Urbisaglia
Encyclopedia
Urbisaglia is a comune
in the province of Macerata
, Marche
, Italy
. Its name comes from the ancient Roman town Urbs Salvia
.
, along the via Salaria Gallica, the town was founded during the 2nd century BC as a colonia
. Its importance reached the top with Augustus
and Tiberius
, when it was completely rebuilt.
It gave birth to some leading figures of the Roman Empire, such as the consul C. Fufius Geminus and Lucius Flavius Silva Nonius Bassus
, the conqueror of Masada
.
It was utterly destroyed by Alaric
in 408-10 AD, and both Procopius
(E.G. II. 16, 17) and Dante Alighieri
(Paradise, XVI. 73 - 78) talk about its desolation.
During the following centuries, the inhabitants of Urbs Salvia
gradually moved to the top of the hill, giving rise to the Castro de Orbesallia.
In the 12th century, a very important religious, economic and cultural centre was founded nearby, the Abbey of Fiastra, which had to influence the Fiastra Valley and the surrounding area.
Between 12th and 14th century, the town was ruled by the Abbracciamonte family; they slowly sold the town to the Comune
of Tolentino
, which became its only owner.
After Francesco Sforza's signoria
(1433 – 1443), Urbisaglia came back under Tolentino's domination. Tolentino was given the papal permission to build a rocca
, to prevent any rebellion attempt; in 1507 Tolentino sent a 12 soldiers garrison to defend the fortress.
In 1569, after petitioning the Pope Pius V
, the inhabitants of Urbisaglia were given the autonomy from Tolentino; the town was directly placed under Holy See
's dependency.
The first diggings in the Roman town took place during tha papal government; after Italy's unification
the standard of living has been getting better, thanks to the industrial development, permitting the rise of a spinning mill and both a hosiery and a soap factory.
Thanks to the benefactors Angelo Buccolini, Innocenzo Petrini and the marquis Alessandro Giannelli, the town was provided with a nursery school, an old people's home and a Mount of piety.
During the Fascism
the town was given the name of "Urbisaglia Bonservizi" in honour of Nicola Bonservizi, a journalist born in Urbisaglia and a Mussolini
's collaborator, killed in Paris by an anarchist.
Urbisaglia was the site of an internment camp
throughout the Second World War
; it was placed at Giustiniani Bandini Palace, next to the Abbey of Fiastra.
Today Urbisaglia has more than 2700 inhabitants, working in agriculture, arts and crafts, textiles, power plants and iron and steel industry.
Officially recognized as Archaeological Park in 1994, it spread over an area of about 100 acres and it's the most important one in the Marche
.
Just outside the medieval city walls, a walk descends through the Archaeological Park for about 1.5 kilometre, so that you are enabled to grasp the scale and topography of the ancient town, starting at the top of the hill and reaching the flat valley bottom, bounded on the east side by the Fiastra river.
You can visit the Reservoir, the Theatre, the Niched Building, the Sanctuarial complex Temple-Criptoporticus dedicated to the goddess Salus Augusta and the Amphiteatre built by Lucius Flavius Silva Nonius Bassus. The city walls are well visible too, preserved along several hundred metres.
Today, every year in July and August, a very important season of classical drama takes place at the amphitheatre. The quality of the performances matches the allure of the place.
The medieval fortress of Urbisaglia was a military fortification erected by the town of Tolentino
at the beginning of the 16th century.
It was built upon the ruins of previous fortifications on the west corner of the Roman wall of Urbs Salvia
. Its imposing position at the centre of the urban area suggests that the Arx
(the citadel, the most protected area of the town) or the Capitol
of the Roman town was once located here, as demonstrated by substantial remains of Roman walls and of composite concrete.
It has a trapezoidal shape with the longest side facing away from the town in order to better face potential attacks. There are four corner towers, a gate tower and a keep
where the garrison Tolentino had imposed on Urbisaglia resided. Indeed, the fortress's main function, other than to control the surrounding areas, was to guard the town and to prevent any rebellious acts from the citizens of Urbisaglia who resented Tolentino's power over them.
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 Macerata
Province of Macerata
The Province of Macerata is a province in the Marche region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Macerata.It has an area of 2,774 km², and a total population of 301,701 . There are 57 comunes in the province, see Comunes of the Province of Macerata.-External links:*...
, Marche
Marche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
, 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...
. Its name comes from the ancient Roman town Urbs Salvia
Archaeological Park of Urbs Salvia
The Archaeological Park of Urbs Salvia is situated in the comune of Urbisaglia , in the Marches, Italy. It is the largest archaeological park in the region.- History :...
.
History
Situated in the Regio V PicenumPicenum
Picenum was a region of ancient Italy. The name is an exonym assigned by the Romans, who conquered and incorporated it into the Roman Republic. Picenum was the birthplace of such notables as Pompey the Great and his father Pompeius Strabo. It was situated in what is now Marche...
