TERRACINA
Terracina is a town on the west coast of Italy, it is situated south of Rome and has a population of around 46,000. Terracina hosts several sagre, or festivals, including a strawberry festival in late Spring, a chestnut festival in Autumn, and a muscatel grape festival in late Summer. Legend has it that Terracina’s muscatel wine was Ulysses favourite tipple and that the muscatel grapes are the sweetest in the region.
A brief history of Terracina
Terracina appears in ancient sources with two names: the Latin Terracina and the Volscian Anxur. The Greeks settled here, then the Romans and the city was located along the famous Roman road, Via Appia. Thanks to this location, Terracina became an essential hub of activity in the fertile valley lying to the west, and new settlements started to grow at the foot of the hill nearby. In the Middle Ages, after the Lombards had conquered part of Italy in the late 6th century, Terracina remained an important military stronghold of the Eastern Roman Empire. It later became part of the Duchy of Naples and was one of the northernmost outposts of Byzantine authority in the south. The 16th century saw the personal freedoms steadily eroded, due to the general decline of Terracina, aggravated by malaria in the surrounding marshland and from North African pirate attacks. In the 17th century the popes began to repopulate Terracina by resettling families from the countryside nearby by luring them with tax exemption, and in the two centuries that followed, the construction of the Terracina we can see today occurred. Pope Pius VI also began a project to drain the marshes and added a new neighbourhood near the port. The city had suffered substantial damage by the end of World War II, but Terracina developed again rapidly, with new neighborhoods developing towards the Via Appia and alongside the coast north.
Things to do in Terracina
Terracina Cathedral or Duomo is built within a temple of Roma and Augustus, part of the original, columned sidewall is still visible, it was constructed in 1074, and renovated in the 12th and 18th centuries. To the right of the Duomo, is the Gothic Palazzo Venditti, from the first half of the 14th century. Many Roman ruins were uncovered following World War II bombings, including an arch, which was the entrance to the forum. It features with a well-preserved section of Via Appia underneath. For those who enjoy the outdoors, then hiking Monte Circeo or Cape Circeo is a good idea. This mountain remains as a peninsula that marks the southwestern limit of the former Pontine Marshes. The Roman Temple of Jupiter Anxurwhich overlooks the town and has excellent views over the sea and the mountains. It was built during the first century BC and is dedicated to the god Jupiter as a boy and a young man called Anxur. The Civic Archeological Museum, also known as ‘Pio Capponi’, founded in 1894, displays a wide array of archaeological remains including artefacts from the earliest humans in the region up until to the Roman Era.
Beaches around Terracina
The Lungomare Di Terracina is right in town, there are seafood restaurants along this stretch and places to walk and take in the beautiful views across the sea. Spiaggia di San Felice Circeo is a great sandy beach set in the national park. It is backed by cliffs and caves and has water sports available.