Esperia is a ''
comune
A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...
'' (municipality) in the
Province of Frosinone
The province of Frosinone () is a province in the Lazio region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Frosinone. It has an area of and a total population of 493,605 (2016). The province contains 91 ''comuni'' (: ''comune''), listed in the ...
in the Italian region
Lazio
Lazio ( , ; ) or Latium ( , ; from Latium, the original Latin name, ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy. Situated in the Central Italy, central peninsular section of the country, it has 5,714,882 inhabitants an ...
, located about southeast of Rome and about southeast of
Frosinone
Frosinone (; local dialect: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italian region of Lazio, administrative seat of the province of Frosinone. It is about southeast of Rome, close to the Rome-Naples A1 Motorway. The city is the main city of th ...
. It is located within the
Monti Aurunci Natural Park.
History
According to some theories, the foundation of the town would be linked to the destruction of the
Roman colony
A Roman (: ) was originally a settlement of Roman citizens, establishing a Roman outpost in federated or conquered territory, for the purpose of securing it. Eventually, however, the term came to denote the highest status of a Roman city. It ...
of
Interamna Lirenas, although the first historically documented human presence dates to the foundation of several monasteries, with the annexed boroughs, by the
Abbey of Montecassino (10th century).
The name "Esperia" was chosen in 1867 when the current ''frazioni'' of Roccaguglielma and San Pietro merged into a single municipality, with the former as the municipal seat.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
Esperia was one of the towns that suffered heavily from "
Marocchinate," the mass rape committed after the
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino, also known as the Battle for Rome, was a series of four military assaults by the Allies of World War II, Allies against Nazi Germany, German forces in Kingdom of Italy, Italy during the Italian Campaign (World War ...
by
Goumiers,
Moroccan colonial troops
Colonial troops or colonial army refers to various Military organization#Commands, formations, and units, military units Military recruitment, recruited from, or used as garrison troops in, colonial territories.
Colonial background
Such colonie ...
of the
French Expeditionary Corps. Esperia's mayor at the time reported that in his town, 700 women out of 2,500 inhabitants were raped and that some had died as a result.
Johnny Roselli, infamous American mobster, was born in Esperia in 1905; his real name was Filippo Sacco.
Main sights
The church of Santa Maria Maggiore and San Filippo Neri in Esperia Superiore houses a painting by
Taddeo Zuccari
Taddeo Zuccaro (or Zuccari) (1 September 15292 September 1566) was an Italian painter, one of the most popular members of the Roman mannerist school.
Biography
Zuccaro was born in Sant'Angelo in Vado, near Urbino, the son of Ottaviano Zuccaro, ...
and a 1521 bas-relief. The Baroque Lauretana Chapel, in Esperia Inferiore dedicated to the ''Madonna di Loreto'' has a 16th-century wooden Madonna and several paintings by
Luca Giordano
Luca Giordano (18 October 1634 – 3 January 1705) was an Italian late-Baroque painter and printmaker in etching. Fluent and decorative, he worked successfully in Naples, Rome, Florence, and Venice, before spending a decade in Spain.
Early l ...
.
Other churches include ''San Pietro '' in Esperia Inferiore, ''San Donato'' on Monte D'Oro, ''Santa Maria di Montevetro'' on Monte Montevetro (with 15th-century frescoes) and the 16th-century Sanctuary of ''Madonna delle Grazie'', located near the remains of the castle, ''Santa Maria Maggiore'' in Monticelli, ''San Francesco'' adjoined to the Casa di Riposo in Esperia Superiore, ''Santa Rosa'' located in Badia di Esperia. The ancient monastery of ''San Pietro in Foresta'' located in Monticelli, now only a tower remains today.
Dinosaur footprints were discovered in 2006 in the locality of San Martino.
References
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