Civitavecchia
Civitavecchia | |
|---|---|
 Civitavecchia fort and harbour | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
 Location in the Metropolitan City of Rome | |
Location of Civitavecchia  | |
  Civitavecchia Location of Civitavecchia in Italy  Civitavecchia Civitavecchia (Lazio) | |
| Coordinates:42°06′N11°48′E/ 42.100°N 11.800°E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Lazio |
| Metropolitan city | Rome |
| Frazioni | Aurelia, La Scaglia |
| Area | |
| • Total | 73.74 km2(28.47 sq mi) |
| Population (2018-01-01)[2] | |
| • Total | 52,671 |
| Time zone | UTC+1(CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2(CEST) |
| Patron saint | Saint Fermina |
| Website | www |
Civitavecchia(pronounced[ˌtʃivitaˈvɛkkja];meaning "ancient town" ) is a city and majorsea porton theTyrrhenian Sea60 kilometres (37 miles) west-northwest of Rome. Its legal status is acomune(municipality) ofRome,Lazio.
The harbour is formed by two piers and a breakwater on which stands a lighthouse.
History[edit]
Etruscan era[edit]
The whole territory of Civitavecchia is dotted with the remains of Etruscan tombs and it is likely that in the centre of the current city a small Etruscan settlement thrived. The Etruscan necropolis of Mattonara, not far from the Molinari factory, is almost certainly from the 7th - 6th century BC and was most likely connected with the nearby necropolis of Scaglia. An ancient port formed by small parallel basins capable of accommodating single vessels was still visible at the end of the 19th century near Forte Michelangelo.
AnEtruscansettlement on the hill of Ficoncella can still be seen. The first baths of the settlement were built there before 70 BC, and known by the Romans as Aquae Tauri.
Roman era[edit]
The nearby monumental baths atTerme Taurinewere built originally in the Roman Republican era, possibly byTitus Statilius Taurus,prefect of Rome.
The harbour was greatly enlarged by theEmperor Trajanat the beginning of the 2nd century and known as Centum Cellae thereafter probably due to the many vaulted "cells" forming the harbour wall some of which can still be seen. The first occurrence of the name Centum Cellae is from a letter byPliny the Younger[3]in AD 107. It has been suggested that the name could instead refer to thecentum( "hundred" ) halls of the extensive villa of Trajan which was nearby.[4]The harbour was probably built by Trajan's favourite architect,Apollodorus of Damascus(who also built the harbour ofAncona). The town was also known as Centum Cellae and was developed from the same time. Trajan's sumptuous villapulcherrima(most beautiful, according to Pliny[5]) must have been built at the same time but traces have yet to be found, although the Terme Taurine baths and the large cistern nearby are likely to have been included.[6]Pliny was summoned by Trajan to his villa there for an exceptional meeting there of theconsilium principis(advisory council) which normally took place in Rome, and which indicates the status of the villa as an imperial residence. The villa was also used later by the youngMarcus Aurelius,probably in the years 140-145[7]who built avivariumthere and also in 173 byCommodus.[8]
Inscriptions from between the 2nd and 3rd centuries from a cemetery near the Roman harbour prove the presence ofclassiari,sailors from the navy, and also of a noble class. They also tell of the number and type of ships which were detachments of the fleets of Ravenna and of Misenum.[9]
In 251Pope Corneliuswas imprisoned in Centumcellae during the persecutions ofDeciusand his successorTrebonianus Gallusand died there in 253.
In the 4th and 5th centuries the city and port became even more prosperous and busy, asRutilius Namatianusdescribed it in 414[10]as it became an important port of Rome due to the silting ofOstia.
