San Vito Romano
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San Vito Romano (Sanvitese Romanesco: ) 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) of 3,320 inhabitants in the province 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, ...
in
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 ...
. It is located in the Prenestini Mountains, 50 km from the provincial capital: Rome. San Vito Romano borders the following municipalities: Bellegra,
Capranica Prenestina Capranica Prenestina is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Rome in the Italian region Lazio, located about east of Rome. It is located in the Monti Prenestini The Monti Prenestini is a mountain range in the Lazio sub-Apenn ...
,
Genazzano Genazzano is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Metropolitan City of Rome, located on a tuff spur at above sea level that, starting from the Monti Prenestini, ends on the Sacco River valley. History The name originate ...
,
Olevano Romano Olevano Romano is a (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Rome in the Italian region of Latium, located about east of Rome. It is the probable birthplace of the composer Giovanni Gentile. Culture Starting from the early 19th century, and c ...
,
Pisoniano Pisoniano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Rome in the Italian region Lazio, located about east of Rome. Pisoniano borders the following municipalities: Bellegra, Capranica Prenestina, Cerreto Laziale, Ciciliano, Gerano ...
. The town is known as the Switzerland of Lazio for its natural beauty and the colors that characterize the seasons. The inhabitants are called Sanvitesi (santuitisi in dialect).


History


Antiquity

In antiquity, the area was inhabited by the Italic population of the Equi (Aequi), whose territory stretched along the Aniene valley as far as Varia (present-day Vicovaro). Many assume that the town derives from a settlement that existed in Roman times known as Vitellia. This is due to
Suetonius Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (), commonly referred to as Suetonius ( ; – after AD 122), was a Roman historian who wrote during the early Imperial era of the Roman Empire. His most important surviving work is ''De vita Caesarum'', common ...
mentioning the existence of a colony called Vitellia in the area, named after the
gens In ancient Rome, a gens ( or , ; : gentes ) was a family consisting of individuals who shared the same ''nomen gentilicium'' and who claimed descent from a common ancestor. A branch of a gens, sometimes identified by a distinct cognomen, was cal ...
of Vitellia. He states that the Vitelli stood up against the Equi on their own in order to the defend the settlement. The settlement was also mentioned by ancient historians such as
Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding i ...
,
Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/24 79), known in English as Pliny the Elder ( ), was a Roman Empire, Roman author, Natural history, naturalist, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the Roman emperor, emperor Vesp ...
, and
Stephen of Byzantium Stephanus or Stephen of Byzantium (; , ''Stéphanos Byzántios''; centuryAD) was a Byzantine grammarian and the author of an important geographical dictionary entitled ''Ethnica'' (). Only meagre fragments of the dictionary survive, but the epit ...
. However there is no archaeological evidence to link today's settlement of San Vito Romano to the ancient city of Vitellia. Livy again records Vitellia as a Roman colony conquered by the Equi and placed in their territory in a strategic position.


Medieval period

In the 6th century A.D., the territory was under Longobard domination, as recalled by a number of place names called ‘La Corte’, from curtis, a
Longobard The Lombards () or Longobards () were a Germanic people who conquered most of the Italian Peninsula between 568 and 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the '' History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 and 796) t ...
term to indicate the typical housing system of the Longobard era, a combination of dwelling, rural building and fortified centre. In the 9th century A.D., the territory was destroyed by the
Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Rom ...
s, who invaded the coastline and hinterland of Latium as far as the Sublacen territory. Those who escaped the raids took refuge on the mountain where San Vito Romano stands today, using the natural cavities in the area as a refuge. Here, with the help of the
Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...
monks, the inhabitants rebuilt the town centre that revolved around a fortress built on the top of the cliff: the name Castrum Sancti Viti appears in a document of the Prenestina curia and is probably due to the choice made by the Benedictine monks to rename it after "Saint Vito". Two gates from this period are preserved: ‘Porta dell'Ospedale’ and ‘Porta del Ponte’, for the drawbridge that allowed the crossing of the ‘Cavoni’ gully and the entrance to the village. The gates are made with pointed arches, made of blocks with white lime binder. The other gate of San Vito, known as ‘Porta Borgo’, is located a few metres from Via delle Logge, the highest area of the village until the construction of Borgo Mario Theodoli in
1649 Events January–March * January 4 – In England, the Rump Parliament passes an ordinance to set up a High Court of Justice, to try Charles I for high treason. * January 17 – The Second Ormonde Peace concludes an allian ...
, which will be discussed later. Traces are found in the Regesto Sublacense of 1085, which attests the donation of some lands by the Lord of Paliano to the Monastery of Subiaco. The Sublacensis monks, similarly to some neighbouring centres, had protection over the settlement until 1180, when the castrum became the property of the Colonna family, who engaged in other struggles with the
papacy The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
, equipped the castle with new fortification works, surrounding it with a road called ‘La Difesa’, with guard functions, along which armed sentries circulated.


