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All images © by Roberto Piperno, owner of the domain. Write to romapip@quipo.it. Text edited by Rosamie Moore.

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On the Edge of the Marsh Priverno

(for the full map click here - opens in another window)

Priverno is the Italianized name of Privernum, a town conquered by the Romans in 324 BC and abandoned in the VIIIth century because of the Saracen raids. Its inhabitants founded a new town called Piperno, on a low hill separating the valley of the Amaseno River from the coastal plain. In 1928 the name of the town was changed at a time when it was decided to rename many medieval towns with more or less appropriate Roman names (Corneto became Tarquinia, Toscanella Tuscania, Lavinia Lanuvio, etc.).

View over the Amaseno valley and the towns of Roccagorga and Maenza
View over the Amaseno River valley and the towns of Roccagorga and Maenza

Priverno was not the only town founded by the inhabitants of the valley when they had to find a safer location where to settle. Priverno does not have a view over the coastal plain, but towards the valley where the ancient town was located.

Main square and Cathedral
Main square and Cathedral

Unlike many other towns of southern Latium which belonged to a powerful family and where the main non religious building is a castle or a palace, Priverno flourished as a free town (a comune) and its main square with the Palazzo Comunale next to the Cathedral reminds of Tuscany or Umbria, where most of the free towns developed.

Main fountain and Town Hall
Main fountain and Town Hall

While the Cathedral shows the signs of several modifications, the Town Hall retains its original design with the large windows giving light to the assembly room where the citizen met in a form of direct democracy which did not survive to the restoration of the papal rule in the XIV/XVth centuries.

Windows of Priverno
Windows of Priverno (far left: Palazzo Senaca; left: Palazzo di S. Giorgio)

In addition to the Town Hall, many other palaces have Gothic windows, but for my selection of Windows of Italy I choose a Renaissance window of Priverno.

Steps in Priverno
There is no lack of steps in Priverno

Priverno was not badly affected by the reclamation of the marsh and by the creation of new towns. Its historical centre is still densely populated and the inhabitants seem accustomed to its many steps.

Doors of Priverno
Doors of Priverno (centre: Palazzo Setacci; right: Palazzo Spadaro)

While the windows of Priverno are mainly Gothic, the finest doors follow a Renaissance pattern.

Medieval Priverno
Medieval Priverno (left: column before S. Giovanni Evangelista; centre: porch of the Cathedral; right: a head walled on an old building and a detail of the portal of S. Antonio Abate)

The image used as background for this page shows a relief on the portal of the Cathedral: it is not the only puzzling medieval work of art one can find wandering about in the streets of Priverno.

Move back to Sermoneta and Sezze or go south and visit Terracina.


Pages on towns of Latium other than Rome In the Duchy of Castro: Farnese, Ischia di Castro, Valentano, Gradoli, Capodimonte, Marta In Maremma: Corneto (Tarquinia), Montalto, Canino A Pilgrim's Way: Via Francigena: Acquapendente, Bolsena, Montefiascone In and about Viterbo: Viterbo, Bagnoregio, S. Martino al Cimino, Tuscania, Bomarzo, S. Maria della Querce, Bagnaia, Orte, Vasanello, Vitorchiano From Civitavecchia to Civita Castellana: Civitavecchia, Tolfa, Allumiere, Oriolo Romano, Capranica, Sutri, Bassano, Monterosi, Nepi, Castel d'Elia, Civita Castellana From Bracciano to Viterbo: Manziana, Canale Monterano, Vejano, Barbarano, Blera, Vetralla Around Monte Cimino: Ronciglione, Caprarola, Carbognano, Fabrica, Corchiano, Vignanello, Vallerano, Soriano The Bracciano Lake: Bracciano, Trevignano, Anguillara At the foot of Monte Soratte: S. Oreste, Rignano, Faleria Land of the Romans' wives: Montopoli, Poggio Mirteto, Casperia, Cantalupo, Roccantica Sentinels on the Highway: Fiano Romano, Civitella S. Paolo, Nazzano, Torrita Tiberina, Filacciano, Ponzano Along Via Aurelia: Palidoro, Palo, S. Severa and S. Marinella A Walk to Malborghetto: Prima Porta, Malborghetto Branching off Via Cassia: S. Maria di Galeria, Formello, Isola Farnese To Nomentum and beyond: Mentana, Monterotondo, Palombara A Walk to Ponte di Nona: ancient monuments along Via Prenestina Via Appia Antica A short and delicious digression: Tivoli, Montecompatri, Monte Porzio Catone, Frascati, Grottaferrata, Marino, Castelgandolfo, Albano, Ariccia, Genzano, Velletri, Nemi, Rocca di Papa, Rocca Priora, Civita Lavinia (Lanuvio), Porto, Ostia Where the painters found their models: Anticoli Corrado, Castelmadama, Vicovaro, Arsoli Subiaco The Roman Campagna: Palestrina, Genazzano, Paliano, Anagni The Ernici Mountains: Ferentino, Alatri The Volsci Mountains: Valmontone, Colonna, Segni, Norma, Cori On the Latin Shores: Anzio, Nettuno, Torre Astura On the edge of the marsh: Sermoneta, Sezze, Priverno Circe's Cape: S. Felice, Terracina Veroli Branching off Via Flaminia: Riano, Castelnuovo di Porto, Morlupo, Leprignano (Capena)

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.