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All images © by Roberto Piperno, owner of the domain. Write to romapip@quipo.it. Text edited by Rosamie Moore.
Page revised in January 2012.
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Vasi's Digression - Velletri

Volsci devictis Veliternus ager ademptus: Velitras coloni ab urbe missi et colonia deducta. The Volsci, having been conquered, were deprived of the Veliternian land; colonists were sent from the City to Velitrae and a colony was planted. (Livy - Ab Urbe Condita - Book II - Translation by B. O. Foster)

Velletri
(in descending order) 1) Mt. Artemisio (left) and Velletri (right) seen from Lanuvio; 2) snow-capped Ernici Mts. (left) and Volsci Mts. (right) behind Velletri; 3) Velletri: (centre) Palazzo Comunale; (far right) S. Clemente

Velletri is located at the southern end of the volcanic area known as the Alban Hills which in antiquity was populated by the Latins, the Italic tribe to whom Romulus, the mythical founder of Rome, belonged. The inhabitants of Velletri (Lat. Velitrae) however were Volscans. Rome preferred to populate Velletri with its own citizens, so that it could rely on their loyalty, because the town was located in a strategic position and because the Volscans were ferocior ad rebellandum quam bellandum gens (they fought with greater courage in a rebellion than they did in a war - Livy - Ab Urbe Condita - Book VII).

Augustus and S. Antonio
(left) Modern statue of Emperor Augustus by Giancarlo Soprano on the steps of Palazzo Comunale; (right) portal of S. Antonio made up of ancient entablatures

Livy highlighted the Roman origin of the inhabitants of Velletri because Emperor Augustus spent his early life and probably had been born there.
Velletri was a prosperous Roman town; inscriptions and literary sources tell that it had many temples, that the forum was located near the current cathedral and that it included a theatre. Memories of that glorious past can be seen almost only at the local archaeological museum (see a video showing a sarcophagus decorated with Hercules' Labours and other exhibits - external link - it opens in a separate window).

Medieval memories
Medieval memories: (left) rose window of Badia della SS.ma Trinità (XIIIth century): (centre) detail of the portal of S. Lorenzo (XIth century); (right) capital on a building near S. Salvatore (XIVth century)

Velletri was crossed by Via Appia and because of its position on a hill it blocked the passage of an army coming from the south and on its way to Rome. The town was surrounded by walls (entirely lost) and the coat of arms of the town includes a gigantic tower (perhaps Porta Napoletana) surrounded by the motto: Est mihi libertas papalis et imperialis (I have been given freedom by the pope and the emperor) which indicates that during the Middle Ages, unlike many other neighbouring towns, Velletri was not the fief of powerful families such as the Colonna or the Savelli, but a Comune (free town).

Torre del Trivio
Torre del Trivio (meeting point of three streets)

In 1354, when the popes resided at Avignon and even in Rome there was a major attempt to establish a Comune, the inhabitants of Velletri completed the construction of a very tall tower which was meant to symbolize the independence of their town. Eventually it became the Romanesque bell tower of an adjoining church which has been rebuilt several times.
Torre del Trivio, in addition to ceramic dishes which can be seen in many Roman bell towers of the same period such as that of SS. Giovanni e Paolo, was decorated by alternate layers of bricks and black volcanic stones; this technique (opus listatum) was developed during the Late Empire and it was eventually adopted by the Byzantines.

Details of the Cathedral
S. Clemente (Cathedral): bell tower and apse (XIIIth century)

Opus listatum was utilized also for the decoration of the town's cathedral (or duomo). Italian Comuni competed for having the largest cathedral and the tallest municipal tower and also Velletri did not hesitate to build a large cathedral above an ancient Roman basilica. In 1656 the bell tower partially collapsed and it was hastily rebuilt. The cathedral does not have a façade, but a lateral entrance flanked by two long porches.

Details of the Cathedral
S. Clemente (Cathedral): (left) window of the Bishop's Palace built by Cardinal Guillaume d' Estouteville and similar to those of Palazzo Venezia in Rome; (right) portal leading to the sacristy built by Cardinal Giuliano Della Rovere who eventually became Pope Julius II

Velletri retained its municipal institutions until the XVIth century, but already in the previous century papal control over the town became more stringent. According to a XIIth century bull the see of Ostia, the harbour of ancient Rome, was assigned to the Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals. Ostia however was a rather miserable hamlet in a very unhealthy location and because of this the diocese of Ostia was joined with that of Velletri; many cardinals chose to reside in this town and they embellished its cathedral.

Porta Napoletana
Porta Napoletana

With the development of gunpowder and cannon medieval fortifications became obsolete: in 1511 the southern gate of Velletri was redesigned and strengthened by the addition of two large round towers. Porta Romana, the northern gate of the town did not require to be strengthened and in 1573 it was redesigned by il Vignola, but it was pulled down in the XXth century to facilitate the passage of cars.

Palazzo Municipale
Palazzo Comunale: (left) western side; (right) eastern side


Velletri retained some municipal magistrates until 1591 when all powers were entrusted to the town's bishop. Palazzo Comunale was the swansong of Comune as its construction started in 1575; it was designed by il Vignola and completed by Giacomo della Porta. It stands on the highest point of Velletri and it is visible from a great distance; it was rebuilt dov'era e come era (where and how it was) after WWII.

