Lavinio
Lavinio | |
|---|---|
| Country | Italy |
| Region |  Lazio |
| Province | Rome Capital(RM) |
| Comune | Anzio |
| Time zone | UTC+1(CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2(CEST) |
Lavinio(Lido di Enea) is a small sea side tourist town in theLazioregion ofItaly,50 kilometres (31 mi) southwest ofRome.It is part of the municipality ofAnzio.
History
[edit]The name is derived from ancient Latin settlement ofLavinium,now 6.0 kilometres (3.7 mi) from the sea, and part of the nearby municipality ofPomezia.The foundation of Lavinium is mentioned prominently in the great Roman epic, theAeneidby the Mantuan poet Publius Vergilius Maro (Virgil).
Lavinio adjoins the 42-hectare (104-acre) regional park of Tor Caldara, which features a medieval watch tower that was built in the Middle Ages to defend the area from the frequent incursions ofSaracensand later from the Arabic pirates. In 1565 the tower was restored byMarcantonio Colonna,of thepowerful noble familyand largefiefholders inLazioand thePapal States.Sulfur was also mined there in the 16th century. In 1999 the ruins of an ancientRoman villawere discovered adjacent to the tower. The park featuresevergreen oak treesandMediterraneanvegetation that before commercial development extended along the whole coastline of the region. Characteristic springs and water courses can be found in the area.[1]
DuringWorld War II,Allied soldiers fought and died on the beach and in the surrounding countryside of this town. On January 22, 1944 it was the approximate location of the British beachhead landing during theBattle of Anzio,part of theAllied advance to Rome.A greater number of American forces landed inAnzioandNettuno,10 kilometres (6 mi) south. A total of 110,000 troops landed. As a perennial memory, a marble stele, elevated and in front of the sea, remembers this sacrifice.
References
[edit]- ^Tor Caldara, Monte Cassino Battlefield Tour,montecassinotour, Retrieved July 19, 2010.
External links
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