, along the via Salaria Gallica, the town was founded during the 2nd century BC as a colonia
Colonia (Roman)
A Roman colonia was originally a Roman outpost established in conquered territory to secure it. Eventually, however, the term came to denote the highest status of Roman city.-History:...
. Its importance reached the top with 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...
and Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
, when it was completely rebuilt.
It gave birth to some leading figures of the Roman Empire, such as the consul C. Fufius Geminus and Lucius Flavius Silva Nonius Bassus
Lucius Flavius Silva
Lucius Flavius Silva Nonius Bassus was a late-1st century Roman general, governor of the province of Iudaea and consul. History remembers Silva as the Roman commander who led his army, composed mainly of the Legio X Fretensis, in 73 AD up to Masada and laid siege to its near-impenetrable mountain...
, the conqueror of Masada
Masada
Masada is the name for a site of ancient palaces and fortifications in the South District of Israel, on top of an isolated rock plateau, or horst, on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. Masada is best known for the violence that occurred there in the first century CE...
.
It was utterly destroyed by Alaric
Alaric I
Alaric I was the King of the Visigoths from 395–410. Alaric is most famous for his sack of Rome in 410, which marked a decisive event in the decline of the Roman Empire....
in 408-10 AD, and both Procopius
Procopius
Procopius of Caesarea was a prominent Byzantine scholar from Palestine. Accompanying the general Belisarius in the wars of the Emperor Justinian I, he became the principal historian of the 6th century, writing the Wars of Justinian, the Buildings of Justinian and the celebrated Secret History...
(E.G. II. 16, 17) and Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri
Durante degli Alighieri, mononymously referred to as Dante , was an Italian poet, prose writer, literary theorist, moral philosopher, and political thinker. He is best known for the monumental epic poem La commedia, later named La divina commedia ...
(Paradise, XVI. 73 - 78) talk about its desolation.
During the following centuries, the inhabitants of Urbs Salvia
Archaeological Park of Urbs Salvia
The Archaeological Park of Urbs Salvia is situated in the comune of Urbisaglia , in the Marches, Italy. It is the largest archaeological park in the region.- History :...
gradually moved to the top of the hill, giving rise to the Castro de Orbesallia.
In the 12th century, a very important religious, economic and cultural centre was founded nearby, the Abbey of Fiastra, which had to influence the Fiastra Valley and the surrounding area.
Between 12th and 14th century, the town was ruled by the Abbracciamonte family; they slowly sold the town to 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:...
of Tolentino
Tolentino
Tolentino is a town and comune of about 20,000 inhabitants, in the province of Macerata in the Marche region of central Italy.It is located in the middle of the valley of the Chienti.-History:...
, which became its only owner.
After Francesco Sforza's signoria
Signoria
A Signoria was an abstract noun meaning 'government; governing authority; de facto sovereignty; lordship in many of the Italian city states during the medieval and renaissance periods....
(1433 – 1443), Urbisaglia came back under Tolentino's domination. Tolentino was given the papal permission to build a rocca
Rocca (architecture)
Rocca is an Italian term meaning a high, fortifiable stronghold, usually located in smaller towns, beneath or on which the village or town clustered, within which its inhabitants might take refuge at times of trouble; under its owners' patronage the settlement might hope to find prosperity in...
, to prevent any rebellion attempt; in 1507 Tolentino sent a 12 soldiers garrison to defend the fortress.
In 1569, after petitioning the Pope Pius V
Pope Pius V
Pope Saint Pius V , born Antonio Ghislieri , was Pope from 1566 to 1572 and is a saint of the Catholic Church. He is chiefly notable for his role in the Council of Trent, the Counter-Reformation, and the standardization of the Roman liturgy within the Latin Church...
, the inhabitants of Urbisaglia were given the autonomy from Tolentino; the town was directly placed under Holy See
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 dependency.
The first diggings in the Roman town took place during tha papal government; after Italy's unification
Italian unification
Italian unification was the political and social movement that agglomerated different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of Italy in the 19th century...
the standard of living has been getting better, thanks to the industrial development, permitting the rise of a spinning mill and both a hosiery and a soap factory.
Thanks to the benefactors Angelo Buccolini, Innocenzo Petrini and the marquis Alessandro Giannelli, the town was provided with a nursery school, an old people's home and a Mount of piety.
During the Fascism
Italian Fascism
Italian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...
the town was given the name of "Urbisaglia Bonservizi" in honour of Nicola Bonservizi, a journalist born in Urbisaglia and a Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
's collaborator, killed in Paris by an anarchist.
Urbisaglia was the site of an internment camp
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
throughout the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
; it was placed at Giustiniani Bandini Palace, next to the Abbey of Fiastra.
