Itri

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Itri
coat of arms
Itri (Italy)
Itri
Country Italy
region Lazio
province Latina  (LT)
Coordinates 41 ° 17 '  N , 13 ° 32'  E Coordinates: 41 ° 17 '27 "  N , 13 ° 31' 54"  E
height 170  m slm
surface 101 km²
Residents 10,672 (Dec. 31, 2019)
Population density 106 inhabitants / km²
Post Code 04020
prefix 0771
ISTAT number 059010
Popular name Itrani
Patron saint Madonna della Civita
Website Itri

Itri is a town in the province of Latina in the Italian region of Lazio with 10,672 inhabitants (as of December 31, 2019). It is located 130 km southeast of Rome and 68 km southeast of Latina .

View of Itri

geography

Itri is located on the slope of the Monti Aurunci north of Gaeta , on the ancient Roman road Via Appia between Fondi and Formia . The municipality has a share of the Monti Aurunci Natural Park in the north and the Tyrrhenian Sea in the south at Punta Cetarola .

Itri is a member of the Comunità Montana dei Monti Aurunci .

The neighboring communities are Campodimele , Esperia ( FR ), Fondi , Formia , Gaeta and Sperlonga .

traffic

Itri has been accessed from the Via Appia , today State Road 7 , since ancient times . From this the SS 82 della Valle del Liri branches off, which connects Itri with Avezzano and the Autostrada del Sole A1 , exit Ceprano . With the train station Itri the place is connected to the railway line Roma-Formia-Napoli .

history

According to legend, the name Itri was derived from the mythological hydra . Itri is said to have been founded when the inhabitants of the legendary coastal town of Amyclae fled inland from a plague of snakes. For this reason, the municipal coat of arms also shows a snake. The name of the municipality actually comes from the Latin word iter  (= way) because of its location on the Via Appia. According to other theories, it derives from the god Mithras , whose cult was widespread in Itri.

Itri was already settled in ancient times. Itri was first mentioned in writing, however, only in the year 914. Itri belonged to the territory of the Dukes of Gaeta from the house of Caetani dell'Aquila, lords of Fondi. In 1861 Itri became part of the Terra del Lavoro Province of the Kingdom of Italy , until the newly founded Province of Latina in 1934 .

The Itri train station during World War II

By bombing the Allies Itri was during World War II pulled strongly in May 1944 affected and destroyed 75%.

population

Population development
year 1871 1901 1921 1951 1971 1991 2001 2007
Residents 6619 5797 5657 7130 6368 7949 8749 9637

Source: ISTAT

politics

Giovanni Agresti (center-right list) was elected mayor for the second time in May 2006. His center-right alliance also has the majority in the municipal council with 11 out of 16 seats.

Rocca Caetani

Attractions

Despite the war damage, Itri still offers a picturesque townscape with a view over the Pontine plain to the sea.

  • The ruins of the medieval castle, the Rocca Caetani, with its three mighty towers still determine the townscape. It has been renovated and from time to time serves as a venue for cabaret or concerts.
  • The Romanesque church of Sant'Angelo was built over an ancient temple in the 11th century.
  • Of the Santa Maria Maggiore church, also built in the 11th century, only the campanile remains after it was destroyed in the war. Some frescoes could be saved and were taken to the church of Sant'Angelo.
  • Four city gates are still preserved from the city fortifications.
  • The Museo del Brigantaggio deals primarily with the life of Fra Diavolo.
  • North in the Monti Aurunci on Monte Fusco (673 m) is the pilgrimage church of the Madonna della Civita, in which a Byzantine icon is venerated. From here you have an impressive panoramic view over the Gulf of Gaeta

Culinary specialties

  • Itri is a center of olive growing. It has given its name to its own olive variety , Oliva Itrana .

Personalities

Others

The film “ And yet they live ” (La Ciociara)   by Vittorio de Sica with Sophia Loren and Jean-Paul Belmondo was shot in Itri.

literature

  • Anton Henze, Kunibert Bering, Gerhard Wiedmann: Art guide Rome. 5th revised edition. Philipp Reclam GmbH, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-15-010402-5 .

Web links

Commons : Itri  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Statistiche demografiche ISTAT. Monthly population statistics of the Istituto Nazionale di Statistica , as of December 31 of 2019.