Oratorio di S. Maria del Sangue
Oratorio di S. Maria del Sangue (left), S. Michele Arcangelo (right) and S. Lorenzo (far right)

The square in front of Palazzo Comunale is embellished by two small churches (and a third one is visible not far away). Oratorio di S. Maria del Sangue is an elegant Renaissance chapel built to house a sacred image on a wall which in 1516 cried tears of blood (It. sangue). The event was thought to be a bad omen and when a few years later a plague struck the town, it was decided to build this small chapel. Octagonal buildings are typical of baptisteries (see that of S. Giovanni in Laterano), but also of buildings celebrating the end of a pestilence such as S. Rocco at Bagnaia.
S. Michele Arcangelo was built in the XIXth century on the site of a medieval church. Its design and size fits well with that of the nearby oratory also thanks to its Renaissance portal.

Fontana Piazza Mazzini
Fountain at Piazza Mazzini

The aqueducts built by Pope Sixtus V (Acqua Felice in 1587) and Pope Paul V (Acqua Paola in 1612) made Rome famous for its abundance of water and its fountains. In 1612 Giovanni Fontana, an engineer who worked with his brother Domenico at the construction of the two aqueducts, built an aqueduct which from Mt. Artemisio (a mountain named after goddess Artemis/Diana who was worshipped at Ariccia and Nemi) carried water to Velletri. In the following years three fountains were built to distribute the water. Their design follows the pattern established by Giacomo Della Porta in many Roman fountains.

Growth of Velletri
(above) 1787 inscription celebrating the opening of a hostel for travellers along Via Appia by Pope Pius VI; (below) reliefs celebrating the role of Velletri as capital of Priovincia Marittima and the return of Pope Pius IX from his exile in the Kingdom of Naples

I am writing this in a very miserable inn and am too tired and uncomfortable to write any more. J. W. Goethe - Velletri, February 22, 1787 (Italian Journey - translation by W. H. Auden and Elizabeth Mayer). If Goethe had travelled at the end of that same year he could have stayed at a much more comfortable place. Pope Pius VI made several improvements to Via Appia and he reclaimed the land along the road, in particular at Terracina. He knew that many travellers would have chosen to reach Naples by Via Appia rather than by following the inland road and he therefore promoted the construction of a hostel which was inaugurated in November 1787.
The importance of the town grew in 1832 when, thanks to the action of Cardinal Bartolomeo Pacca, Velletri became the capital of Provincia Marittima which included the Pontine Marshes and the towns between Velletri and Terracina. A few years later Pope Pius IX increased the territory reporting to Velletri by adding some inland towns such as Anagni and Alatri to it. In 1863 a railway linked Rome to Velletri and shortly after to Naples.

Piazza Cairoli
Piazza Cairoli (once Piazza del Trivio), the site where brigands were executed, and another XVIIth century fountain; (inset) a plaque mentioning some executions

In 1850 Velletri had approximately 12,000 inhabitants and it was the most important town of the Papal State south of Rome. One of the privileges its inhabitants had was that they could attend beheadings which took place in a central square (you may wish to read a description of one of these gruesome events by Charles Dickens).
Cencio Vendetta was one of the brigands executed in the square. He has become a local folk hero because in 1858 he dared to steal a sacred image in the cathedral. By returning the image he hoped his many crimes would be pardoned, but he was arrested and executed together with his brother.

S. Salvatore and oratory behind S. Lorenzo
(left) S. Salvatore; (right) XVIIIth century oratory behind S. Lorenzo; (inset) coat of arms of Pope Benedict XIV

XIXth century travellers' books had just a couple of lines on Velletri and "its narrow and crowded streets". Overall the town and its monuments were not regarded as having a particular historical or artistic relevance. This explains why its reconstruction after WWII did not care much about recreating its previous aspect. Velletri, in particular, was significantly damaged in the battle which followed the landing of the Allies on the beaches of Anzio in January 1944.
S. Salvatore and some other churches were rebuilt in new forms, but other monuments such as Palazzo Ginnetti were completely pulled down and replaced by modern buildings, while a large Franciscan monastery and an oratory near S. Lorenzo were left to rot.

Cardinal Ratzinger
S. Clemente (Cathedral): (left) coat of arms of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of his ordainment; his motto (Co-workers of the Truth) is taken from the Third Epistle of John; in 1914 the diocese of Velletri was separated from Ostia and in 1981 it was combined with that of Segni; (right) bronze column donated by the German bishops to Pope Benedict XVI (Cardinal Ratzinger)

The image used as background for this page shows an elaborate door handle near S. Salvatore.

Excerpts from Giuseppe Vasi 1761 Itinerary related to this page:


Città di Velletri
Sulla medesima strada 24. miglia lungi da Roma è questa insigne città, la quale fu la metropoli e capo de' Volschi, ed e illustre per il nascimento della famiglia Ottavia Augusta; perciò Ottaviano vi ebbe delle delizie, come ancora Tiberio, Nerva, Cajo Caligola, e Ottone, delle quali ancor oggidì se ne vedono li vestigj. Ma lasciate le profane memorie, si crede, che quì s. Pietro nella seconda volta, che venne da Gerusalemme a Roma, o pure s. Paolo nel passare, che fece da questa città, vi spargesse la parola evangelica; ma con più probabilità si presume ciò di s. Clemente oriundo da Velletri, per avergli i Velletrani dedicato dopo il di lui martirio il più magnifico tempio, che avevano, eretto a Marte, che oggidì è la chiesa cattedrale, alla quale fu poi da Eugenio III. unita, come diremo, quella di Ostia. E' riguardevole in questa città il palazzo Ginnetti, colla magnifica scala tutta di candidi marmi, e la statua di metallo eretta nella piazza ad Urbano VIII. per benemerenza da quel popolo.

Cori
Next step in your tour of the Environs of Rome: Cori (and the Volsci Mts.) seen from Velletri


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.

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