In the 530s,Centumcellaewas aByzantinestronghold and until 553 the city suffered in the wars between the Goths and the Byzantines.[11][12][13]
Later history[edit]
It became part of thePapal Statesin 728 andPope Gregory IIIrefortified Centumcellae. As the port was raided by theSaracensin 813–814, 828, 846 and finally in 876, a new settlement in a more secure place was therefore built by order ofPope Leo IVas soon as 854.[14]In the meantime, however, the inhabitants returned to the old town by the shore in 889 and rebuilt it, giving it the nameCivitas Vetus.[4]The Popes gave the settlement as a fief to several local lords, including the Count Ranieri ofCivitacastellanaand theAbbey of Farfa,and the Di Vico, who heldCentumcellaein 1431. In that year, popeEugene IVsent an army under cardinalGiovanni Vitelleschiand severalcondottieri(Niccolò Fortebraccio,Ranuccio Farneseand Menicuccio dell'Aquila among them) to recapture the place, which, after the payment of 4,000 florins, became thenceforth a full Papal possession, led by a vicar and a treasurer.
The place became afree portunderPope Innocent XIIin 1696 and by the modern era was the main port ofRome.TheFrench Empireoccupied it in 1806.
The French novelistStendhalserved as consul for a time in Civitavecchia.
On 16 April 1859 theRome and Civitavecchia railwaywas opened for service.
The Papal troops opened the gates of the fortress to the Italian generalNino Bixioin 1870. This permanently removed the port from papal control.
DuringWorld War II,theAllieslaunched several bombing raids against Civitavecchia, which damaged the city and inflicted several civilian casualties.[15]On June 27, 1944, two American soldiers from the379th Port Battalion,Fred A. McMurray andLouis Till,allegedly raped two Italian women in Civitavecchia and murdered a third. McMurray and Till were subsequently both executed by theUnited States Armybyhangingfive months later.[16]
Economy[edit]
Civitavecchia is today a major cruise and ferryport,the main starting point for sea connection fromcentral ItalytoSardinia,Sicily,TunisandBarcelona.Fishinghas a secondary importance.
The city is also the seat of twothermal power stations.The conversion of one of them tocoalhas raised the population's protests, as it is feared it could create heavy pollution.
Main sights[edit]
Roman city[edit]
The modern inner harbour (darsena) rests on ancient foundations many of which can be seen and whose shape is still very much the same as it was in Trajan's time. It had a curved breakwater on the southern side and a straight one to the north with arches to reduce the waves which still exist.
TheTorre di Lazzarettois the only remaining Tower of four large Roman round towers that served as beacons around the ancient harbour. Remains of warehouses can be seen between the large basin and the inner harbour (darsena), still used during the middle ages.
A section of theVia Aureliarunning along the harbour, 6 m wide and at a depth of 3 m, was excavated.
Some of the Roman city wall is visible in the basement of the Fraternity of the Banner in the Piazza Leandra.
Remains of an aqueduct and a large cistern, possibly part of Trajan's villa, are preserved.[17]
North of the city at Ficoncella are theTerme Taurinebaths frequented byRomansand still popular with the Civitavecchiesi. The modern name stems from the common fig plants among the various pools.
Also at Ficoncella nearby are the baths of Aquae Tauri from the earlier Etruscan and early Roman settlement.[18]A larger building of 160x100 m enclosed the baths and is being excavated.[19]
Other sights[edit]
The massiveForte Michelangelowas first commissioned from Donato Bramante byPope Julius II,to defend theport of Rome.The upper part of the "maschio" tower, however, was designed byMichelangelo,whose name is generally applied to the fortress.Pius IVadded a convict prison, and thearsenal,designed byBernini,was built byAlexander VII.[4]
Major cruise lines start and end their cruises at this location, and others stop for shore excursion days to visitRomeand theVatican,ninety minutes away.
