AnagniAnagniAt the summit of its historical ascent, toward the end of the XIII century, the city was divided into ten districts, placed mostly along its most important street, Via Maggiore (the Main Road), the present Via Vittorio Emanuele.
From the upper part of the city to the lower one, the
principal eight districts were so disposed:
THE CASTLE |
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The Castellum district (now Santa Maria) includes the area of the ancient Ernicao-Roman acropolis.
It was given such a name in the Middle Ages, thanks to its peculiarity of fortified region. Isolated from the city by the Roman walls and baronal palaces, it represented a point of extreme strategic importance in the policy of the Church for a long time.
Since the period of Boniface VIII, because of the continous presence of the barons related to the Pope, the district has also been called Quartiere Caetani. The Castle contains - within its boundaries - a great part of the most significant monuments and treasures of the city.
THE TOWER |
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In this district, in the area of the present Piazza Dante, there was probably the Roman Forum. The necessary support was represented by the pilasters «in opus quadratum» and by the powerful building «in opus reticulatum», which are still visible in Via Bagno, a remarkable example of Sillana architecture. The district of Turris (Tower) was close to the ancient acropolis, The place-name derives from the architectonic element which essentially characterized it in the Middle Ages: the tower-house.
THE TRIVIUM |
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The district of Trivio is placed in an almost flat area at the centre of the City. The place-name of the area derives from the cross-road (three streets) which begins just nearby the City-Hall. The entire district, a real City's commercial and administrative centre, shows remarkable examples of medieval civilian architecture.
TUFOLI |
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The Tufoli region, presently S. Pancrazio, located in the northern part of the City, among the Castello, the Trivium and Piscina, has always been a popular district. Untouched by the great building renewal of the XVIII and XIX centuries which interested almost the whole town, this district has preserved its original urbanistic medieval structure.
PISCINA |
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This district takes its name from a spring (Fons Pisinae : Bathing Spring), which probably supplied the Roman baths with water and which is mentioned as a Civic Property in a document dated 1321; it extends north of Via Maggiore. Due to its exposure and slight depression, this region has never been particularly populated. Its only road (Via Piscina), parallel to Via Maggiore, starts from the interesting Monastery of Santa Chiara and ends, flanked by modernized edifices, in the public park area close to the Roman Walls, nearby the big complex of the Arcazzi.
THE HILL OF ST. ANGEL |
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The Regio Collis Sancti Angeli (The area of Saint Angel's hill), delimited by Via Maggiore and, southward, by the Roman Walls, occupied the almost completely flattish zone which extends from the City Hall to St. Andrew's valley. The powerful Conti Family had chosen it to build there their own palace because of its dominating position, in comparison with the two last regions and the Piscina district, and being the other strategic positions of the City - Castello and Torre - occupied by the Caetani (it was the end of the XIII century). The principal streets of the district, besides the mentioned Via Maggiore, are part of Via della Valle, and the present Via Garibaldi which ends with the XVI century St. Francis' gate
ST. ANDREW'S VALLEY |
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This district, whose place-name derives from the morphology of the zone, slightly depressed in comparison with the neighbouring Colle S. Angelo, is placed within two principal streets: the central Via Maggiore, faced by many XVIII century palaces, and a good part of Via della Valle, characterized by many medieval edifices. At the confluence of the two streets, there is a small square and the church of St. Andrew.
CERERE |
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This district, documented since 1081, occupies the western
part of the City, around Cerere's gate from which it takes its name. The area, entrance to
the town for the travellers coming from Rome, is for the most part whithin two XVI century
ramparts (Spizzone and Arci) separated by Via Maggiore. The street,
coasted by medieval edifices alternating with small palaces, is parallel to Via di
Mezzo (now Via Pio Salvati), with interesting houses of the XIV and the XV
centuries, and Via Superiore (or St. Dominic), whose place-name recalls the
presence of a church, presently disappeared, which was dedicated to this Saint.
CYBER-SPAZIO INFORMATIVO
a cura del Centro Servizi Culturali del Comune di Anagni diretto dal Dott. Alessandro Compagno Tel. 0775/730487 - Fax 0775/779049 E-mail:info@bibliotecaanagni.191.it Grafica ed aggiornamento: I. Q.