Velletri - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Velletri is an Italian town of 53,298 inhabitants. It is a 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:...

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...

, 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...

, in Lazio (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...

) - Italy. It is bounded by other communes of Rocca di Papa

Rocca di Papa

Rocca di Papa is a small town and comune in the province of Rome, Lazio, Italy. It is one of the Castelli Romani about 25 km south east of Rome on the Alban Hills. It is bounded by the other communes of Velletri, Rocca Priora, Monte Compatri, Grottaferrata, Albano and Marino...

, Lariano

Lariano

Lariano is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Lazio, located about 35 km southeast of Rome on the Alban Hills....

, Cisterna di Latina, Artena

Artena

Artena is a village and comune in the province of Rome, Italy. It is situated in the northwest of Monti Lepini, in the upper valley of the Sacco River...

, Aprilia, Nemi

Nemi

Nemi is a town and comune in the province of Rome , in the Alban Hills overlooking Lake Nemi, a volcanic crater lake. It is 6 km NW of Velletri and about 30 km southeast of Rome....

, Genzano di Roma

Genzano di Roma

Genzano di Roma is a town and comune in the province of Rome, in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is one of the Castelli Romani, at a distance of 29 km from Rome, on the Alban Hills.-History:The origin of the name Genzano is still disputed...

, Lanuvio

Lanuvio

Lanuvio is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Latium, located about 30 km southeast of Rome, on the Alban Hills.Lanuvio borders the following municipalities: Aprilia, Ariccia, Genzano di Roma, Velletri.-History:...

. Its motto is: Est mihi libertas papalis et imperialis.

It was an ancient city of the Volsci

Volsci

The Volsci were an ancient Italic people, well known in the history of the first century of the Roman Republic. They then inhabited the partly hilly, partly marshy district of the south of Latium, bounded by the Aurunci and Samnites on the south, the Hernici on the east, and stretching roughly from...

tribe, and its status was influential in the time of King Ancus Marcius

Ancus Marcius

Ancus Marcius was the legendary fourth of the Kings of Rome.He was the son of Marcius and Pompilia...

, enough to be on a par with Rome and has been the site of two historical battles in 1744 and 1849. 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...

it was one of the few “free cities” in Lazio and central Italy.

Today, Velletri is home to a circuit court

Circuit court

Circuit court is the name of court systems in several common law jurisdictions.-History:King Henry II instituted the custom of having judges ride around the countryside each year to hear appeals, rather than forcing everyone to bring their appeals to London...

and a prison, in addition to several colleges and high schools. It is the terminus of the Rome-Velletri railway, inaugurated by Pius IX in 1863, and the city is one of the centers through which the Via Appia Nuova passes through.

Territory

The territory of Velletri stretches between two distinct areas. The northern part is situated on the southern foothills of the Colli Albani range and was geologically formed about 150,000 years ago, after the collapse of the Volcano Laziale caldera

Caldera

A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...

. The southern boundary forms around Agro Pontino, whose reclamation started at the time of Pope Pius VI

Pope Pius VI

Pope Pius VI , born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi, was Pope from 1775 to 1799.-Early years:Braschi was born in Cesena...

and was accomplished during the regime of Benito 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....

.

According to the classification given by the Geological Survey of Italy, much of the territory consists of ground-type LPS, or paleosols, the rest is mainly composed of soils lp, lapilli, argillificate, Mafic, and leucite

Leucite

Leucite is a rock-forming mineral composed of potassium and aluminium tectosilicate K[AlSi2O6]. Crystals have the form of cubic icositetrahedra but, as first observed by Sir David Brewster in 1821, they are not optically isotropic, and are therefore pseudo-cubic. Goniometric measurements made by...

analcimizzata.

Seismic classification: Zone 2 (medium-high seismicity)

Hydrography

The territory of Velletri collects water runoff from many streams. These streams, most of them torrential in character or a small scale, are known as fossi. Fossi worth mentioning include:

Fosso Minella at the edge of the municipal area to Genzano di Roma
Genzano di Roma
Genzano di Roma is a town and comune in the province of Rome, in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is one of the Castelli Romani, at a distance of 29 km from Rome, on the Alban Hills.-History:The origin of the name Genzano is still disputed...

, near the town of Sant'Eurosia. This stream originates from Monte Spina (731 m asl), in the territory of Nemi
Nemi
Nemi is a town and comune in the province of Rome , in the Alban Hills overlooking Lake Nemi, a volcanic crater lake. It is 6 km NW of Velletri and about 30 km southeast of Rome....

, with the name of Acqua Lucia. Its named after the Minella bridge on State Road 7 Via Appia and originates at 405 m above sea level, at the foot of Colle degli Olmi. Minella also runs parallel to the fosso delle Tre Armi, which then connects to it;
Fossa Sant'Eurosia originates from Colle degli Olmi and goes through the village of the same name, located at 238 m above sea level;
Fossa Paganica, originates from springs on Colle Caldaro (467 m asl), and on Colle Tondo (596 m asl);
Fosso di Ponte Veloce, arises from Colle Tondo, on Maschio dell'Artemisio (812 m asl) and in the Faccialone forest (615 m asl). This watercourse near Villa Borgia, superseded the old town of Velletri, changes name to Fossa Farina near the iron bridge of the Roma-Velletri railway;
Fossa Anatolia, originates from Colle Bello (600 m asl), flows at the foot of old town Velletri, until it joins the Fossa Farina;

Other important sources are the Acqua de Ferrari, at 650 metres above sea level, underlying Monte de Ferrari (886 m above sea level) at Rocca di Papa

Rocca di Papa

, from which is part of the municipal water supply.

Topography

The old town’s altitude is substantially uniform from the elevation of Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi at 339 m above sea level

Above mean sea level

The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...

, the square of the Trivium at 332 m above sea level, and Napoletana at 329 m above sea level. The area west of the walled city is a bit higher at San Lorenzo reaching 372 m above sea level. The remainder of the territory to the south and west is basically flat except for small hills that do not exceed 300 m above sea level.

Climate

The climate of Velletri is mild, due to the Tyrrhenian Sea

Tyrrhenian Sea

The Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy.-Geography:The sea is bounded by Corsica and Sardinia , Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Basilicata and Calabria and Sicily ....

and the protection offered to the town by the Alban Hills

Alban Hills

and Mount Artemisio in the north.
The climate is very rainy, with an annual average of 1400–1500 mm precipation, making it the rainiest city of Lazio and the second in Italy. Humid currents from the southwest facing the Mont Artemisio condense all the rain on Velletri, leaving clouds restricted to the northern side of the Colli Albani. It snows rarely.

Climate classification
Climate classification
Climate classification systems are ways of classifying the world's climates. A climate classification may correlate closely with a biome category, as climate is a major influence on biological life in a region...

