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Nepi and Castel Sant' Elia
Nepi
Nepi is located on a terrace between two deep ravines. It was fortified by the Etruscans and conquered by
the Romans in 383 BC. In 1545 Pope Paulus III, Alessandro Farnese made it a family fief in the attempt to create a little independent state in northern Latium.
XVth century walls: entrance; Farnese coat of arms; lateral view with the old fortress
The entrance to Nepi is protected by the fine XVIth century walls built by the Farnese. The coat of arms on one corner of the walls makes reference to the Farnese as Dukes of Nepi and
Dukes of Castro, another family fief near the Bolsena Lake.
These walls are only a few hundred meters long, because the ravines around Nepi are so deep that they did not require walls.
Views of the old fortress
In addition to the Renaissance (outer) walls Nepi has another curtain of walls, in part dating back to the Etruscan time.
These walls are dominated by two medieval towers which were strengthened by Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia (who became Pope Alexander VI in 1492).
The aqueduct and Palazzo Comunale
In 1649 Pope Innocentius X waged war against the Farnese and he brought their fiefs back under the control of the State of the Church. In the early XVIIIth century
an aqueduct improved the living conditions of the inhabitants of Nepi. The architect Filippo Barigioni completed the aqueduct in 1727
and he modified the Palazzo Comunale by inserting a monumental fountain in its façade.
Main Fountain
The fountain is clearly inspired by many other baroque fountains. The tower and the vipers are a reference to the heraldic symbols of Pope Benedictus XIII (1724-30).
Castel Sant' Elia
Views of and from Castel Sant 'Elia
The ravine near which Castel Sant'Elia is built is not the Grand Canyon, nonetheless it has some spectacular views. The site was chosen by several hermits who lived
in caves cut into the rock.
The Ancient Basilica
The Romans built a Temple to Diana on a little terrace below Castel Sant'Elia. In 520 AD St. Benedict converted this temple into a church which was rebuilt in the XIth century in the Romanesque style.
Details of the side entrances
The left side entrance is decorated with
fragments of reliefs which once were in the ancient church, while the right side entrance is decorated with medieval reliefs.
From Civitavecchia to Civita Castellana - other pages:
Civitavecchia, Allumiere and Tolfa
Oriolo Romano and Caprarola
Sutri, Bassano and Monterosi
Civita Castellana
Latium was enlarged in the 1920s with territories from the neighbouring regions: the map on the left shows the current borders of Latium; the map on the right has links to pages covering towns of historical Latium: in order to see them you must hover and click on the dots.
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