Geography[edit]
Climate[edit]
Civitavecchia experiences ahot-summer Mediterranean climate(Köppen climate classificationCsa).
| Climate data for Civitavecchia (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 13.5 (56.3) |
13.8 (56.8) |
15.5 (59.9) |
17.8 (64.0) |
21.7 (71.1) |
25.4 (77.7) |
28.0 (82.4) |
28.6 (83.5) |
25.4 (77.7) |
22.0 (71.6) |
18.2 (64.8) |
14.7 (58.5) |
20.4 (68.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 10.4 (50.7) |
10.5 (50.9) |
12.3 (54.1) |
14.7 (58.5) |
18.3 (64.9) |
22.2 (72.0) |
24.7 (76.5) |
25.3 (77.5) |
22.2 (72.0) |
19.0 (66.2) |
15.2 (59.4) |
11.6 (52.9) |
17.2 (63.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 7.5 (45.5) |
7.3 (45.1) |
9.0 (48.2) |
11.5 (52.7) |
15.1 (59.2) |
18.8 (65.8) |
21.4 (70.5) |
21.9 (71.4) |
18.9 (66.0) |
15.9 (60.6) |
12.2 (54.0) |
8.6 (47.5) |
14.0 (57.2) |
| Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 66.4 (2.61) |
63.3 (2.49) |
73.2 (2.88) |
57.9 (2.28) |
43.9 (1.73) |
27.5 (1.08) |
13.6 (0.54) |
17.5 (0.69) |
72.6 (2.86) |
113.7 (4.48) |
116.5 (4.59) |
93.1 (3.67) |
759.1 (29.89) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1 mm) | 6.9 | 6.1 | 6.0 | 6.2 | 5.0 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 4.6 | 6.8 | 9.0 | 7.8 | 64.0 |
| Averagerelative humidity(%) | 73.7 | 73.1 | 74.9 | 75.4 | 75.1 | 74.7 | 73.3 | 73.4 | 73.4 | 73.4 | 75.9 | 72.6 | 74.2 |
| Averagedew point°C (°F) | 6.2 (43.2) |
6.1 (43.0) |
8.2 (46.8) |
10.7 (51.3) |
14.3 (57.7) |
18.0 (64.4) |
20.1 (68.2) |
20.6 (69.1) |
17.4 (63.3) |
14.9 (58.8) |
11.1 (52.0) |
7.0 (44.6) |
12.9 (55.2) |
| Source:NOAA[20] | |||||||||||||
Transport[edit]
ThePort of Civitavecchia,also known as "Port ofRome",[21]is an important hub for the maritime transport in Italy, for goods and passengers. Part of the "Motorways of the Sea",[22]it is linked to severalMediterraneanports and represents one of the main links between Italian mainland toSardinia.
Civitavecchia railway station,opened in 1859, is the western terminus of theRome–Civitavecchia railway,which forms part of thePisa–Livorno–Rome railway. A short line linking the town center to the harbour survived until the early 2000s.[23]It counted two stations: Civitavecchia Marittima, serving the port, and Civitavecchia Viale della Vittoria.
Civitavecchia is served by theA12,an unconnected motorway linkingRometoGenoaand by theState highway SS1Via Aurelia,which also links the two stretches. The town is also interested by a project regarding a new motorway, the Civitavecchia-VeniceorNew Romea,[24]nowadays completed as adual carriagewaybetweenViterboandRavenna(viaTerni,PerugiaandCesena) and commonly known in Italy as theOrte-Ravenna.
Education[edit]
The commune has multiple preschools,[25]primary schools,[26]junior high schools,[27]and high schools.[28]Polo Universitario di Civitavecchia is located in the city.
Twin towns and sister cities[edit]
Civitavecchia istwinnedwith:
Amelia,Italy
Bethlehem,Palestinian Authority,since 2000[29][30][31]
Ishinomaki,Japan
Nantong,China
People[edit]
- Manuele Blasi(b. 1980), football player
- Silvio Branco(b. 1966), professional boxer
- Andrea Casali(1705–1784),Rococopainter
- Alessio De Sio(1968), journalist, city mayor from 2001 to 2005, director of communication of "Hitachi"Rail Italy ex"AnsaldoBreda"
- Raffaele Giammaria(b. 1977), racing driver
- Marco Mocci(b. 1982), racing driver
- Pasquale Lattanzi(b. 1950), former football player
- Oscar Lini(1928-2016), football player
- Ermanno Palmieri(1921-1982), football player
- Giancarlo Peris(b. 1941), former track athlete
- Roberto Petito(b. 1971), road bicycle racer
- Giulio Saraudi(1938–2005), boxer
- Eugenio Scalfari(b. 1924), journalist, founder ofla Repubblica
- Emiliano Sciarra(b. 1971), game designer[32]
- Roldano Simeoni(b. 1948), former water polo player
- Vittorio Tamagnini(1910–1981), boxer
See also[edit]
- Arsenal of Civitavecchia
- Civitavecchia Calcio
- Civitavecchia di Arpino
- Civitavecchia,Cachar district,Assam, India (spelt as "Chibita Bichia" by the locals).