: Zone D, 1544 GR / G
Atmospheric Diffusivity
Diffusivity
Diffusivity can refer to:*Diffusivity of heat*Diffusivity of mass:** Molecular diffusivity ** Eddy diffusivity*Momentum diffusivity...

: average

Etymology

The Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

term for "swamp" was "Velia", corresponding to the Greek "ουελια" ( "Velia"). From this root came the place name Velestrom, the place next to a swamp or marsh, was probably used by Volsci to call old Velletri [14]. The Romans named it after the same city Velitrae, hence the Greek Ουελιτραι (Ouelitrai "), Ουελιτρα (Ouelitra") or Βελιτρα (Belitra ") [15].
In the Middle Ages, at least six variants, Velletrum, Veletrum, Veletra, Velitrum, Bellitro, Villitria are attested by various official acts until the 11th century. Until the 18th century, Velletri survived as parallel forms of Blitri and Belitri.

Ancient

King Ancus Marcius

Ancus Marcius

Ancus Marcius was the legendary fourth of the Kings of Rome.He was the son of Marcius and Pompilia...

of Rome came into conflict with the Volsci due to border violations by the Volsci. Ancus Marcius felt compelled to enter the territory and besiege Velitrae, which came to terms with Rome signing an alliance. Under this alliance, Velitrae citizens at the time of Tarquinius Priscus

Tarquinius Priscus

Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, also called Tarquin the Elder or Tarquin I, was the legendary fifth King of Rome from 616 BC to 579 BC. His wife was Tanaquil.-Early life:According to Livy, Tarquinius Priscus came from the Etruria...

, gained immediate recognition of Roman citizenship and political rights.

When the monarchy of Rome

Roman Kingdom

The Roman Kingdom was the period of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a monarchical form of government of the city of Rome and its territories....

fell in about 510 BC, the Latin League

Latin league

The Latin League was a confederation of about 30 villages and tribes in the region of Latium near ancient Rome, organized for mutual defense...

along with the Etruscans of Porsenna joined forces to call Tarquinius Superbus to the throne. The Volsci of Velitrae participated in this alliance but after the Battle of Lake Regillus

Battle of Lake Regillus

The Battle of Lake Regillus was a legendary early Roman victory, won over the Latin League led by the expelled Etruscan former king of Rome. It is usually said to have occurred in 498 BC, but other dates have been proposed, including 499 BC, 496 BC and 493 BC.The battle may be entirely legendary,...

(499 BC or 496 BC) the Latins

Latins

"Latins" refers to different groups of people and the meaning of the word changes for where and when it is used.The original Latins were an Italian tribe inhabiting central and south-central Italy. Through conquest by their most populous city-state, Rome, the original Latins culturally "Romanized"...

were routed by the Romans, and the Volsci continued to be hostile to Rome. In 494 BC, the Senate sent the Consul Aulus Virginius Tricostus Celiomontanus to defeat the Volsci. The Romans sacked and conquered the city, which was installed as a Roman colony.

In 443 BC, however, the Volscians of the Roman colony Velitrae rallied together against Rome, attracting hostility from tribunes Cincinnatus

Cincinnatus

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus was an aristocrat and political figure of the Roman Republic, serving as consul in 460 BC and Roman dictator in 458 BC and 439 BC....

and Spurio Papirius that, defeated the Veliterni in 381 BC. In 379 BC, Marcus Furius Camillus

Marcus Furius Camillus

Marcus Furius Camillus was a Roman soldier and statesman of patrician descent. According to Livy and Plutarch, Camillus triumphed four times, was five times dictator, and was honoured with the title of Second Founder of Rome....

and in 377 BC Cincinnatus

Cincinnatus

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus was an aristocrat and political figure of the Roman Republic, serving as consul in 460 BC and Roman dictator in 458 BC and 439 BC....

stormed Velitrae again and by 365 BC the Romans had conquered Velitrae.

With the loss of political freedom, Velitrae began to decay without protective walls and isolated from the major routes of communication – Via Appia was routed to Lanuvio

Lanuvio

– and was colonized pursuant to Gaius Gracchus

Gaius Gracchus

Gaius Sempronius Gracchus was a Roman Populari politician in the 2nd century BC and brother of the ill-fated reformer Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus...

’ Lex Sempronia.
During the Roman period, patricians built several villas in it. The city had also several temples and an amphitheatre. The family (gens

Gens

In ancient Rome, a gens , plural gentes, referred to a family, consisting of all those individuals who shared the same nomen and claimed descent from a common ancestor. A branch of a gens was called a stirps . The gens was an important social structure at Rome and throughout Italy during the...

) Octavia, to which the first Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus belonged, came from Velitrae, and the future emperor spent his youth there.

Medieval

Velletri began to decline after it was sacked by Alaric the Goth in 410 CE. In the 5th century it was the seat of a bishopric and in the following century it became an imperial city after the Byzantine

Byzantine

Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...

reconquest of Italy.The first information on Velletri in the Middle Ages is dated 465 by Adeodato, bishop of the city. Between the 5th and 6th century the Veliterna diocese became increasingly important. In 592, Pope Gregory I brings together in Velletri the Diocese of Tres Tabernae.

In the 10th century Velletri fell under the rule of the Counts 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...

in 981. Moreover, the entire area of the Alban Hills

Alban Hills

and Monti Prenestini was dominated by the Counts of Tusculum, including the fortress of Lariano

Lariano

Lariano is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Lazio, located about 35 km southeast of Rome on the Alban Hills....

next to Velletri. In 1184, Robert Guiscard

Robert Guiscard

Robert d'Hauteville, known as Guiscard, Duke of Apulia and Calabria, from Latin Viscardus and Old French Viscart, often rendered the Resourceful, the Cunning, the Wily, the Fox, or the Weasel was a Norman adventurer conspicuous in the conquest of southern Italy and Sicily...

marched against Rome and passed through Velletri, meeting resistance from residents, who were rewarded by the Pope in 1101, with a Breve

Breve

A breve is a diacritical mark ˘, shaped like the bottom half of a circle. It resembles the caron , but is rounded, while the caron has a sharp tip...

that gave very broad boundaries of the Veliterna community.

In the 13th century, Velletri was administered in the form of a republic. It was governed by the Great Council, composed of consuls, who were replaced by a council of novemviri(nine men), a mayor, with supervisory functions, a constable, to act as military leaders, and a mayor for judicial duties.

Pope Alexander IV

Pope Alexander IV

Pope Alexander IV was Pope from 1254 until his death.Born as Rinaldo di Jenne, in Jenne , he was, on his mother's side, a member of the de' Conti di Segni family, the counts of Segni, like Pope Innocent III and Pope Gregory IX...

