ANTONIO DAL MUTOPRESENTS

Antonio Dal Muto, painter and cartoonist and author of comics book Stories of cities. Born in Rome he lived in Ariccia up to the age of 22 years afterwards he left Ariccia for job reasons to go to Cesena, a town of northern Italy. About Ariccia he has drawn the images related to the Histoty by comics of Ancient Aricia whose lyrics were thougt by two Ariccians A. Silvestri and M.C. Vincenti, scientists and archaeologists.The author, with this work, wished to pay tribute to his city and help keep "afloat" the historical memory of the city itself that in an age of globalization is increasingly subjected to the pressure of forgetfulness.

This work was dedicated to my father Luigi, Ariccian. A.D. 2011

Translation into English is due to the Author himself: he apologizes for the mistakes

If Rome has always attracted travelers from all over the world for its ancient monuments, testimonies of every historical era, the area around the eternal city attracted the interest of men of culture, artists engaged in the capture of what was missing in Rome itself, namely, the atmosphere of the lost Arcadian Holiness. In Rome, the ruins on which to meditate the glories of the past and their fragility, on the territory of the Roman Castles (Castelli Romani), the sense of that lost ancient sacredness and still they had strong impression it prowled among woods and lakes, dwellings of the gods and nymphs.Among these places Ariccia: ancient village that from the top of the Hill, which still hosts it, for centuries lived in a magnificent isolation, surrounded by ancient Woods and springs, formerly the subject of Latin writerss interest .

ARICCIA a new tour for those tourists who like to discover the ancient roman and latin world

Ariccia is one of the most ancient town existing on the Albanian Hill Group, toghether with Lanuvio. About Tuscolo, the third ancient town, remains only important archaeologic findsbut, later, this town was replaced by the modern Frascati. Other characteristic townsbelonging to the so told Roman Castles are: Marino, Grottaferrata, Albano, Castel Gandolfo,Genzano, Nemi and Velletri. This late town can be considered so ancient as AricciaAriccia, is far from Rome 27 Kms, about 20 miles

Rome

Many tourists every year arrive to visit the Eternal City, Rome, but most of themdont know that the most ancient history of it is closely bounded to Ariccia, then to Tuscolo,Lanuvio and Velletri. Of Course, the amount of archaelogic finds we can find on RomanCastles is not so important as in Rome, but what we can see there is so significative to allowa better understanding of the history of Rome. Lets think for instance to the DianasSanctuary finds we can see on the bank of Nemi Lake; or the finds of Pompeuss Villain Albano a.s.o. To arrive to Albanian Hill Group we can travel now along the modern AppiaWay along which runs the old one: the old Appia

We can see hereThe new AppiaBetween Ciampino Airport Runway andthe old Appia.The old Appia wasin use till the first yearsafter the II World War

A GLIMPSE OF THE OLD APPIA

THE OLD APPIA KNOWS AS REGINA VIARUM, thatsThe Queen of the roman roads

The Albanian Hill Group with Albano Lake end Nemi Lake, the smaller. The wooded coast on the right is the edge of the ancient volcano (600,000 years ago) that gave life to the hillside group, while the wooded semicircle in the center is what remains of the volcanic cone of 300,000 years ago. The higher of this cones is Monte Cavo ( the ancient Mons Albanus), ancient seat of the Temple of Jupiter Latiaris honored by Romans and by the ancient latiarispeoples

Before arriving to Ariccia we enter Albano Town and the first significative archaelogic find we can see is the body of the grave of Pompeus, nearby whichwe can admire the remains of his own private estate. In this section the paths of old Appia and the new Appia overlap.

Albano, founded in the III a.D. to recover the Partian Legion, offers to the visitors also the majestic ruins of the baths built by the Emperor Caracalla

After having left Albano we enter Ariccia by the XIX century Monumental Bridge.The old Appia runs in the valley, at the foot of the Town

Ariccia overlooks the Valley from its position on a lava rock hill, position occupied by more than 2800 years

Ariccia: you can see, at the bottom of the image, the old Appia coming down from Albano (left side) to cross the plane at the foothill of Ariccia. Mons Albanus ( now Monte Cavo) in the background.