Today Urbisaglia has more than 2700 inhabitants, working in agriculture, arts and crafts, textiles, power plants and iron and steel industry.
Main sights
- Archaeological Park of Urbs SalviaArchaeological Park of Urbs SalviaThe Archaeological Park of Urbs Salvia is situated in the comune of Urbisaglia , in the Marches, Italy. It is the largest archaeological park in the region.- History :...
- Abbey of Chiaravalle di Fiastra
- Rocca di UrbisagliaRocca di UrbisagliaThe Rocca di Urbisaglia is a 16th century military fortification, including ruins of medieval fortifications and Roman walls.Its imposing position, dominating the urban area and the Fiastra Valley below, suggests that the Arx or the Capitol of the Roman town Urbs Salvia was once located here...
- Chiesa della Maestà
- San Lorenzo Collegiate church
- Chiesa dell'Addolorata
- War Fallen Monument and Weaponry and Military Uniforms Museum
Archaeological Park of Urbs Salvia
Officially recognized as Archaeological Park in 1994, it spread over an area of about 100 acres and it's the most important one in the Marche
Marche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
.
Just outside the medieval city walls, a walk descends through the Archaeological Park for about 1.5 kilometre, so that you are enabled to grasp the scale and topography of the ancient town, starting at the top of the hill and reaching the flat valley bottom, bounded on the east side by the Fiastra river.
You can visit the Reservoir, the Theatre, the Niched Building, the Sanctuarial complex Temple-Criptoporticus dedicated to the goddess Salus Augusta and the Amphiteatre built by Lucius Flavius Silva Nonius Bassus. The city walls are well visible too, preserved along several hundred metres.
Today, every year in July and August, a very important season of classical drama takes place at the amphitheatre. The quality of the performances matches the allure of the place.
Rocca di Urbisaglia
The medieval fortress of Urbisaglia was a military fortification erected by the town of Tolentino
Tolentino
Tolentino is a town and comune of about 20,000 inhabitants, in the province of Macerata in the Marche region of central Italy.It is located in the middle of the valley of the Chienti.-History:...
at the beginning of the 16th century.
It was built upon the ruins of previous fortifications on the west corner of the Roman wall of Urbs Salvia
Archaeological Park of Urbs Salvia
The Archaeological Park of Urbs Salvia is situated in the comune of Urbisaglia , in the Marches, Italy. It is the largest archaeological park in the region.- History :...
. Its imposing position at the centre of the urban area suggests that the Arx
Arx (Roman)
Arx is the Latin word for citadel. In the ancient city of Rome, the Arx, not always capitalized, was located on the northern spur of the Capitoline Hill, and is sometimes specified as the Arx Capitolina. Sentries were posted there to watch for a signal to be displayed on the Janiculum if an enemy...
(the citadel, the most protected area of the town) or the Capitol
Capitoline Triad
In ancient Roman religion, the Capitoline Triad was a group of three supreme deities who were worshipped in an elaborate temple on Rome's Capitoline Hill, the Capitolium. Two distinct Capitoline Triads were worshipped at various times in Rome's history, both originating in ancient traditions...
of the Roman town was once located here, as demonstrated by substantial remains of Roman walls and of composite concrete.
It has a trapezoidal shape with the longest side facing away from the town in order to better face potential attacks. There are four corner towers, a gate tower and a keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
where the garrison Tolentino had imposed on Urbisaglia resided. Indeed, the fortress's main function, other than to control the surrounding areas, was to guard the town and to prevent any rebellious acts from the citizens of Urbisaglia who resented Tolentino's power over them.
Sources
- Bacchielli L., Ch. Delplace, W. Eck, L. Gasperini, G. Paci. Studi su Urbisaglia romana. Supplementi a PICUS. Tivoli, 1995.
- Giuseppe Ferranti. Guida al territorio di Urbisaglia. Pro Manoscritto a cura di Urbsalviambiente. Urbisaglia, 1994
- Miria Salvucci, Giovanna Salvucci (et al. ). Urbisaglia. Urbs Salvia, Capolavori in corso. Urbisaglia, 2003.
See also
- Archaeological Park of Urbs SalviaArchaeological Park of Urbs SalviaThe Archaeological Park of Urbs Salvia is situated in the comune of Urbisaglia , in the Marches, Italy. It is the largest archaeological park in the region.- History :...
- Rocca di UrbisagliaRocca di UrbisagliaThe Rocca di Urbisaglia is a 16th century military fortification, including ruins of medieval fortifications and Roman walls.Its imposing position, dominating the urban area and the Fiastra Valley below, suggests that the Arx or the Capitol of the Roman town Urbs Salvia was once located here...
- Abbey of Chiaravalle di Fiastra