(1254–1261), former bishop of Velletri, ordered during his pontificate to bring the relics of Velletri holy martyrs Pontian

Pontian

Pontian may refer to:* Pontian, in stratigraphy the uppermost Miocene Paratethys stage, coeval with the Messinian* Pontian Greeks, a group of ethnic Greek who inhabited northern Turkey* Pontian Islands, a group of islands on the coast of Italy...

and Eleuterio to be preserved in the crypt beneath the cathedral. In 1342, Nicola Caetani

Caetani

Caetani, or Gaetani, is the name of an Italian noble family princely family which played a great part in the history of Pisa and of Rome, principally via their close links to the papacy.-Origins:...

besieged Velletri, however, the city resisted until the arrival of reinforcements from Rome. For this help, the city had to undergo the appointment of a mayor appointed by Rome. This kind of vassalage lasted until 1374 when, following an agreement the Podesta

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...

would be elected every six months, the first four times the choice would be directly ratified by the Romans. In 1353 the Trivium Tower was opened, a symbol of the city of Velletri.

In 1408, Ladislaus of Naples, during his attempt to conquer 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...

, occupied Velletri. In 1434, during the struggle against the Colonna and Savelli families, Pope Eugene IV razed the castle of Lariano

Lariano

Lariano is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Lazio, located about 35 km southeast of Rome on the Alban Hills....

with the assistance of 800 Velletrani soldiers, and the land of Castellana was granted to Velletri, remaining merged to Velletri until 1967. On April 21, 1482 during the Salt War of Pope Sixtus IV and Ferdinand of Aragon

Ferdinand of Aragon

Ferdinand of Aragon may refer to:* Ferdinand I of Aragon, also known as Ferdinand of Antequera * Ferdinand II of Aragon, who married Isabella of Castile to become king of Spain, * Ferdinand of Aragón, Duke of Calabria...

, with 500 Velletrani soldiers, among which 250 are considered among the best Italian archers fought with the papal army of Roberto Malatesta

Roberto Malatesta

Roberto Malatesta was an Italian condottiero and lord of Rimini, a member of the House of Malatesta.-Biography:...

in the Battle of Campomorto

Battle of Campomorto

The Battle of Campomorto is a battle fought near Frosinone, in the Lazio on August 21, 1482, in the course of the War of Ferrara.It saw the Papal army, led by the famous condottiero Roberto Malatesta, face King Ferdinand I of Naples's army, under the command of Alfonso, Duke of Calabria.Malatesta...

in a marshy area next to the territory Velletri, now in the town of Aprilia

Aprilia

Aprilia is an Italian motorcycle company, one of the seven marques owned by Piaggio, the world's fourth largest motorcycle manufacturer.Aprilia started as a scooter manufacturer, but has more recently come to be known for its race-winning sportbikes...

. The victory went to the Pope and the Velletrani were rewarded for their faithfulness by the 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...

.

In 1512 Velletri was still a free city

Free city

Free city may refer to:* City-state, region controlled exclusively by a sovereign city* Free city a self-governed city during the Hellenistic and Roman Imperial eras* Free City , album by the St...

, the city government being administered by the Priori, which had replaced for the novemviri. In November 1526, a Velletrano contingent sent by Pope Clement VII contributed to raze the castle of Marino

Marino, Italy

Marino is an Italian city and comune in Lazio , on the Alban Hills, Italy, 21 km south east of Rome, with population of 37,684 and a territory of 26.10 km2...

, a fiefdom of the Colonna, at the time enemies of the Pope and allies of Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

. Following this, Ascanio Colonna, lord of Marino, sacked Rome of May 7, 1527, the Pope was imprisoned in Castel Sant'Angelo

Castel Sant'Angelo

The Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as the Castel Sant'Angelo, is a towering cylindrical building in Parco Adriano, Rome, Italy. It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family...

, forcing the town of Velletri to provide 15,000 crowns in municipal lands, in addition to 12,600 crowns with payment by installments, and more than 6,000 rubbia lime and 15,000 tiles to repair the damage done to Marion. In addition, Colonna's mercenaries took up lots in Velletri.
In 1589 Pope Sixtus V dissolved the civilian government, but Pope Gregory XIV in 1591 ordered the reunification of the two powers (papal and civilian), thus sealing the definitive end of the free municipality.

In the War of the Austrian Succession

War of the Austrian Succession

The War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...

, troops of the Spanish-Nepolitan Bourbons won the Battle of Velletri, fought against Austrian Habsburgs in Velletri and its surroundings.

After the French Revolution, Velletri rebelled and it was proclaimed a Republic. Later it changed sides and 900 of its citizens resisted in Castel Gandolfo

Castel Gandolfo

Castel Gandolfo is a small Italian town or comune in Lazio that occupies a height overlooking Lake Albano about 15 miles south-east of Rome, on the Alban Hills. It is best known as the summer residence of the Pope. It is an Italian town with the population of 8834...

the siege by Joachim Murat

Joachim Murat

Joachim-Napoléon Murat , Marshal of France and Grand Admiral or Admiral of France, 1st Prince Murat, was Grand Duke of Berg from 1806 to 1808 and then King of Naples from 1808 to 1815...

. The Republic lasted until 1814.
Garibaldi won at Velletri a battle with the Bourbon Neapolitan forces, but the victory was short-lived as the Roman Republic was soon afterwards overwhelmed by the French, Velletri being also engulfed.

In 1856 the telegraph arrived in Velletri and in 1866, Pius IX opened the Roma-Velletri railway, the third rail of the Papal States and one of the first in Italy. This helped the growth of the town, even after the transition to the Kingdom of Italy

Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)

The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...

Modern

In 1913 the Tramvie dei Castelli Romani arrived at Velletri, connecting the city directly to Rome and other Castelli Romani until 1953. In 1927, the fascist regime instituted the National Grape and Wine Festival, which is celebrated today in October.

During the Second World War, after the Anglo-American landing at Anzio

Operation Shingle

Operation Shingle , during the Italian Campaign of World War II, was an Allied amphibious landing against Axis forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. The operation was commanded by Major General John P. Lucas and was intended to outflank German forces of the Winter Line and enable an...

(22 January 1944), Velletri was at the center of the conflict in the last days of May 1944. Situated between the Gustav Line at Cassino

Cassino

Cassino is a comune in the province of Frosinone, Italy, at the southern end of the region of Lazio.Cassino is located at the foot of Monte Cairo near the confluence of the Rapido and Liri rivers...

