Ardea, Lazio: Difference between revisions

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'''Ardea''' ({{IPA-it|ˈardea|IPA}}, <small>less correctly</small> {{IPA-it|arˈdɛːa|}}) is an ancient town and ''[[comune]] ''(municipality) in the [[Metropolitan City of Rome Capital|Metropolitan City of Rome]], {{convert|35|km|0|abbr=off}} south of [[Rome]] and about {{convert|4|km|0|abbr=off}} from today's [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] coast.

[[File:Ardea16.JPG|left|200px|thumb|City gate.]]

Ardea is one of the most ancient towns in [[western Europe]], founded during the [[8th century BC]]. According to tradition it was the capital of the [[Rutuli]], and it is described as such in the ''[[Aeneid]]''.

In 509 BC [[Lucius Tarquinius Superbus]], the [[king of Rome]], sought unsuccessfully to take the town by storm, and then commenced a siege of the town.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unrv.com/bio/lucius-tarquinius-superbus.php |title=Lucius Tarquinius Superbus |publisher=Unrv.com |date=2007-02-01 |accessdateaccess-date=2013-03-25}}</ref> However, the siege was interrupted by the [[Overthrow of the Roman monarchy|revolution]] which resulted in the overthrow of the king and the establishment of the [[Roman republic]]. One of the leaders of the revolution, [[Lucius Junius Brutus]], came to the camp of the Roman army at Ardea and won the army's support for the revolution.

During the [[Second Punic War]], it was one of the few cities that refused military support to Rome, and, after the Roman victory, was deprived of its autonomy. In the [[3rd- century BC|3rd]]–[[2nd century BC|2nd]] centuries BC it decayed until, in the [[Roman Empire|Imperial Age]], it was scarcely populated at all. The [[1st century]] agricultural writer [[Columella]] possessed estates there.<ref name=Millar>{{cite book|last=Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella|title=L. Junius Moderatus Columella of Husbandry, in Twelve Books: and his book, concerning Trees. Translated into English, with illustrations from Pliny, Cato, Varro, Palladius and other ancient and modern authors|year=1745|publisher=A. Millar|location=London|page=130|url= https://books.google.co.ukcom/books?id=qcNbAAAAMAAJ}}</ref>

After the fall of the [[Western Roman Empire]], Ardea was abandoned. It returned to grow only after the [[9th century]] AD. Its castle in 1118 housed [[Pope Gelasius II]] and was later contended among various feudal barons of the area. In 1419 [[Pope Martin V]] assigned it to his kinsmen, the [[Colonna family]], who sold it in 1564 to the Cesarini.

In 1816 it became a ''[[frazione]]'' of [[Genzano di Roma|Genzano]]. Starting from 1932, the surrounding area was drained and Ardea began to flourish again, becoming a ''[[frazione]]'' of [[Pomezia]] starting from its foundation around 1948 and an independent municipality in 1970.

Remains of the ancient city include the old defensive ''[[Agger (ancient Rome)|agger]]'', dating to the [[7th century BC]] and later ([[4th century BC]]) updated to larger walls. Archaeological excavations have brought to light four temples, of unknown dedication. Part of the pavement of a [[basilica]] (c. 100 BC) have also been found in the area of the ancient Forum.

*[[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] [[Chiesa di San Pietro Apostolo(Ardea)|Church of San Pietro Apostolo]] ([[12th century]]), which was a possession of the monks of [[San Paolo Fuori le Mura]] of Rome. It incorporates a former watchtower used to counter [[Saracen]] attacks, now turned into a bell tower. It has [[15th-century]] frescoes and a [[16th-century]] wooden crucifix.

*The [[Giardini della Landriana]],<ref>{{cite web |author=il michele |url=http://www.aldobrandini.it/sito/giardi/storia.shtml |title=Stefanina Aldobrandini Ricevimenti |publisher=Aldobrandini.it |access-date=2013-03-25 |accessdatearchive-date=2013-03-2528 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130328104947/http://www.aldobrandini.it/sito/giardi/storia.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref> designed by [[Russell Page]].

*[[Giacomo Manzù]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.museomanzu.beniculturali.it/index.php?en/1/home |title=Home -– Raccolta Manzù |publisher=Museomanzu.beniculturali.it |access-date= |accessdate=2013-03-25 |deadurlurl-status=yesdead |archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130306031921/http://www.museomanzu.beniculturali.it/index.php?en%2F1%2Fhome |archivedatearchive-date=2013-03-06 }}</ref> Museum, housing some 400 works of the artist.

Ardea is [[TwinSister towns and sister citiescity|twinned]] with:

*{{flagicon|GRE}} [[Argos, Peloponnese|Argos]], [[Greece]]

*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Rielasingen-Worblingen]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.comuni-italiani.it/12/gemellaggi.html |title=Italy -– Lazio: Towns Twinning |publisher=En.comuni-italiani.it |date=1998-04-26 |accessdateaccess-date=2013-03-25}}</ref> [[Germany]]

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070816160535/http://www.comune.ardea.rm.it/ Official website]

*{{cite web |url=http://pleiades.stoa.org/places/422843 |title=Places: 422843 (Ardea) |author=Quilici, L. |author2=S. Quilici Gigli |author3=R. Talbert |author4=T. Elliott |author5=S. Gillies |accessdateaccess-date=March 8, 2012<!-- 10:45 am -->|publisher=Pleiades}}

[[Category:Cities and towns inArdea, Lazio]]