Saturday, November 7, 2020

CAPENA

Altitude 160 m (525 feet). 6,400 inhabitants

Formerly Leprignano, town surrounded by a territory cultivated mainly with grapes, divided into two sections, a new one and a medieval one

Outside the town hall there are some "Marble stones with inscriptions" found in the vicinity

In the small church of S. MARIA DELLE GRAZIE there is a "Madonna" painted in the sixteenth century

S. Michele

St. Michael

On the main altar "Triptych with Saviour and Sts. Peter and Paul" by Antonio del Massaro aka Antonio da Viterbo or Pastura (about 1450/1516)

Ancient Capena

3 km (1.8 miles) northeast of the town in the area known as Civitucola

It was one of three cities (the other two were Lucus Feroniae and Sepernas) of the Confederation of the Capenati, Italic population akin to Latin although of Sabine origin and linked to the Etruscans of Veii until the fourth century BC, when it was subjected to Rome

There is only evidence of constructions on the hill, but there is a very extensive necropolis with three sectors:

Le Saliere (Salt Mines), graves with pits of the eighth or seventh century BC

Le Macchie (The Bushes) where the "Plate with the Elephant" of the third century BC was found, now in the Etruscan Museum at Villa Giulia

S. Martino (St. Martin) with tombs dating back from the seventh to the third century BC

On the nearby COLLE DEL CASTELLACCIO there are ruins of an ancient Roman temple dedicated to Augustus

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