Ariccia: you can note the circular edge of the Valley of Ariccia, ancient seat of a Lake of volcanic origin, and getting far from it, the Roman campaign backdrop to the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea

The Valley was the site of ancient cults, such as that of the goddess Egeria who was sung in the opera "The metamorphosis" written by the roman poet Ovid (20 March 43 BC AD 17/18). The wood at the left side is very ancient and it never knew the hand of the man as it had always been protecting for centuries by the prince-owners who took care the town

On the right side of the image you can see the XVII century Berninian Sanctuary dedicated to the Mother of God, at the foot of it its still possible to recognize the terraces that have altered the profile of the Hill when the Temple of Juno, an ancient Roman Goddess, the protector and special counselor of the state, was erected

In the Valley, at the foothill of the town, there was the ancient town of Aricia, that part of the town built on the plane and crossed by old Appia. The red line shows the perimeter of it. In thatpart of the interrupted red line there was the exit gate, known as Lanuvian gate or door. It still existing under 5 mts of ground. The blu line show the place where there are some roman time graves finds

This house-tower, included in the area with blu line, was built in the middle age on a circular drum-like roman time grave. It collapsed in the 80 year of XX century and the skeleton of a soldier with a sword came to light.

DrawingBy Antonio Dal Muto

Thats what remained of the tower-grave after its collapsing

THE OLD APPIA IN THE ARICCIAN STRETCH

This is a hypothetical reconstruction of the city built on the plane (Agora) and along the old Appia, based on excavations made during the 19th century. About the forum we still have the main temple

and thats the temple of Priapus or Diana. It arrived so well maintened till us thanks to its trasformation as dwelling house in the middle age. Now its used as farm tools store by the owners, who take care of the land for agricolturalpurposes.

Thats the Lanuvian Door, the toward south along the old Appia exit point, which still exists well-maintened under ground. To go south uphill, the old Appia was provided by Romans of an important road solution: the so told Substruction

Here, you can see the old Appia going uphill, but to facilitate the people, the legions, to travelalong it the road was built on the Substruction, the most important engineering work made along this way. Infact if we look at the following images, we can realize it

Its been made of long squared volcanic stones

This is an arch on which there is part of Substruction, closed then by farmers, usedto reach the opposite side to facilitate the maintenance

The presence of these small opening was due to facilitate the flow of little torrentscoming down from the hill

On it the old Appia is still running, despite the characteristic large stoned-paved floor has been cleared both by the asphalt and by neglect of the time and men.

This important engineering work expects to be freed from vegetation and debris that have accumulated on its opposite side.

On this section of Old Appia, exaclty, as the tradition says, there, where there is a dwellinghouse, in roman time existed a mansio, thats a station break post, commonly called "Osteriaccia: in it the latin poet Ovid took rest when he left Rome to go to Brindisi, as remind Titus Livy in his work Ab Urbe Condita

THE TRIUMPHANT OR SACRED VIA

There was a detour, in the down hill of old Appia Ariccian stretch, which left the oldAppia to go uphill: it was the so told the Triumphant or Sacred Way. Here we can see it in its modern version

and in its ancient version. It run uphill to cross Ariccia on the hill ( Acropolis) to proceed towards Mons Albanus, crossing an ancient wood

where it still resists with its old world charm

and It was possible to extend own gaze down to the sea and enjoy unspoilt nature

untill to reach the top of Mons Albanus where roman consuls used to sacrifice a white calf to latiar Juppiter. So Cicero did

he reached the top of the sacred Mons before becoming consul.

The Red Line shows the section of the Sacred Via still exsisting in the chestnut wood. To makea walk along it is an unforgetable experience which is not possible to do in Rome itself. The broken red line is the hypotethical path of it which is still undergrond. The sacred via crosseda residential zone frequented by Roman senators who had their country houses.

As you have just realized, the outskirt towns, known as Roman Castles, among them Ariccia, are so rich of history to tell much more about Rome, as youll realize, reading the following History of Aricia by comics. From the VIIIth century b.C. to the Vth Century a.D.But, before starting with it lets know the modern Ariccia with its specialtourist characteristics.

ARICCIA,WHATS IT GOING TOOFFER TO A TOURIST?

One of the most pleasure aspect of Ariccia is its enviromen rich in oaks, chestnutwoods and in good air: Its sufficent to get over the ancient Palazzo Chigi to entergreen- shadowed roads and enjoy the landscape that

with a pair of comfortable trekking shoes, you can enjoy unique landscapes and ancient as the history of these places ...

the Amphitheatre of the Emperor Hadrian ( 76 138 a.D.)

by which you may quench yourself thirst from a fountain, where gushes out spring water, fresh and refreshing ...