, the Hitler Line

Hitler Line

The Hitler Line was a German defensive line in central Italy during the Second World War. The strong points of the line were at Aquino and Piedimonte. In May 1944, the line was re-named the Senger Line, after General von Senger und Etterlin, one of the generals commanding Axis forces in the area...

in Pontecorvo

Pontecorvo

Pontecorvo is a town and comune in the province of Frosinone, Lazio, Italy. Its population is 13,400.- History :The village lies under Rocca Guglielma, a medieval fortification perched on an inaccessible spur...

, the Germans then created a third line of fortifications, called the Caesar Line, which stretched between Torvaianica

Torvaianica

Torvaianica or Torvajanica is a frazione of the commune of Pomezia, in the province of Rome, central Italy. Counting some 12,700 inhabitants, it extends for some 8 kilometers on central Lazio's littoral.-Overview:...

, Lanuvio

Lanuvio

, Velletri, Artena

Artena

Artena is a village and comune in the province of Rome, Italy. It is situated in the northwest of Monti Lepini, in the upper valley of the Sacco River...

and Valmontone

Valmontone

Valmontone is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Lazio, located about 45 km southeast of Rome.-Geography:...

. At Velletri was stationed the First Division paratroopers of the Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht

The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...

. U.S. General Mark Wayne Clark

Mark Wayne Clark

Mark Wayne Clark was an American general during World War II and the Korean War and was the youngest lieutenant general in the U.S. Army...

ordered the May 25 offensive against the Caesar line against strong resistance. The 36th U.S. Infantry Division commanded by General Fred Walker spotted a flaw in the German defenses on Mount Artemisio between Velletri and Valmontone. Between 30 and 31 May 1944, the 142nd and 143rd regiment penetrated through the German defenses at Monte Artemisio, and on the June 1 Velletri fell followed the next day by the towns of Valmontone

Valmontone

Valmontone is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Lazio, located about 45 km southeast of Rome.-Geography:...

and on 3 June the towns of Lanuvio

Lanuvio

and Castelli Romani. Velletri was virtually destroyed by the war as its most important monuments, the Tower of the Trivium at the Palazzo Comunale and Palazzo Ginnetti were never rebuilt. Despite the evacuation order of German military authorities there were civilian casualties.

The rebuilding of Velletri, however, continued despite the break-up in 1967 granting independence to the town of Lariano

Lariano

Lariano is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Lazio, located about 35 km southeast of Rome on the Alban Hills....

. The Suburbicarian See of Velletri-Segni was created, new schools and cultural centers were built, the new seat of the Tribunal was established, and were the Cadets Battalion NCO of the Carabinieri

Carabinieri

The Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations, and is a branch of the armed forces.-Early history:...

, then the Regiment of Cadets Brigadier Marshals, and new prison.

In 2000, the new headquarters of the Augusto Tersenghi Comunale Biblioteca was inaugurated. There was also the opening of the Teatro di Terra (1995) and the reopening of the Ugo Tognazzi

Ugo Tognazzi

Ugo Tognazzi was an Italian film, TV, and theatre actor, director, and screenwriter.-Early life:Tognazzi was born in Cremona, in northern Italy but spent his youth in various localities as his father was a traveller clerk for an insurance company.After his return in the native city in 1936, he...

Theater and the restoration of the Civic Archaeological Museum and the Diocesan Museum.

On 14 June 2001 Mario Pepe the Chamber of Deputies presented a bill on the establishment of a province of the Castelli Romani with its capital being Velletri. In the proposal by Pepe, the following municipalities would be part of the province of the Castelli Romani: Albano Laziale

Albano Laziale

Albano Laziale is a comune in the province of Rome, on the Alban Hills, in Latium, central Italy. It is also a suburb of Rome, which is 25 km distant. It is bounded by other communes of Castel Gandolfo, Rocca di Papa, Ariccia and Ardea. Located in the Castelli Romani area of Lazio...

, Anzio

Anzio

Anzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola and Ventotene...

, Ardea

Ardea (RM)

Ardea is an ancient town and comune in the province of Rome, 35 km south of Rome and about 4 km from today's Mediterranean coast....

, Ariccia

Ariccia

Ariccia is a town and comune in the Province of Rome, central Italy. It is in the Alban Hills of the Lazio region and could be considered an extension of Rome's southeastern suburbs...

, Artena

Artena

Artena is a village and comune in the province of Rome, Italy. It is situated in the northwest of Monti Lepini, in the upper valley of the Sacco River...

, Carpineto Romano

Carpineto Romano

Carpineto Romano is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Lazio, located about 60 km southeast of Rome.It was the birthplace of Pope Leo XIII....

, Castel Gandolfo

Castel Gandolfo

, Cave, Colleferro

Colleferro

Colleferro is a small town of the province of Rome in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is a new residential zone of the metropolitan area of Rome where are located many different industries and a lot of sport structures....

, Colonna, Gavignano

Gavignano

Gavignano is a hill top town of 1,982 inhabitants in the Province of Rome, Lazio, central Italy. Gavignano is approximately 50 km south east of Rome in the lepini hills and can be easily reached by local train service. The nearest train station being located in the town of Colleferro...

, Genazzano

Genazzano

Genazzano is a town and comune in the province of Rome, located on a tuff spur at 375 m over the sea level which, starting from the Monti Prenestini, ends on the Sacco River valley.-History:...

, Genzano di Roma

Genzano di Roma

, Grottaferrata

Grottaferrata

Grottaferrata, Italy is a small town and comune in the province of Rome, situated on the lower slopes of the Alban Hills, 20 km south east of Rome. It is bounded by other communes, Frascati, Rocca di Papa, Marino, and Rome.-History:...

, Lanuvio

Lanuvio

, Lariano

Lariano

Lariano is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Lazio, located about 35 km southeast of Rome on the Alban Hills....

, Marino, 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:...

, Montelanico

Montelanico

Montelanico is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Latium, located about 50 km southeast of Rome.Montelanico is known for its annual international short films festival, entitled "Arrivano i corti"....

, 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....

, Nemi

Nemi

Nemi is a town and comune in the province of Rome , in the Alban Hills overlooking Lake Nemi, a volcanic crater lake. It is 6 km NW of Velletri and about 30 km southeast of Rome....

, Nettuno

Nettuno

Nettuno is a town and comune of the province of Rome in the Lazio region of central Italy, 60 kilometers south of Rome. It is named in honour of the Roman god Neptune...

, Olevano Romano

Olevano Romano

Olevano Romano is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Latium, located about 45 km east of Rome.It is the probable birthplace of the composer Giovanni Gentile....

, Palestrina

Palestrina

Palestrina is an ancient city and comune with a population of about 18,000, in Lazio, c. 35 km east of Rome...

, Pomezia

Pomezia

Pomezia is a municipality in the province of Rome, Lazio, central Italy. In 2009 it had a population of about 60,000.-History:The town was built entirely new near the location of ancient Lavinium on land resulting from the final reclamation of the Pontine Marshes under Benito Mussolini, being...

