|
| |
Fondi
|
| |
Lazio
|
| |
Latina (LT)
|
| |
8
|
| |
142
|
| |
December 31 , 2004
|
| |
34,910
|
| |
222
|
| |
CET , UTC +1
|
| |
|
| |
San Magno, Madonna degli angeli, Cucuruzzo, San Raffaele, Sant'Andrea, Selva Vetere, Salto di Fondi, Capratica
|
| |
0771
|
| |
04022
|
| |
Fondani
|
| |
Sant'Onorato, San Rocco
|
| |
October 10
|
| |
Luigi Parisella (from May 13 , 2005 )
|
| |
wwwcomunefondiltit
|
is a city and comune in the
Province Of Latina (
Lazio ,
Italy ), halfway between
Rome and
Naples . Before the construction of the highway between the latter cities in the late
1950s , Fondi had been an important settlement on the Roman
Via Appia , which was the main connection from Rome to much of southern Italy.
Fondi is the main town of the
Plain Of Fondi (''Piana di Fondi'' in
Italian ), a small plain between the
Ausoni and
Aurunci Mountains and the
Tyrrhenian Sea . The plain includes three lakes and is agriculturally very fertile. Most in evidence are greenhouses for the production of early crops for sale in
Rome . The 15-km (10mi) sandy beach stretches from Sperlonga in the South-East to Terracina in the North-West and lies along the
Gulf Of Gaeta , with views (when the weather is clear) to the
Pontine Islands . It is marked by a somehow well-preserved, typical Mediterranean
Coastal Dune landscape.
The territory of Fondi is partially included in the
Regional Natural Park Of Monti Aurunci .
Fondi has an ancient history, beginning with early settlements about tribes of
Aurunci and, subsequently,
Volsci . According to the legend, it would have been founded by
Hercules in memory of the killing of
Cacus (not far it existed a Greek settlement known as ''Amyclae'' or ''Amunclae'').
The first historical reference to Fondi dates to
338 BC , at the time of the
Latin War , when its inhabitants (together with those of the nearby
Formiae ) gained minor
Roman Citizenship status (''civitas sine suffragio''). After a failed attempt of revolt led by Vitruvio Vacca (
330 BC ), Fondi remained a Roman prefecture; later (
188 BC ) it received full citizeship, with a government led by 3
Aedile s.
The importance of Fondi lied in its position across the old
Via Appia , began in
312 BC , which was for more than two millennia the main roadway from Rome to southern Italy. The historical center and surrounding wall of Fondi form still today a square, like in the Roman camp walls, whose
Decumanus was formed by the city tract of the Via Appia.
After the of
877 , and Fondi was switched to the Duchy of Gaeta.
In
1140 Fondi passed to the
Dell'Aquila family, of
Norman heritage, and then, in
1299 , to the powerful
Caetani barons (in the person of
Loffredo Caetani , nephew of
Pope Boniface VIII ), who made it for two centuries the centre of their power, and a centre of artistical development as well. In
1378 the powerful Count
Onorato I Caetani summoned here the
Conclave in which the cardinals elected
Clement VII against the legitimante
Urban VI (
Western Schism ).
The Caetani lost Fondi after the
Charles VIII Of France 's expedition to southern Italy, and it was assigned to the condottiero
Prospero Colonna . Under the
Colonna the city met another period of artistical and cultural splendour, thanks of the court held by
Giulia Gonzaga , who lived in Fondi between
1526 and
1534 .
In 1534, Fondi was sacked by
Khair Ad Din , who was seeking to kidnap the beautiful Giula and bring her as a gift to his emperor
Suleiman . However, she managed to escape. Another sack followed in
1594 , starting the decline of the city, which had in the meantime passed to the
Carafa of
Stigliano . In
1720 Fondi was acquired by the
Di Sangro family.
In
1818 the declining city, surrounded by marshes affected by
Malaria and
Brigantage , lost the bishopric seat existing there since the very early years of Christianism.
Agriculture in the area around Fondi has been always favoured by the presence of abudant water sources and by the climatic conditions. The traditional production of
Agrumes has been recently supplanted by that of
Vegetables and
Fruit .
Fondi is the seat of an important market for agriculture and food products which distribute some 1 million tons of agriculture products every year.
Fondi's main sights include:
- The , with a characteristical round tower standing up to more than 30 meters, symbol of the city. The castle was built in the 14th Century by Onorato I Caetani over a stretch of ancient Roman walls. In the 16th century it was the seat of Giulia Gonzaga's court of literates and artists. Since 1987 it houses the City's Museum.
- The adjacent ("Prince's Palace"), constructed in 1466-1477 and attributed to the Catalan architect Matteo Forcimanya. Its portals, the bifora, the court and the Loggia to forma an interesting syntesis of Catalan- Gothic and Angevine architectures.
- The (Duomo, 14th century), built over a Roman edifice, identified as a temple of Jupiter. It houses the sepulchre of Cristoforo Caetani, a marble bishop cathedra and Cosmatesque pulpit from the 13th century, an ''Annunciation Tryptych'' by Cristoforo Scacco and ''Majesty with St. Peter and St. Paul'' by Antoniazzo Romano .
- The , preceded by a wide staircase and built in the 15th century by and the venerated statue of the ''Madonna of the Sky''.
- The Mediaeval churches of and '''San Francesco'''.