References[edit]
- ^"Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011".Italian National Institute of Statistics.Retrieved16 March2019.
- ^"Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018".Italian National Institute of Statistics.Retrieved16 March2019.
- ^Pliny Epist. 6.31
- ^abcOne or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911). "Civita Vecchia".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 416–417.
- ^Pliny Epist. 6.31
- ^Anna Maria Reggiani, la villa pulcherrima di traiano a CENTUMCELLAE, doi: 10.1387/veleia.19438 Veleia, 35, 129-149, 2018
- ^Fronto, Epist. ad M. Caesarem 3.21.1
- ^Historia Augusta, life of Commodus, 1.9
- ^Hidden Treasures in the Darsena Romana in the Port of Civitavecchiahttps://civitavecchia.portmobility.it/en/hidden-treasures-darsena-romana-port-civitavecchia
- ^Rutilius Namatianus, A Voyage Home to Gaul 217‑276
- ^Procopius, De Bello Gothico VI, VII
- ^Procopius, De Bello Gothico VIII.33‑35
- ^Procopius, De Bello Gothico III.36‑40
- ^"Saint Leo IV".Encyclopedia Britannica.Retrieved14 June2024.
- ^"History of Civitavecchia | Port of Rome – Civitavecchia".
- ^https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a48989/black-and-white-case/
- ^Cistern and aqueducthttps://www.ostia-antica.org/dict/topics/centumcellae/presentation/centumcellae-06.htm
- ^F. Stasolla et al., Nuove ricerche nel territorio di Civitavecchia. Un progetto per Aquae Tauri, in Scienze dell'Antichità 24.1 (2018), pp. 149-174.
- ^Aquae Tauri, the Achelous projecthttps://www.romanports.org/en/news/301-aquae-tauri-the-acheloous-project.html
- ^"Civitavecchia Climate Normals 1991–2020".World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020).National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived fromthe originalon 27 August 2023.Retrieved27 August2023.
- ^(in Italian)Port of Civitavecchia website
- ^Infos at R.A.M. website (search the list of ports)ArchivedApril 19, 2011, at theWayback Machine
- ^(in Italian)Historical infos and pictures about the Civitavecchia-Cv. Marittima rail line
- ^(in Italian)Article atANASwebsite
- ^"Scuole dell'InfanziaArchived2014-12-21 at theWayback Machine."Commune of Civitavecchia. Retrieved on December 21, 2014.
- ^"Scuole elementariArchived2014-12-21 at theWayback Machine."Commune of Civitavecchia. Retrieved on December 21, 2014.
- ^"Scuola media inferioreArchived2014-12-21 at theWayback Machine."Commune of Civitavecchia. Retrieved on December 21, 2014.
- ^"Scuole medie superioriArchived2014-12-21 at theWayback Machine."Commune of Civitavecchia. Retrieved on December 21, 2014.
- ^"Twinning with Palestine".The Britain - Palestine Twinning Network. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-06-28.Retrieved2008-11-29.
- ^The City of Bethlehem has signed a twinning agreements with the following citiesBethlehem Municipality.
- ^"::Bethlehem Municipality::".www.bethlehem-city.org. Archived fromthe originalon 2010-07-24.Retrieved2009-10-10.
- ^"Emiliano Sciarra | Board Game Designer | BoardGameGeek".
External links[edit]
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