Altitude 10 m (33 feet). 51,000 inhabitants
It was the
ancient Roman city Centumcellae,
built around the great port built at the behest of Trajan (98/117) around which
the city prospered and grew larger throughout the history of the Roman empire
537/538
occupied by the Byzantines
During the
eight century it became part of the Papal States
In 828 it
was conquered by the Saracens to make it a base of operations against Rome
The
refugees founded Leòpoli on the
mountains in the year 854 with the help of Leo IV (847/855), but the common
people would call the new city Cencelle
After the
defeat of the Saracens Cencelle was
abandoned and they all returned in the old city since then (889) called CIVITAS
VETULA (the old city)
The feudal
lords who ruled longer were the Di Vico
It capitulated
in 1431 and became again part of the Papal States
Forte
Michelangelo
Michelangelo’s
Fortress
Begun in
1508 by Donato Bramante (1444/1514) for Julius
II Della Rovere (1503/13), continued by Antonio Cordini aka Antonio da Sangallo the Younger (1483/1546) and
finished 1535/37 for Paul III Farnese (1534/49) by Michelangelo
Buonarroti (1475/1564) who designed the core of the fortress
Rectangular
100 x 82 m (328 x 269 feet) with four cylindrical towers and octagonal central
core 23 m (75 feet) high
Port
106 AD maybe
by Apollodorus of Damascus at the behest of
Trajan (98/117)
It was also
used commercially but it was primarily the base for the military fleet
In the
tenth century it was the best port in the Tyrrhenian Sea
In the
seventeenth century it was competing with Livorno and Genoa
It was bombed
during the Second World War and about 80% of it was destroyed
Also the
large arsenal that had been designed by Gian Lorenzo
Bernini (1598/1680) was completely destroyed
Now is the
first Italian port for cruises
Terme
Taurine
Baths
of the Bulls
About 4.5
km (3 miles) from Civitavecchia. The baths are known as the baths of the bulls for
the legend according to which Jupiter turned into a bull nearby
These are
actually the remains of a LARGE VILLA OF THE LATE REPUBLICAN PERIOD, later
imperial property, mentioned by Pliny the Younger as villa pulcherrima (the most beautiful villa) of Trajan (98/117)
Here stayed
also Marcus Aurelius (161/180) and Commodus (180/192)
The villa
is now split in two by the highway
It included
a large bathing complex which was greatly expanded in the imperial period and
that was fed by the nearby Ficoncella water source
Fontanone
Big
Fountain
1743 Luigi Vanvitelli (1700/73) for Benedict XIV Lambertini
(1740/58) within the monumental port
Archaeological
Museum
Housed in
the building of Clement XIII Rezzonico (1758/69), built in 1764 to control the
papal garrison
Objects
from the city of Centumcellae and from
the whole territory, as well as from areas immediately adjacent
Three
floors, the last of which is used as a restoration workshop
Ground
floor
"Statue
of Apollo" first century AD, found in the area of the modern Villa
Simonetti in Santa Marinella, allegedly summer residence of the jurisconsult
Ulpianus. It is maybe a replica in small scale of the Colossus of Rhodes
Also from
the Villa of Ulpianus, "Athena Parthenos" mid second century AD copy
from the original by Phidias (about 490/430 BC). The head is now on display at
the Louvre Museum
"Portrait
of Socrates" of the so-called type B
"Aphrodite
of Cnidus" copy from an original by Praxiteles (about 395/326 BC)
"Diadumenus"
copy of Polykleitos of Argos (about 490/about 425 BC)
At the
center of the room some marble heads, including one depicting "Marcus
Aurelius as a youth"
In a room
adjacent epigraphs from many sources
First
Floor
Ceramic and
bronze pieces from sites not only in the town of Civitavecchia, but also Tolfa,
Allumiere, Luni sul Mignone and Santa Severa:
Some
"Buccheri" including a chalice decorated with stamping of the seventh
century BC
A splendid
"Balsam" of the sixth century BC with female figure kneeling in front
of another, inspired by Egyptian art
Some
"Vases of black painted pottery" of the fourth century BC
Metal
production: "Bronze Ring" and "Golden Earring" of
considerable refinement
Second
Floor
Objects
dating back to the prehistoric times and to the Villanovian civilization
Among the
materials part of funerary kits “Biconical ossuary” and “Ossuary of the hut-type”
both of the seventh century BC
Among the
many bronze objects there are a series of "Fibulae", some "Engraved
mirrors" and a wonderful "Helmet"
Pottery from
the territory of Cerveteri of the seventh century BC: series of black and red-figure
vases imported from Attica
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