Italy > Velletri

Velletri

Velletri, the last of Castelli Romani along via Appia, lies among chestnut woods and enoi mous vineyards on the slopes of Mt. Artemi sio. It has a large, densely-populated town centre with old traditions and a history stretching back several mil lennia, and is famous for its wineries and excellent wines. According to legend, during pagan times, the oracle prophesied: “A citizen of Velletri will rule the world”.

It seems that the prophesy came true; the Volscian town of “Velester”, which surrendered to Furius Camillus in 338 B.C. following a long war with Rome,

to which it then took an oath of loyalty, was the hometown of the Gens “Octavia” from which the Emperor Octavian Augustus was descended. The town came under the authority of the Duchy of Rome in the 6'h century, but regained its autonomous status in the 12,h century as an independent Commune, as attested to by the motto on its coat of arms “Est mihi libertas papalis et imperialis”. For several centuries, it was a feudal estate of the Church. It became a bishopric in the 5th century, and was the capital of the Maritime Province. It falls within the Provincial Park of the Castelli Romani.

Museum

The Museum exhibits all the archeological pieces found in Velletri and the surrounding lands. The most famous piece is the the Sarcophagus of the Labours of Hercules, also known as the Velletri Sarcophagus. Undisputably one of the most significant pieces of Roman art, this monumental sarcophagus dating to the II century AD is the emblem of the archeological richness of the City of Velletri.

Things to see

• Civic Museum of Velletri
• Church of Santa Maria del Trivio
• Convent of St.Francis
• Cathedral of St .Clemente
• Trivio Tower
• Old Mansion Vecchio
• Municipal Mansion
• Napoleonic Door