Modern period

San Vito was administered as a feud by the Colonna family, who remained
feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...
lords of the village. Rome, Genazzano and San Vito were the birthplaces of Oddone Colonna (who became pope under the name of Martin V). Throughout the Prenestina area, after Martin V's election to the papal throne, devotion to St Martin grew considerably and materialised through the erection of many aedicules: one of them, the ‘Cona di San Martino’, can still be seen in San Vito. In
1565 Year 1565 ( MDLXV) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 3 – In the Tsardom of Russia, Ivan the Terrible originates the oprichnina (repression of the boyars (aristocrats) ...
,
Marcantonio Colonna Marcantonio II Colonna (sometimes spelled Marc'Antonio; 1535 – August 1, 1584), Duke of Tagliacozzo and Duke and Prince of Paliano, was an Italian aristocrat who served as Viceroy of Sicily in the service of the Spanish Crown, general of ...
, burdened by debts, was forced to sell the ownership of the town. San Vito was bought by the
Massimo Massimo () is a masculine Italian given name. Notable people with the name include: * Massimo Agostinelli (Max Agos) (born 1987), Swiss-based Italian American artist, entrepreneur and activist * Massimo Agostini (born 1964), Italian football man ...
family, who after just ten years, in
1575 Year 1575 ( MDLXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events January–March * January 21 – Queen Elizabeth I of England grants a monopoly on producing printed sheet music, to Thomas Tallis and Will ...
, sold it in turn to the Theodoli family, who paid 20,000 Roman
scudi The ''scudo'' (pl. ''scudi'') was the name for a number of coins used in various states in the Italian peninsula from 1551 until the 19th century. The name, like that of the French écu and the Spanish and Portuguese escudo, was derived from t ...
for it. It was Gerolamo Theodoli, Bishop of Cadiz, who acquired the
fiefdom A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...
, taking upon himself the title of Count of
Ciciliano Ciciliano is a (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Rome in the Italian region of Latium, located about east of Rome. Ciciliano borders the following municipalities: Capranica Prenestina, Castel Madama, Cerreto Laziale, Pisoniano, Samb ...
and Lord of San Vito and
Pisoniano Pisoniano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Rome in the Italian region Lazio, located about east of Rome. Pisoniano borders the following municipalities: Bellegra, Capranica Prenestina, Cerreto Laziale, Ciciliano, Gerano ...
. The first
Marquis A marquess (; ) is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German-language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman with the rank of a marquess or the wife (or wido ...
of San Vito, in 1592, was Teodolo Theodoli. The Theodoli family, marquises of San Vito in the 17th and 18th centuries, strongly determined and oriented the political and architectural life of the town itself: Giovanni Theodoli, brother of Teodolo, first Marquis of San Vito and Pisciano and Count of Ciciliano, was responsible for the design of the church of San Biagio (1607 - 1609), while Giovanni's sons Alfonso and Mario Theodoli were substantially responsible for the urban layout of San Vito: These promoted the redevelopment in 1646 of the Piazza San Biagio overlooked by the old town hall, but above all, Mario Theodoli was the architect of the design, construction and opening of the so-called ‘Borgo Mario’ in 1649. The work to build the village was long and complex, at the end of which a long, wide road was opened, flanked by buildings such as the Carmelite convent, now the Palazzo Comunale and later the site of the historical archive. Alfonso's son, Carlo Theodoli, was also the architect, who was responsible for the expansion and arrangement of the Castle: in fact, it is to him that we owe the peculiar ship-shape highlighted by the scarp wall cladding that surrounds it, and the fresco decoration of some of the rooms. The new part of the palace was enriched with a collection of paintings and the rooms on the ground floor were frescoed. Today the palace is private property. It was in the period under the Teodolo family, moreover, that Mattia Baccelli came to San Vito around 1648: he was born into a family of Florentine bankers, originally from Firenze Peretola, and was brought to the Marquis's properties as a patrimonial administrator. In 1677, Mattia married Faustina Ronci from San Vito in his third marriage. He was also the ancestor of the minister and physician Guido Baccelli, who liked to rest from his political and academic commitments in his flat in San Vito.