Its very close to the ancient forest of Ariccia, Chigis Park, that you comfortably can ride along with a pleasant walk

... up to return to the town, running along some XVIIth century buildings (on the left), whose the ancient wine cellars are now available to tourists, to the Romans, as typical "fraschette ( pron: Fraeskaettae) and where you can eat traditional ariccian roast pork and drink the excellent white wine from Roman Castles

Thats the famous PORCHETTA DIARICCIA, the roast-baked pork from Ariccia.

The Festa della Porchetta or Roast pork festivity is made every year on the first week end of September .

IMPORTANT MONUMENTSIN ARICCIA

The main square (Piazza di Corte) is an authentic jewel of the architecture: restored under the Pope Alexander VIIth, Chigi, by the famous architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini, where, then, the roman noble personages, guests of the prince Chigi, used it to hold a salon

This is the Chuch built (1657 62) by Bernini, who got ispiration to build it to the roman Pantheon; inside it we can admire a magnificent fresco, in the chorus, by Jacques Cortois known as the Burgundian,

The stucco of the Interior of the dome are by Antonio Raggi: inside, works by Jacques Cortois said"the Burgundian", Raffaele Vanni, Ludovico and Giacinto Gimignani, Bernardino Mei and Alessandro Farnese by Matthias.

In the background the building which was used, in the early XIXth century as facilitiesfor tourists longed to visit the Roman Castles, just like, Ibsen, Andersen, Corot, Gogol a.s.o. who left interesting testimonies in their works, especially in painting works

Ariccia by COROTAT THAT TIME THE BRIDGE WAS NOT YET BUILT

Facing the Church is Palazzo Chigi, whose original structure, restored by Bernini, dates back tothe 16th century. The Ducal Palace of Ariccia constitutes a unique example of baroque residenceremains unchanged in its environmental context, and in its original furnishings, documenting thepageantry of one of the largest houses in Italian: the Chigis, already owners of the homonymousRoman Palace, today seat of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers

Chigis Palace: the Red Room

Chigis Palace : The Dogs Room

Chigis Palace: The Chinese charts Room

Part of the Chigi Park: a huge and natural beauty and archaeological reserve. View from the monumental Bridge.

Chigis Palace: This is Neapolitan Door, built by Domenico Fontana, Berninis architect apprendist.

Another important monument is the deconsecrated Church of San Nicola, an ancient worship in Ariccia. The present Church of St. Nicholas was built by order of Pope Alexander VII from the nave of the old Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta, as soon as the Chigi had purchased the fief. The Church is supported by the old podium on which stood an ancient Roman time pagan temple.

Roman Door, the second door inserted in the fortificaton walls of the town; ittook place the oldest medieval one, when Bernini built it.

Roman Door: The exterior

Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Galloro: the shrine, dedicated to the miraculous image of our Lady of Gallorofound at the homonymous locality in 1621 or 1623, is one of the most frequented Marian shrines of Lazio as well as one of the architectural monuments included in the filing of the first level of the province of Rome. Built between 1624 and 1633 along with the adjoining convent (which was governed first by Vallumbrosiancongregation and then by the society of Jesus, still present with a House of spiritual retreats), the present appearance was given to the Church with the interventions financed by the Chigi with the advice of GianLorenzo Bernini, who designed the faade.

Of course, Ariccia offers tourists the possibility to take advantage of the presence of prestigious hotels and B & B, located in places of great prestige. Now is the time to let the History to tell about the ancient past of Ariccia.To do it we re leaving the modern town to

go to the XVIIIth century Ariccia, where the ariccian canon, Don Emmanuele Lucidi, is going to narrate the glorious past of it to a curious compatriot

The History of Ariccia by Comics. From the VIIIth centurt b.C. to the Vth century a.D. is a work by Antonio Dal Muto(drawing and texts) Alberto Silvestri and Maria Cristina Vincenti, two local scholars and archaeologists who made the texts research; as representatives of the local Archeoclub, they take care and follow, by archaeological point of view, the historical events of Ariccia. This Comics book work was published in the year 2008 with the contribution of the Province of Rome and that one of the Municipal Administration of Ariccia.

The yellow framed section shows the windows of the painted room. Its still possible to visit Kuntzes works.

The place indicated by Don Emmanuele is there down, inside the green circle

Corioli, the ancient volscian castrum was on the little hill on the right of image

RED CIRCLE: Archaelogic Dianas area. BLU CIRCLE: Roman Ships Museum. BLU LINE. The ancient road known as the CLIVUM ARICINUM

The Old Appia. In this zone, known as the Stella, there are the catacombs under the church. You can visitem, but they are under Albano administration.

The old Appia, before the construction of the new one, in this place runbeside the so told Horazii and Curiazii Grave, as you ca see here.

THE END