, Rocca di Papa

Rocca di Papa

, Rocca Priora

Rocca Priora

Rocca Priora is a small town and comune in the province of Rome, Lazio, Italy. It is one of the Castelli Romani on the Alban Hills about 25 km south east of Rome, situated in the Regional Park known as the "Parco Regionale dei Castelli Romani"....

, San Cesareo

San Cesareo

San Cesareo is a town and comune in the province of Rome. In ancient times, it was on the Via Labicana or Via Latina, 18 miles from Rome....

, San Vito Romano

San Vito Romano

San Vito Romano is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Lazio, located about 40 km east of Rome. As of December 31, 2004, it had a population of 3,312 and an area of 12.7 km²....

, Valmontone

Valmontone

Valmontone is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Lazio, located about 45 km southeast of Rome.-Geography:...

, Velletri and Zagarolo

Zagarolo

Zagarolo is a town and comune in the province of Rome, in the region of Lazio of central Italy. It has 14,620 inhabitants, a total area of 28 km2....

. On choosing Velletri to be the provincial capital because of the central position that "the role and the strategic importance of Velletri." The financial resources allocated to the province, once established, had been budgeted at 460 million lire. On 23 September 2007 Pope Benedict XVI, who as Cardinal Bishop had the title of Velletri-Segni, visited Velletri celebrating a Mass

Mass

Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...

in Piazza San Clemente.

Religious architecture

The Tower of the Trivium, the bell tower of the church of Santa Maria of the Trivium, a symbol of the city.
The Cathedral of St. Clement, erected in the 4th century over the ruins of an ancient temple. It has three naves and was rebuilt in the current form in 1659-1662. The Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...

gate is by Traiano da Palestrina (1512). The interior has several frescoes, while the Capitular Museum houses important relics, vessels and paintings including works by Gentile da Fabriano
Gentile da Fabriano
Gentile da Fabriano was an Italian painter known for his participation in the International Gothic style. He worked in various places in central Italy, mostly in Tuscany. His best known works are his Adoration of the Magi and the Flight into Egypt.-Biography:Gentile was born in or near Fabriano,...

and Antoniazzo Romano
Antoniazzo Romano
Antoniazzo Romano, born Antonio di Benedetto Aquilo degli Aquili was an Italian Early Renaissance painter, the leading figure of the Roman school during the 15th century.-Biography:...

.
The belltower of Santa Maria in Trivio, erected in 1353 in Lombard-Gothic
Gothic art
Gothic art was a Medieval art movement that developed in France out of Romanesque art in the mid-12th century, led by the concurrent development of Gothic architecture. It spread to all of Western Europe, but took over art more completely north of the Alps, never quite effacing more classical...

style, in gratitude for the liberation of the city from a plague that devastated it in 1348.
Church of the Holy Savior
Church of San Michele Arcangelo
Church of St. Martin of Tours
Church of St. Anthony of Padua
Church of St. Francis of Assisi
Church of San Lorenzo
Church of the Most Holy Peter and Bartholomew
Church of St. Clare of Assisi
Church of Santa Teresa
Church of Sant'Antonio Abate
Church of San Crispino
Church of the Chaplet
Church of St. Silvstro
Church of Our Lady of the Snows
Oratorio di Santa Maria del Sangue
Holy Trinity Church

Church of St. Apollonia
Church of San Giovanni in plagis
Church of San Giovanni Battista
Church of St. Mary of the Garden
Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli
Church of the Holy Cross on Mount Calvary
Church of Saint Stephen
Church of Santa Maria del Carmine
Church of Regina Pacis

Civic architecture

There are numerous public fountains in Velletri, some of them monumental. They are all served by the city aqueduct

Aqueduct

An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....

, which was built in the 17th century by the engineer Giovanni Fontana. The aqueduct, which was destroyed during the war in the last part of 1744 were reactivated by engineer Girolamo Romani between 1842 and 1845 Among the fountains should be mentioned:

Fontana di Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, was built around 1912;
Fountain of Piazza Benedetto Cairoli, built in 1622
Piazza Giuseppe Mazzini fountain, built in 1612 on a draft of architect Massimiliano Bruni. The travertine
Travertine
Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. Travertine often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, and cream-colored varieties. It is formed by a process of rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate, often at the mouth of a hot...

fountain depicts mythological scenes;
The Palazzo Comunale (Town Hall), with a portico entrance, was begun in 1572 by Giacomo della Porta on a design by Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola, and finished in 1741 by Filippo Barigioni. It was the seat of the Prioris of Velletri and the Great Council. The first stone of the new building, was laid on January 26, 1575. Completed in 1590, and destroyed in 1944, the palace has now been substantially rebuilt true to the original project.
Palazzo Vecchio, begun in 1822 as headquarters for the Delegation of Velletri, in 1870 it became the headquarters of the courts and the Palace of Justice. Damaged in 1944, the building has been reconstructed faithfully to the original design.
Palazzo Toruzzi
Palazzo Borgia
Palazzo Alfonsi
Corsini palace

Military architecture

Velletri during the Volsca age was surrounded by massive walls, however, they were razed to the ground in 338 BC as a punishment after the final Roman conquest of the city and reduced to the status of agrarian colony. In ancient times, the walls were not rebuilt.
In the Middle Ages

Middle Ages

, the city was surrounded by mighty castle walls, in which it originally opened six ports: Porta Fura, Porta del Pontone, Porta Santa Martina (o Portella), Porta Lucia, Porta Romana, and Porta Napoletana. In the 16th century the city strengthened the walls by closing certain ports and keeping only three gates: Porta Lucia, Porta Napoletana and Porta Romana.

Porta Napoletana was built in 1511 by laborers from Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...

. It has survived virtually unscathed to this day and now houses the local branch of the AIS (Italian Sommelier
Sommelier
A sommelier , or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, commonly working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food matching...

Association).
Porta Romana but rebuilt in 1573 to a design by Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola, near the city bastion. However, during the extension work on the Appian Way
Appian Way
The Appian Way was one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi, Apulia, in southeast Italy...

, the door was destroyed and in its place was built the block of Porta Romana, a customs post and then the actual Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi.
War Memorial, designed by Emanuele Cannigia, was inaugurated on June 2, 1927 in the presence of King Victor Emmanuel III. It is located in a corner of Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi.

