanent Civitavecchia station
Civitavecchia railway station
Civitavecchia railway station serves the town and comune of Civitavecchia, the sea port for Rome, in the region of Lazio, central Italy. Opened in 1859, it forms part of the Pisa–Livorno–Rome railway....
opened for service and construction began on the of the section of the line from Civitavecchia to the Papal States' northern border with 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 ....
, which was inaugurated and opened for service on 22 June 1867. On 22 October 1863, the line was extended south over the Tiber
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...
on a lift bridge—built out of cast iron and prefabricated in England—in order to connect with the new Roma Termini station
Roma Termini railway station
Roma Termini is the main train station of Rome. It is named after the district of the same name, which in turn took its name from ancient Baths of Diocletian , which lie across the street from the main entrance.-Overview:The station has regular train services to all major Italian cities as well...
.