Alatri
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By Dion Protani
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Latest update: 14 March 2022
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The medieval walled town of Alatri lies in the heart of the Ciociaria region of Lazio's Frosinone Province. Driving up the hill to the town you reach a little piazza where the defensive wall is still standing and incorporated into the modern body of the town.
Entering through the Porta San Francesco you begin to wander the streets of the town that dates back some three thousand years. |
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The main square in the town is Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore, named after the Basilica of the same name. At the centre of the Piazza just in front of the Basilica is the Fontana Pia: a decorative fountain built in 1870 in honour of Pope Pius IX.
It's tempting to think this pretty square and its impressive church are the main sights in the town, but that's not the case. Alatri's real beauty lies as you make your way gradually to the top of the town to reach the Acropolis. Known locally as Civita, the Acropolis is the upper citadel of Alatri which climbs to 502 metres above sea level. Within this area is the Cattedrale di San Paolo, at the centre of a landscaped park area which provides wonderful panoramic views of the local area.
Alatri comes with the moniker La Città dei Ciclopi, which is in reference to the building method by which the wall of the Acropolis was constructed. Cyclopean Masonry or Mura Poligonali comes from Mycenaean architecture with walls constructed of large limestone rocks with little or no mortar holding them together.
It's tempting to think this pretty square and its impressive church are the main sights in the town, but that's not the case. Alatri's real beauty lies as you make your way gradually to the top of the town to reach the Acropolis. Known locally as Civita, the Acropolis is the upper citadel of Alatri which climbs to 502 metres above sea level. Within this area is the Cattedrale di San Paolo, at the centre of a landscaped park area which provides wonderful panoramic views of the local area.
Alatri comes with the moniker La Città dei Ciclopi, which is in reference to the building method by which the wall of the Acropolis was constructed. Cyclopean Masonry or Mura Poligonali comes from Mycenaean architecture with walls constructed of large limestone rocks with little or no mortar holding them together.
Comune di Alatri
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Province: Frosinone
Region: Lazio Population: 27,768 (source: ISTAT 1 January 2022) Size: 97 km² Elevation: 502 metres Highlights: Acropoli di Alatri, Cattedrale di San Paolo Where to stay: Monastero di Sant'Erasmo (10 km) Where to eat: Bisteccheria La Taverna dei Principi |
Alatri Gallery
Close to Alatri
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