Loading AI tools
Comune in Lazio, Italy From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Civita Castellana is a town and comune in the province of Viterbo, 65 kilometres (40 mi) north of Rome.
![]() | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (March 2022) |
Civita Castellana | |
---|---|
Comune di Civita Castellana | |
![]() Piazza Matteotti in Civita Castellana by night. | |
Coordinates: 42°17′N 12°24′E | |
Country | Italy |
Region | Lazio |
Province | Viterbo (VT) |
Frazioni | Borghetto, Pian Paradiso, Sassacci |
Government | |
• Mayor | Franco Caprioli |
Area | |
• Total | 83.28 km2 (32.15 sq mi) |
Elevation | 145 m (476 ft) |
Population (31 December 2017)[2] | |
• Total | 16,262 |
• Density | 200/km2 (510/sq mi) |
Demonym | Civitonici |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Postal code | 01033 |
Dialing code | 0761 |
Patron saint | Sts. John and Marcianus |
Saint day | September 16 |
Website | Official website |
Mount Soracte lies about 10 kilometres (6 mi) to the south-east.
Civita Castellana was settled during the Iron Age by the Italic people of the Falisci, who called it "Falerii." After the Faliscan defeat against the Romans, a new city was built by the latter, about 5 kilometres (3 mi) away, and called "Falerii Novi."
The abandoned city was repopulated beginning in the early Middle Ages, with the new name of Civita Castellana (roughly translated as "City of the Castle") mentioned first in 994. In the following centuries the city was a flourishing independent commune, often contended by the Pope and the Holy Roman Empire. Captured by Pope Paschal II at the beginning of the 12th century, the city was given as fief to the Savelli by Gregory XIV.
Sixtus IV assigned the city to Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, the future Pope Alexander VI, who started the construction of the Rocca ("Castle"), which was completed under Julius II.
Civita Castellana became an important road hub with the connection to the Via Flaminia (1606) and the construction of Ponte Clementino sometime after the Battle of Civita Castellana, a French Army victory against a Neapolitan Army here on December 5, 1798 while this community was still part of the 1798-1799 Roman Republic after the fall of the 754-1798 Papal States but before the return of the 1799-1809 Papal States.
The town also contains the ruins of the Castle of Paterno, where, on 23 January 1002, Emperor Otto III died at the age of 22.
The National Museum of the Faliscan Countryside contains findings from the ancient Falerii and the surrounding areas.
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.