Archaeological sites

The Oreste Nardini Civic Archeological Museum of Velletri, contains noteworthy works with material going from protohistoric to the medieval period. The existence of a Roman amphitheatre

Amphitheatre

An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...

in Velitrae is attested to by a curve in area adjacent to the Town Hall as well as in an inscription found in the 1565.
In 1784, within the framework of the Church of the St. Francis, was found the bronze sheets of Velletri. All the material is preserved in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

Outside the village, in San Cesareo was identified the site of the Villa degli Ottavi, sub-urban residence of the gens

Gens

Octavia and Octavian Augustus, and the only Roman villa on Velletri land. Carefully excavated, they have found evidence: a cistern

Cistern

A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings...

of three naves

Navès

Navès is a commune in the Tarn department in southern France.-Geography:The Thoré forms most of the commune's north-eastern border, then flows into the Agout, which forms part of its northern border.-References:*...

with the dimensions 15.05 x 13.20m; unique of its kind for the use of pointed arches, and a mosaic

Mosaic

Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...

; The area currently is private. Another Roman cistern exists in Capanna Murata, and is named Cisterna di Centocolonne. It was discovered in 1982 along the ancient route of the Appian Way.

Natural areas

The main urban green area is the Ginnetti Garden Hall Street Gardens, whose surface was once occupied by Ginnetti Orti (Villa Ginnetti). There are other green areas: Gardens of St. Mary, recently restored, in the provincial suburbs with Neptune, having a skating rink, fountains and a bar and Muratori Park.

Languages and dialects

The official language of Velletri is obviously Italian, while the Veliterno (also called Velletrano) dialect

Dialect

The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...

is the most common, and stands in contrast to the neighboring dialects of the Castelli Romani and the Roman dialect

Romanesco

Romanesco or Romanesque is a regional language or sociolect subsumed within the Italian language spoken in Rome. It is part of the Central Italian dialects and is thus genetically closer to the Tuscan dialect and Standard Italian....

because it is more akin to the Ciociaro dialect and Neapolitan
Neapolitan language
Neapolitan is the language of the city and region of Naples , and Campania. On October 14, 2008 a law by the Region of Campania stated that the Neapolitan language had to be protected....

dialect. The Veliterno dialect, often incomprehensible to those who do not normally speak Italian, is characterized by a predominance of the vowel "o" and Neapolitan expressions such as "nanny" for a father, "am dead" for dead. The first dictionary of the dialect Velletrano was published in the 1980s.

Institutions, bodies and associations and government services

Court of Velletri: located in Piazza Giovanni Falcone, is the second most important court of Lazio, preceded only by Rome.
Velletri Prison: located in the district Lazzara, is a maximum security prison which housed Filippo Pappalardi and Angelo Izzo.
The Regiment of Cadets Brigadier Marshals and Velletri Police.
Commissariat of the Guardia di Finanza of Velletri.
Artemisia Teatro Terra di Velletri
Association Committee Velletri South
Cultural Association 'A Matticella
Cultural Association for the dance "Terpsichore"
Associazione Culturale "University of Carnival"
Italian Association of Sommeliers of Velletri
Association Palio Delle Decarcie Nicola Ferri
Association Proloco Velitrae
Calliope Cultural Association
The Velletri Environment Spinosa
Velletri Motorclub
Lions Club of Velletri
Rotary Club of Velletri

Libraries

The main public library in Velletri is the Augusta Tersenghi Biblioteca Comunale that has several book collections assembled by individuals from the 18th century and is an integral part of SBCR (Library System of the Castelli Romani).

Schools

In 1999 - 2000, 10,090 children attended schools of all levels in the territory of Velletri:

Kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...

: 1346 members;
Elementary Schools: 2656 members;
Junior High Schools: 1773 members;
High Schools: 4265 members;
Consortium University of Velletri: 50 members.

Primary schools

The first schools for children in Velletri have very ancient roots. An Institute of the Brothers of Christian Schools was founded in 1836 and disbanded in 1850 due to lack of facilities, a Conservatory in Maids for the education of girls existed since 1690, then joined since 1695 by an institute of the Ursuline Sisters

Society of the Sisters of Saint Ursula of the Blessed Virgin

The Society of the Sisters of Saint Ursula of the Blessed Virgin is a Roman Catholic religious congregation of women founded in 1606 at Döle , France, by the Venerable Anne de Xainctonge...

. The two institutions merged in 1713 and existed until the 1870. The Venerini Teachers opened their home in Velletri on May 3, 1744. In 1874 a primary school was opened adjacent to the Royal Normal School.

Colleges

A College of the Society of Jesus was founded in Velletri from the Papal Bull

Papal bull

A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....

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...

, Quod Divina Sapientia on April 7, 1851.
A Royal Normal School was established at Velletri by Royal Decree of September 23 in 1872 and conceived as an institution to fulfill the need to better provide training of good teachers for primary schools, in the province of Rome. In 1891 the school was named after Clemente Cardinali (1789–1839), archaeologist and intellectual Velletri.

Antonio Mancinelli Falconi-Dante Institute of Higher Education is the result of the union between various educational institutions, and offers courses in language, socio-psycho-pedagogical school and high school social sciences.

Giancarlo Vallauri Istituto Tecnico Industriale Statale is a technical school founded in 1960 as a branch of the Enrico Fermi

Enrico Fermi

Enrico Fermi was an Italian-born, naturalized American physicist particularly known for his work on the development of the first nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile-1, and for his contributions to the development of quantum theory, nuclear and particle physics, and statistical mechanics...

Institute of Rome. It became autonomous in 1968, has since seen had over 6000 graduates. Today, it has 50 classes and a thousand pupils. It offers courses in science technology.

The Istituto Tecnico Commerciale Statale Professionale Cesare Battisti

Cesare Battisti

Cesare Battisti was an Italian politician who became a prominent Irrendentist at the start of the First World War.-Biography:...

school is an institution rather rooted in Velletri with courses in hospitality

Hospitality

Hospitality is the relationship between guest and host, or the act or practice of being hospitable. Specifically, this includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events, and other services for travelers...

.

The J. Romani Institute of Higher Education (in Via Luigi Novelli) is an art school. There is also the Agrarian Institute in Via Ferruccio Parri.

University

The University of Velletri from 1150 consisted of a theoretical institution under the Suburbicarian see of Ostia, together with the Diocese of Velletri. Since the depopulation of Ostia

Ostia

Ostia may refer to:*Ostia , a municipio of Rome on the Tyrrhenian Sea coast*Ostia Antica, a township and port of ancient Rome*Ostia Antica , a district of the commune of Rome...

, the university was shifted to Velletri, where since 1817 held humanities courses that ended.

Velletri currently is home to the University of Tuscia Faculty of Agriculture in Viterbo.

Museums

The Oreste Nardini Civic Archaeological Museum contains some substantial works, like the Sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...

of Velletri, and Sarcophagus of the labors of Hercules
Hercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...

