Ariccia: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
English|
EUR 60 - 150 Villa Germaine
 Villa Germaine is located in the countryside outside Ariccia, near both Rome and the seaside. The hotel offers free parking and a typical restaurant w… MoreEUR 50 - 135 Villa Aricia
 Located in Ariccia, Villa Aricia is in the Castelli Romani hills south of Rome. It offers free Wi-Fi and a Lazio restaurant overlooking a large garden… MoreEUR 28 - 108 Casa Per Ferie Piamarta
 Casa per Ferie Piamarta is surrounded by a large garden in the Castelli Romani Area, just 3 km from Ariccia. It offers local cuisine from Lazio and fr… More | ||||||||||||||||||
Ariccia: Guide
Ariccia is a commune in the province of Rome, in the Province of Rome of the Lazio (Latium) region, on the Alban Hills. It is part of the suburb of Rome and is situated in the regional park known as the "Parco Regionale dei Castelli Romani".
Ariccia is famous for its porchetta, an excellent local roast pork recipe, and for its excellent wine. The commune of Ariccia extends to the towns of Vallericcia and Cecchina. It is bounded by the communes of Albano Laziale, Castel Gandolfo, Genzano di Roma and Marino Laziale.
History
According to a vague notice by Caius Julius Solinus, Ariccia was founded by one Archilocus Siculus in very ancient times. Ruins found in the city confirm the existence of a settlement in the 8th century BC|8th-9th century BC|9th centuries BC. Later the city was a member of the Latin League and in its territory, including the Lake of Nemi, was sited the federal sanctuary of Diana Aricina (or Diana Nemorensis).
Under its walls the Battle of Aricia was fought (506 BC), in which the Aricini, allied with the Cuma|Cumani of Aristhodemus, defeated the Etruscans led by Aruns son of Porsenna.
Aricia was definitively conquered by the Ancient Rome|Romans in the 4th century BC: it received the title of municipium, and expanded towards the valley below in which the Via Appia ran. Ariccia became therefore the first main postal station in the way from Rome towards Southern Italy. Being rather near to the Imperial capital, and favoured by a fresher climate, Ariccia was chosen by many of the Rome's patricius|patricii as seat of their leasure villas.
Being placed in a strategic position, the city was sacked several times during and after the fall of the Western Roman Empire|Roman Empire, by Ostrogoths|Goths, Vandals and, finally, by the Saracens who destroyed it in 827. The inhabitants subsequently moved to the ancient acropolis and founded a new community.
In 990 the Castrum Ariciensis ("Ariccia's Castle") was a dominion of Guido, count of Tusculum. During the reign of Pope Nicholas II the castle was absorbed by the Papal States, from which in turn passed again to the Earls of Tusculum as a fief (1116). The Roman Church regained Ariccia in 1223 with Pope Honorius III, of the Savelli family, and maintained it until the first half of the 15th century.
Ariccia began to depopulate, however: after a period under the administration of the castle of Lariano, it passed to the Genzano district, which registered only 100 people in it. Around 1400 all the territory became property of the Monastery of Sant'Anastasio alle Tre Fontane and, after a brief period under the Savelli, was sold to the Abbey of Grottaferrata.
Pope Sixtus IV handed Ariccia over to the Savelli, who executed several works for improve its condition, including the draining of the lake situated in the valley (Lake of Vallericcia). In 1661 the city passed to powerful Chigi family, who had the splendid Palace in the main square built. Pope Alexander VII, a member of the family, lived for long periods in Ariccia and changed drastically its urbanistic asset, with the important contribution of Gian Lorenzo Bernini who designed the main square and the Church of the Assunta facing the Palace.
In 1854 Pope Pius IX ordered the construction of a bridge: this bypassed the large wood (now Chigi Park) in the valley that hindered access to Ariccia from Rome along the Via Appia. The bridge was destroyed by German Army|German troops during World War II (along with much of the city). Rebuilt in 1947, it crumbled suddenly in 1967 and was rebuilt again.
Main sights
The most noteworthy sight in Ariccia his its entrance from the famous bridge, which leads to the Bernini's Baroque square. Here are the main monuments of Ariccia, including:
The Palazzo Savelli Chigi, whose perfectly restored rooms are renowned as seat of many historical movies.
Other monuments include the Porta Romana, also by Bernini, and, two kilometres outside the city, the venerated Sanctuary of the Madonna del Galloro, with facade by Bernini. The latter is the final stop of a religious procession held on December 8 and called "Procession of the Lady", as a young woman is asked to lead it.
The area around Ariccia houses many interesting archaeological finds such as the Villa of the Roman Emperor Vitellius, the remains of the Via Appia|Via Appia Antica, as well as those of the ancient temples on Monte Cavo and in the Nemi lake basin.
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikipedia article "Ariccia". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
The church of the Assunta, by Bernini, inspired by the Pantheon, Rome|Pantheon. In the interior the apse has a notable fresco by Borgognone.
The Fontana delle Tre Cannelle ("Fountain of the three spouts"), once thought to contain the tomb of Simon Magus.Twin towns
Cournon, France
Lichtenfels, Bavaria|Lichtenfels, Germany
Prestwick, United Kingdom