Contemporary period

The territory was occupied during the Napoleonic period and was subjected by the Roman Republic's administration between 1798 and 1799, and then the Papal States up until 1870 with the only exception of the period under the Second Roman Republic. The administration of the area under the Papacy went as follows; - 1798: department of
Circeo Monte Circeo or Cape Circeo ( , ) is a mountain promontory that marks the southwestern limit of the former Pontine Marshes, located on the southwest coast of Italy near San Felice Circeo. At the northern end of the Gulf of Gaeta, it is about ...
, canton of
Paliano Paliano is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Frosinone, in the Lazio region of central Italy. History Paliano was the seat of a branch of the powerful Colonna family whose head was Lord, then Duke, then Prince of Paliano. Their fortres ...
; - 1810: department of Rome, district of Tivoli, canton of Olevano; - 1816: district of Rome, district government of Tivoli,
baronial Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knight ...
place; - 1817: department of Rome and comarca, district government of Subiaco, governor's seat; - 1827: comarca of Rome, district of Subiaco, seat of the governor ( Capranica, Civitella occa S. Stefano, Rojate Pisciano) - 1831: comarca of Rome, district of Subiaco, seat of the governor (Capranica, Civitella, Pisciano, Rocca S. Stefano, Rojate) After the
annexation Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. In current international law, it is generally held t ...
of the Papal States by the
Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...
, in
1871 Events January–March * January 3 – Franco-Prussian War: Battle of Bapaume – Prussians win a strategic victory. * January 18 – Proclamation of the German Empire: The member states of the North German Confederation and the sout ...
, the name "San Vito" was changed to "San Vito Romano" officially due to the fact that there were already other towns in Italy with similar
names A name is a term used for identification by an external observer. They can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. The entity identified by a name is called its referent. A person ...
. The name was officialized in the decree that follows; ''‘However, in order that such an office may proceed with all the regularity that is desired, it seems to me necessary to provoke a Royal Decree so that an appellation may be added to this municipality of ours with which to distinguish it from other localities of the same name of S. Vito, of which there are forty-seven in our Kingdom, and thus avoid the very serious inconveniences that could occur in the transmigration of our correspondence’.'' A vote was taken for the appellation ‘Romano’, which was undoubtedly the best due to its proximity to Rome, the capital of the Kingdom since 1871. A few weeks later, with the Royal Decree given in
Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
on 16 May 1872, recalling the law of 20 March 1865, which defined the organisational aspects of the Kingdom of Italy in the aftermath of national unity, and recalling the Municipal Council resolution of 14 April, S. Vito in the province of Rome was authorised by the then King
Victor Emmanuel II Victor Emmanuel II (; full name: ''Vittorio Emanuele Maria Alberto Eugenio Ferdinando Tommaso di Savoia''; 14 March 1820 – 9 January 1878) was King of Sardinia (also informally known as Piedmont–Sardinia) from 23 March 1849 until 17 March ...
to take the name S. Vito Romano. Minister Guido Baccelli was an important figure of this time. He is known for his role as the Minister of Education and Agriculture. He reformed public education by equipping it with analytical programmes. He instituted, on 21 November
1898 Events January * January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York as the world's second largest. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queen ...
, the first ‘National Tree Day’, which was restored to local schools in the last few years. To crown this work of agrarian and forestry economy, S. Vito inaugurated a Section of the Agricultural Institute in the area. In the 1920s a nucleus of prestigious political and friendly relations soon grew up around the Baccelli and the Theodoli families, thanks also to the presence of the Castellini family, with the notary Paolo, who in 1929 drafted the "Concordat between State and Church", the Ivella family, with the mayor Sisto and the pharmacist Domenico, and the Viscogliosi - Baccelli family, who became related to the minister
Alfredo Rocco Alfredo Rocco (9 September 1875 – 28 August 1935) was an Italian politician and jurist. He was Professor of Commercial Law at the University of Urbino (1899–1902) and in Macerata (1902–1905), then Professor of Civil Procedure in Parma, of ...
. The town sent its people to fight both of the
World Wars A world war is an international conflict that involves most or all of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World War I (19 ...
, with many being remembered in the town's
war memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...
. The town however suffered the most in WW2, when there were multiple reprisals against the local population, for example the ones listed below; 1 May 1944, Monday - San Vito Romano (Rome): the Germans kill the civilian Benedetto Di Rosa by stabbing the corpse with daggers. On 5 June 1944, a retreating German unit killed four civilians in San Vito Romano. The corpses of three of the victims are hit with daggers. The reprisals against the locals were small but significant due to the low population of the town, that in a
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
in
1936 Events January–February * January 20 – The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King Edward VIII, following the death of his father, George V, at Sandringham House. * January 28 – Death and state funer ...
barely reached 4200 civilians.