. The museum is divided into two routes:
- Archaeological Route containing the heart of the collection, the Sarcophagus of the Labors of Hercules, dating to the 2nd century and discovered in 1955, the Orontes plate of the 4th century, and the terracotta Volsci, discovered in 1910.
- Geopaleontological and Prehistory of the Alban Hills, opened in 2005, is a journey into the prehistory
  Prehistory
  Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
  
  of the Colli Albani, divided into five sections:
  - Geology
    Geology
    Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
    
    ; a spectacular "fire pipe" leads the visitor into an environment that reproduces a volcanic eruption;
  - Paleontology
    Paleontology
    Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
    
    , fossils are exposed and explains the fossilization;
  - Anthropology
    Anthropology
    Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
    
    ; development is analyzed from the first men;
  - Prehistory
    Prehistory
    Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
    
    through the development of man before the discovery of fire;
  - Protohistory
    Protohistory
    Protohistory refers to a period between prehistory and history, during which a culture or civilization has not yet developed writing, but other cultures have already noted its existence in their own writings...
    
    ; analyzes the life of man before writing.
Diocesan Museum, in the cloister
Cloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...

of the cathedral contains works of art, especially important for their uniqueness. Among these is the 11th-12th century's reliquary
Reliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...

Crux Veliterna gold filigree
Filigree
Filigree is a delicate kind of jewellery metalwork made with twisted threads usually of gold and silver or stitching of the same curving motifs. It often suggests lace, and in recent centuries remains popular in Indian and other Asian metalwork, and French from 1660 to the late 19th century...

and enamel
Vitreous enamel
Vitreous enamel, also porcelain enamel in U.S. English, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 °C...

works by Gentile da Fabriano
Gentile da Fabriano
Gentile da Fabriano was an Italian painter known for his participation in the International Gothic style. He worked in various places in central Italy, mostly in Tuscany. His best known works are his Adoration of the Magi and the Flight into Egypt.-Biography:Gentile was born in or near Fabriano,...

, Lorenzo di Bicci, Antoniazzo Romano
Antoniazzo Romano
Antoniazzo Romano, born Antonio di Benedetto Aquilo degli Aquili was an Italian Early Renaissance painter, the leading figure of the Roman school during the 15th century.-Biography:...

, Giovan Battista Rositi, Francesco da Siena, Giuliano Finelli, Sebastiano Conca
Sebastiano Conca
Sebastiano Conca was an Italian painter.He was born at Gaeta, then part of the Kingdom of Naples, and apprenticed in Naples under Francesco Solimena. In 1706, along with his brother Giovanni, who acted as his assistant, he settled at Rome, where for several years he worked in chalk only, to...

. The Cross or Crux Veliterna is a gold filigree(i.e. a cross containing a relic
Relic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...

of a fragment of the Holy Cross), precious stones and cloisonne
Cloisonné
Cloisonné is an ancient technique for decorating metalwork objects, in recent centuries using vitreous enamel, and in older periods also inlays of cut gemstones, glass, and other materials. The resulting objects can also be called cloisonné...

enamels placed on a footing of silver and gilded bronze. On the front, a fragment of enkolpion depicting Christ crucified, while towards the Agnus Dei is surrounded by anthropomorphic symbols of the Evangelists. The Cross, which contains a fragment of the True Cross, was donated by Frederick II of Hohenstaufen to Pope Alexander IV
Pope Alexander IV
Pope Alexander IV was Pope from 1254 until his death.Born as Rinaldo di Jenne, in Jenne , he was, on his mother's side, a member of the de' Conti di Segni family, the counts of Segni, like Pope Innocent III and Pope Gregory IX...

, who donated it in turn to the Veliterna Cathedral. The Madonna and Child by Gentile da Fabriano is the only work the artist made during his Roman period (September 1426 - September 1427).

Radio

Since 1976 the radio network Radio Delta Stereo Velletri is on frequency 103.3. Radio Mania is also a radio station that broadcasts on frequency 88.2.

Print

At Velletri are the pay newspapers New Castle Today (with drafting in Piazza Cairoli) and Il Messaggero. There are free various local newspapers are Free News, The Voice of the Castle, and Cape Point.

Cinema

Velletri has a well established film tradition. In addition to several studios in the city in the early 20th century, at least one movie theater has always existed in the city.
Right at the beginning of 1900, establishments in the city were born film Helios Film. The first movie released by these plants was, in 1911 under the title Dante's The Inferno
Inferno (Dante)
Inferno is the first part of Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem Divine Comedy. It is followed by Purgatorio and Paradiso. It is an allegory telling of the journey of Dante through what is largely the medieval concept of Hell, guided by the Roman poet Virgil. In the poem, Hell is depicted as...

, was filmed entirely in the countryside in Velletri and at the Lake Giulianello.

Theater

Velletri has three theaters. These include the Ugo Tognazzi Theater and the Theater of the Earth.

Events

Festival of Saint Clemente, November 23.
Festival of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
The Pasquella; is held on January 5: consists of parade in period costumes.
National Grape and Wine Festival, October.
Festival of Camellias, the camelia
Camelia
-Awards:* Anugerah Industri Muzik 1998** Best New Artist**Best Vocal Performance in an Album for "Camelia"-Personal life:She was married to Mohd Ehsan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce until their divorce in 1999. She then married a prominent local developer who is a Datuk in 2010. This makes her formal...

s flowers that grow in the countryside, been have celebrated since 1994 in the month of March;
Matticella Artichoke
Artichoke
-Plants:* Globe artichoke, a partially edible perennial thistle originating in southern Europe around the Mediterranean* Jerusalem artichoke, a species of sunflower with an edible tuber...

Festival, May.
Palio delle Decarcie.

Anthropogenic geography

Velletri since the medieval period has been divided into five decarcìe (singular decarcìa) areas equivalent to the districts. The name decarcia is plausibly linked to the Greek δεκα (deka, "ten") and αρχια (Arkia, "power"), then "power of ten." Currently, however decarcie are six in number. The decarcie are as follows:

Decarcia Portella.
Decarcia Collicello.
Decarcia Santa Maria.
Decarcia Castle.
Decarcia Saint Lucia.
Decarcia San Salvatore.

Agriculture

The primary production in Velletri is 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 trade in products of the surrounding agriculture region. In 1851, the wine production of the area was around 14,000 barrels, marketed mainly to Rome.
The territory of Velletri produces the following DOC wines:

Velletri White
Velletri Bianco Superiore
Velletri red
Velletri Rosso Riserva

At the end of the 19th century, the Velletri Experimental Winery was opened by the University of Tuscia.

