Ferentino is a town and ''
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 ...
'' in
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, 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 ...
,
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 ...
, southeast of
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
.
It is situated on a hill
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
, in the
Monti Ernici
The Monti Ernici (Italian: "Mountains of the Hernici") are a mountain range in central Italy, part of the sub- Apennines of Lazio. They are bounded by the valley of the river Aniene to the north-east, that of the Liri to the east, and, from so ...
area.
History
''Ferentinum'' was a town of the
Hernici
The Hernici were an Italic tribe of ancient Italy, whose territory was in Latium between the Fucine Lake and the Sacco River (''Trerus''), bounded by the Volsci on the south, and by the Aequi and the Marsi on the north.
History
For many y ...
; it was captured from them by the
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of Roman civilization
*Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
in 364 BC and took no part in the rising of 306 BC. The inhabitants became Roman citizens after 195 BC, and the place later became a municipium. It lay just above the
Via Latina
The Via Latina (Latin for "Latin Road") was a Roman road of Italy, running southeast from Rome for about 200 kilometers.
Route
It led from the Porta Latina in the Aurelian walls of Rome to the pass of Mount Algidus; it was important in the ea ...
and, being a strong place, served for the detention of hostages.
From 1198 to 1557 it was the seat of the Papal rectorate of
Campagna and Marittima province.
Strong in textiles (linen and embroidery) and handicraft (clay bricks from Fornaci Giorgi), after
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 ...
Ferentino experienced a heavy industrial growth, mainly in pharmaceuticals.
Main sights
Ferentino still possesses remains of ancient fortifications. The lower portion of the outer walls, which probably did not stand free, is built of roughly hewn blocks of a limestone which naturally splits into horizontal layers; above this in places is walling of rectangular blocks of
tuff
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock co ...
. Two gates, the ''Porta Maggiore'', a double gate constructed entirely of rectangular blocks of tuff, and the ''Porta Sanguinaria'' (with an arch with tuff voussoirs), are preserved. Outside this gate, the testament of
Aulus Quinctilius Priscus inscribed in the rock.
The highest part of the town, the
acropolis
An acropolis was the settlement of an upper part of an ancient Greek city, especially a citadel, and frequently a hill with precipitous sides, mainly chosen for purposes of defense. The term is typically used to refer to the Acropolis of Athens ...
(2nd-1st centuries BC), is fortified also; it has massive retaining walls similar to those of the lower town. At the eastern corner, under the present episcopal palace, the construction is somewhat more careful. A projecting rectangular terrace has been erected, supported by walls of quadrilateral blocks of limestone arranged almost horizontally; while upon the level thus formed a building of rectangular blocks of local travertine was raised. The projecting cornice of this building bears two inscriptions of the period of
Sulla
Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (, ; 138–78 BC), commonly known as Sulla, was a Roman people, Roman general and statesman of the late Roman Republic. A great commander and ruthless politician, Sulla used violence to advance his career and his co ...
, recording its construction by two censors (local officials); and in the interior, which contains several chambers, there is an inscription of the same censors over one of the doors, and another over a smaller external side door. The windows lighting these chambers come immediately above the cornice, and the wall continues above them again. The whole of this construction probably belongs to one period.

The
Cathedral of Sts John and Paul occupies a part of the level top of the ancient acropolis; it was reconstructed on the site of an older church in 1099–1118; the interior was modernized in 1693, but was restored to its original form in 1902. It contains a fine
ciborium in the
Cosmatesque
Cosmatesque, or Cosmati, is a style of geometric decorative inlay stonework typical of the architecture of Medieval Italy, and especially of Rome and its surroundings. It was used most extensively for the decoration of church floors, but was also ...
style and a 12th-century mosaic pavement.
The Gothic church of ''Santa Maria Maggiore'', in the lower town (13th-14th century), has a very fine exterior; the interior, the plan of which is a perfect rectangle, has been spoiled by restoration. Other religious edifices include the Benedictine church of ''San Valentino'' (mostly remade after World War II, but still including 13th-century frescoes) and the Romanesque monastery of ''Sant'Antonio Abate'', which housed the remains of
Pope Celestine V
Pope Celestine V (; 1209/1210 or 1215 – 19 May 1296), born Pietro Angelerio (according to some sources ''Angelario'', ''Angelieri'', ''Angelliero'', or ''Angeleri''), also known as Pietro da Morrone, Peter of Morrone, and Peter Celestine, was ...
until 1327. The latter's heart is preserved in the small convent church of the Clarisse (17th century).
In 2021, Italy's Minister of Culture awarded €1.5 million to fund the first full excavation of the town's Roman theatre, which will be partially restored for community use.
Twinned cities
*
Ekaterinburg
Yekaterinburg (, ; ), alternatively Romanization of Russian, romanized as Ekaterinburg and formerly known as Sverdlovsk ( ; 1924–1991), is a city and the administrative centre of Sverdlovsk Oblast and the Ural Federal District, Russia. The ci ...
,
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
*
San Severino Marche
San Severino Marche is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Macerata in the Italian region Marche, located about southwest of Ancona and about southwest of Macerata.
History
From prehistory to Roman age
The oldest remains of human ...
,
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
*
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, Winnebago and Ogle County, Illinois, Ogle counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Located in far northern Illinois on the banks of the Rock River (Mississippi River tributary), Rock River, Rockfor ...
,
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
See also
*
Roman Catholic Diocese of Ferentino
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ferentino existed until 1986, when it was united into the new diocese of Frosinone-Veroli-Ferentino. Wikipedia:SPS, Wikipedia:SPS,
History
It is said, by Ferdinando Ughelli, Ferdinand Ughelli, that in the time of Em ...
*
Roman Catholic Diocese of Frosinone-Veroli-Ferentino
References
Sources
*
External links
Ferentino.org City, history, people and sightseeingIl Cartello - an artists collective promoting a large number of cultural activities in Ferentino
*
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Lazio