Latest historical developments

The most recent architectural development in the area was nearby the street known as "Viale Piave and Viale Giovanni XXIII" (named after the Pope), on the Empolitana in the direction of
Pisoniano Pisoniano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Rome in the Italian region Lazio, located about east of Rome. Pisoniano borders the following municipalities: Bellegra, Capranica Prenestina, Cerreto Laziale, Ciciliano, Gerano ...
. The newly constructed chapel is known as the "Chapel of the Holy Trinity", adorned with a precious garden and built in 1994 by the people of San Vito, who do not fail to walk to the Vallepietra Sanctuary every year.


Society


Demographic history

* Population of San Vito Romano throughout various historical periods.


Folklore and tradition


Feasts and festivals

* Feast of St Blaise; 2 and 3 February -
procession A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner. History Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...
, fair and distribution of aniseed
doughnut A doughnut or donut () is a type of pastry made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and fran ...
s. * Feast of the patron saint, San Vito; 15 June or neighbouring Sunday - traditional infiorata and procession. * Feast of the Madonnina di Compigliano; 22 August or nearby Sunday - procession with characteristic infiorat

*
Carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...
Parade; 1 March.


Local cuisine

* The Nusche are a typical
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
product of San Vito Romano, a must in every kitchen in the town. The preparation is based on Romanesco courgettes and begins as early as the summer, letting the courgettes grow at the maximum size. Once harvested, the
pumpkin A pumpkin is a cultivar, cultivated winter squash in the genus ''Cucurbita''. The term is most commonly applied to round, orange-colored squash varieties, but does not possess a scientific definition. It may be used in reference to many dif ...
is cut into slices and left to dry in the sun strung on straws hung on the balconies. Once dried, the pumpkins are kept until Christmas when they are soaked for a day and cooked in boiling salted water, then left to drain. Once dry, they are floured and fried and then marinated in a preparation of
vinegar Vinegar () is an aqueous solution of diluted acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains from 5% to 18% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting ...
,
citrus zest Zest is a food ingredient that is prepared by scraping or cutting from the rind of unwaxed citrus fruits such as lemon, orange, citron, and lime. Zest is used to add flavor to many different types of food. In terms of fruit anatomy, the zes ...
, mint, garlic and sage. After a few hours they are ready to be served. The ''Nusche'' are characterised by a ring shape and a light beige colour. The medium olfactory intensity is characterised by the pronounced notes of vinegar and sage, combined with vegetable hints of courgettes, citrus fruits and garlic. The taste is moderately salty and acidic, with a slight sweet note. Low aromatic persistence. * Turkey with meatballs made of water and flour, eggless fettuccine with porcini mushrooms. * Ravioli with local chard and ricotta, tomatoes with rice and potatoes. * Rolls with meat sauce, yellow corn square with broccoli cooked on stone with sausages.


Amministrazione

List of electoral result in the local "comunali elections".


Twin cities

* Saint Veit in the Mill District


Local sports


Football/Soccer

ASD Audace is an amateur football club founded in 2014 by the merger of three teams: ASD Sanvitese Calcio, Audace Genazzano and ASD Empolitana Giovenzano; it plays its home matches at the Le Rose field in Genazzano and plays in the Lazio excellence league.


Field hockey

Club Hockey Libero San Vito 1967 is a hockey club that plays its home games at the Campo Comunale in Serie A1. In 2014, it hosted the Italian finals of the Under-17 category, which saw the visiting team win.


People

*
Francesco Rocca Francesco Rocca (; born 2 August 1954) is an Italian professional association football, football coach and former player, who played as a defender (association football), defender. He spent his entire career with Italian club A.S. Roma, Roma, w ...
- football player


Representation in media and literature

* Secular priest Giuseppe De’ Sallusti in 1853 acknowledged San Vito Romano, by remarking; ''" Santo Vito is located at the top of a high, pleasant hill, ‘where one breathes a balsamic air in a pleasant atmosphere."'' * The Italian movie " Il Campanile D'Oro" (The Golden Bell Tower) was filmed in the town.


References


External links


Official website
{{authority control Cities and towns in Lazio