Velletri DOC

The Italian wine DOC of Velletri produces red and white wines from grapes that are limited to a harvest

Harvest (wine)

The harvesting of wine grapes is one of the most crucial steps in the process of winemaking. The time of harvest is determined primarily by the ripeness of the grape as measured by sugar, acid and tannin levels with winemakers basing their decision to pick based on the style of wine they wish to...

yield of 16 tonnes/ha. The reds are blends of 30-50% Montepulciano

Montepulciano (grape)

Montepulciano is a red Italian wine grape variety that is most noted for being the primary grape behind the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita wine Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colline Teramane and the Denominazione di origine controllata wines of Rosso Conero and Rosso Piceno.It should...

, 30-45% Sangiovese

Sangiovese

Sangiovese is a red Italian wine grape variety whose name derives from the Latin sanguis Jovis, "the blood of Jove"...

, at least 15% Cesanese and no more than 10% of a mix of Bombino Nero, Merlot

Merlot

Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...

and Ciliegiolo

Ciliegiolo

Ciliegiolo is a variety of red wine grape from Italy, named after the Italian for 'cherry'. It is a minor component of traditional blends such as Chianti, but interest has revived in recent years...

. The whites are blends of up to 70% Malvasia

Malvasia

Malvasia is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region, Balearic islands, Canary Islands and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world...

, up to 30% of a mix of Trebbiano

Trebbiano

Trebbiano is the second most widely planted grape in the world. It gives good yields, but makes undistinguished wine at best. It can be fresh and fruity, but does not keep long. Its high acidity makes it important in Cognac production...

, Verde and Giallo, and up to 10% of a mix of Bellone

Bellone

Bellone is a red Italian wine grape variety that wine historians believed was cultivated in Roman times. A white skin clone also exist. By 1990, nearly 3,000 hectares/7,400 acres of the variety was still being cultivated and eligible to be blended in the wines of several Latium Denominazione di...

and Bonvino.

Tourism

Velletri was one of the stops on the Grand Tour d'Italie: a mandatory stop between Rome and Naples

Naples

Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...

, which attracts many travelers to its museum collections and its natural beauty and architecture.

Sports

The Stadio Comunale Giovanni Scavo, has a capacity of about 5000 spectators and hosts its soccer team. The Stadio Comunale B is a smaller field of (105x60 m) fitted with a single platform with a capacity of about 500 people, and practice field for other teams that are playing in Velletri and lower categories.

The sports hall host the cities basketball and volleyball teams, which opened in December 2008,and is located in San Biagio. The hall, with a capacity of for over 2000 spectators, is used for the major domestic competitions, and named after Spartaco Bandinelli

Spartaco Bandinelli

Spartaco Bandinelli is a boxer from Italy. He was born in Velletri, Rome.He competed for Italy in the 1948 Summer Olympics held in London, United Kingdom in the flyweight event where he finished in second place.-References:*...

, a decorated Olympic

Olympic Games

The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...

boxer.

The multipurpose gym assumed the role of the Sport Palace for many years and today remains a major polo sport facility where games are also held for volleyball and basketball. The capacity holds about 1,000 spectators.

Notable citizens

Andrea Velletrano (14th century), painter, contemporary of Giotto, is famous for the Triptych preserved at the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples, dated 1340;
John of Vellore (15th century), painter of the beginning of the 15th century, the father of Luciano da Velletri, another painter whose work is attested between 1435 and 1441;
Antonio Mancinelli
Antonio Mancinelli
Antonio Mancinelli was a humanist pedagogue, grammarian, and rhetorician from Velletri who taught in Venice, Rome, and Orvieto. He produced editions of Cicero, Herodotus, Horace, Juvenal, Suetonius, Virgil, and many other authors...

(1454–1505), poet and humanist
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....

;
Alessandro Borgia
Alessandro Borgia
Alessandro Borgia was an Italian bishop and archbishop.-Life:From a patrician family of Velletri which was only distantly related to the better known house of Borgia, he was the son of Clemente Erminio Borgia...

(1682–1784) Catholic Bishop, author of History of the Church, and the town of Velletri;
Stefano Borgia (Velletri, 1731 - Lyon, 1804), cardinal, author of History of Benevento in the State of the Church, founder of the Museo Borgia;
Giulio Magni (Velletri, 1859 - Rome, 1930) architect and art historian;
Marta Bastianelli
Marta Bastianelli
Marta Bastianelli is an Italian professional racing cyclist. She was born in Velletri, near Rome.-Professional career:...

(Velletri, 1987-living) is an Italian cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...

world champion
Elisa Blanchi (Velletri, 1987-living) gymnast silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, World Champion 2005 (Baku, Azerbaijan), European champion in 2008 (Turin), World Champion 2009 (Mie, Japan).
Ugo Tognazzi
Ugo Tognazzi
Ugo Tognazzi was an Italian film, TV, and theatre actor, director, and screenwriter.-Early life:Tognazzi was born in Cremona, in northern Italy but spent his youth in various localities as his father was a traveller clerk for an insurance company.After his return in the native city in 1936, he...

, actor, buried in the cemetery of Velletri
Marco Ferrante
Marco Ferrante
Marco Ferrante is a retired Italian football striker.As of the end of 2005/06 season, he played 172 Serie A games and scored 48 goals. He also played 290 Serie B games and scored 111 goals...

, soccer star who played in Italian Series A

Twin cities

Esch-sur-Alzette

Esch-sur-Alzette is a commune with city status, in south-western Luxembourg. It is the country's second city, and its second-most populous commune, with a population of 29,853 people...

, Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...

Mödling

Mödling is the capital of the Austrian district of the same name located approximately 14 km south of Vienna.The settlement dates back to the Neolithic. In medieval times, the town was the residence of a branch of the Babenberger family, as a result of which it received the nickname...

, Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

Offenbach

Offenbach (district)

Offenbach is a Kreis in the south of Hesse, Germany and is part of the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region. Neighbourhood districts are Main-Kinzig, Aschaffenburg, Darmstadt-Dieburg, Groß-Gerau and the cities of Darmstadt, Frankfurt and Offenbach.-History:The district Offenbach was first...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

Puteaux

Puteaux is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located in the heart of the Hauts-de-Seine department from the center of Paris....

, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

Saint-Gilles

Saint-Gilles, Belgium

Saint-Gilles or Sint-Gillis is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.Saint-Gilles has a multicultural identity stemming from its diverse population...

, Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

Tilburg

Tilburg is a landlocked municipality and a city in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of Noord-Brabant.Tilburg municipality also includes the villages of Berkel-Enschot and Udenhout....

, Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

Tower Hamlets, United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

Zemun

Zemun is a historical town and one of the 17 municipalities which constitute the City of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia...

, Serbia

Serbia

Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...

External links

Mapquest - Velletri
Velletri Community Website
Museo Civico Archeologico Notably the Velletri Sarcophagus

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