Civitavecchia is a town and comune of the province of Rome in the central Italian region of Latium. A sea port on the Tyrrhenian sea, it is located 50 miles west-north-west of Rome, across the Mignone river. The harbor is formed by two moles and a breakwater, on which latter is a lighthouse.

Civitavecchia means "ancient town".

History

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The modern city was built certainly over a pre-existing Etruscan settlement.

The harbor was constructed by the Emperor Trajan at the beginning of the 2nd century CE. The first occurrence of the name Centum Cellae is from a letter by Pliny the Younger (107 CE). The origin of the name is disputed: it has been suggested that it could refer to the centum ("hundred") halls of the villa of the emperor.

In the high Middle Ages, Centumcellae was a Byzantine stronghold. Captured by the Saracens in 828, it was later acquired by the Papal States.

The place became a free port under Pope Innocent XII in 1696. The main port of Rome in modern era, it was occupied by the French in 1849. The Papal troops opened the gates of the fortress to the Italian general Bixio in 1870.

During World War II, Civitavecchia was severely damaged by Allied bombings. For the resistance of its citizens against Fascism, the city received the Gold Medal to Civil Valour and the Silver Medal to Military Valour.

Economy

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Civitavecchia is today a major cruise and ferry port, the main starting point for sea connection from central Italy to Sardinia and Corsica. Fishing has a secondary importance.

The city is also the seat of two thermal power stations. The conversion of one of them to carbon has raised the population's protests, as it has been suggested it could create heavy pollution.

Main sights

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• The massive Forte Michelangelo ("Michelangelo's fort") was commissioned to Bramante by Pope Julius II to defend the port from the pirate attacks, and was completed in 1535 by Giuliano Leno and Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, under Paul III. The upper part of the "maschio" tower, however, was completed by Michelangelo, who gave the name to the fortress. The edifice, measuring 100 x 82 m, has four towers with a diameter of 21 m. The main tower, of octagonal shape, has sides of 12 m. The walls have an impressive thickness of 6-7.6 m. The fortress was built over an ancient Roman construction, probably the barracks of the classiarii ("mariners") of the Imperial Fleet.
• The Rocca ("castle"), re-built in the 15th century by Pope Sixtus V. An Apostolic Palace was added by Pius IV in the 16th century.
• The cathedral of San Francesco d'Assisi was built by the Franciscans over a pre-existing, small church built from 1610. The current edifice, with Baroque-Neoclassical lines, was erected in the 18th century.

North to the city are the Terme della Ficoncella, baths frequented by the Civitavecchiesi and by Romans as well. The name stems by the fig plants among the various pools.

Twin cities

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• - Amelia, Italy
• - Betlehem, Israel
• - Ishinomaki, Japan
• - Nantong, China

See also

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Civitavecchia di Arpino exists in the province of Frosinone (Lazio).

External links

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• Images of Fort Michelangelo

Coastal towns in Lazio | Renaissance sites of the Lazio | Roman sites of the Lazio

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