Formia

Formia

Infobox CityIT
img_coa =Formia-Stemma.gif
official_name = Comune di Formia
name=Formia
mapx=41.26



image_caption=Remains of the ancient Roman port in the Gianola park.
mapy=13.62
region = Lazio
province = Latina (LT)
elevation_m = 19
area_total_km2 = 73
population_as_of = January 1, 2007
population_total = 36949
population_density_km2 =
timezone = CET, UTC+1
coordinates = coord|41|16|N|13|37|E
frazioni = Marànola, Trivio, Castellonorato, Penitro
telephone = 0771
postalcode = 04023
gentilic = Formiani
saint = St. Erasmus and St. John
day = June 2 and June 24
mayor = Michele Forte
website = [http://www.comune.formia.lt.it www.comune.formia.lt.it]

Formia is a city in the province of Latina, on the Mediterranean coast of Lazio (Italy). It is located halfway between Rome and Naples, and lies on the Roman-era Appian Way.

History

Formia was founded by ancient Romans, the name deriving from the Greek "hormiai", meaning "landing place". It was a renowned resort during the imperial era.

Cicero was assassinated on the Appian Way outside the town in 43 BC, and his tomb remains a minor tourist destination. The city was also the seat of St. Erasmus's martyrdom, by being disemboweled around 303 AD, during the persecutions of Diocletian. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire the city was sacked by barbarians and the population moved to two distinct burghs on the nearby hill, which were under the rule of Gaeta. Charles II of Anjou built a fortress in the maritime burgh, Mola di Gaeta. The other burgh was known as Castellone, from the castle erected there in the mid-14th century by Onorato I Caetani, count of Fondi.

The two villages were united again in 1863 under the name of Formia.

Main sights

The most famous monument of Formia is the mausoleum traditionally identified with the Tomb of Cicero: it is a 24 m-high tower on the old Appian Way, enclosed in a large (83x68 m) funerary precinct.

Other sights include:

*Tower of Castellone
*Roman cistern, one of the world's largest. Similar to the structures in Constantinople and in the Domitian's villa of Albano, it dates from the 1st century BC.
*Remains of the Villa of Mamurra, partly destroyed in 1943, and of Roman aqueducts and "cryptoportici".
*Church of "San Giovanni Battista e Lorenzo", known from 841. It was almost entirely destroyed during World War II. It houses a panel by Antoniazzo Romano (c. 1490)
*Church of "San Luca", known from the 15th century. It has a recently discovered crypt with frescoes of "Episodes of the New Testament" and "Madonna del Latte".
*Renaissance monastery and church of "Sant'Erasmo". It was erected on the alleged site of the saint's martyrdom.
*Archaeological Museum.
*Regional Park of Gianola and Mount of Scauri.

port

Formia is the seat of the National Athletics School of the Italian Olympic Committee, founded in 1955. Athletes such as Pietro Mennea and Giuseppe Gibilisco trained here.

Transportation

Formia itself is a the most important transportation hub of southern Lazio. The Rome-Naples rail line passes through Formia, from which visitors and residents travel by bus to Gaeta, Minturno, Spigno and other local towns.

Ferries connect Formia to Ponza, Ischia and Ventotene.

Twin towns

*flagicon|ITA Ferrara, Italy
*flagicon|FRA Fleury-les-Aubrais, France, since 2004
*flagicon|Bosnia and Herzegovina Gracanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
*flagicon|SWE Haninge, Sweden
*flagicon|ITA Santeramo in Colle, Italy

External links


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Formiä — Formia …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Formia — Formia …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Formia — Administration Pays  Italie Région …   Wikipédia en Français

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  • Formĭä — (Hormiä, a. Geogr.), alte pelasgischtyrrhenische Stadt in Latium, im innersten Winkel des Sinus Cajetanus, an der Via Appia; die Einw. trieben wahrscheinlich in ältester Zeit Seeräuberei, denn die Späteren suchten hier die Sitze der Lästrygonen;… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Formĭa — (früher Mola di Gaeta), Stadt in der ital. Provinz Caserta, Kreis Gaeta, an der Nordseite des Golfes von Gaeta und der Eisenbahn Sparanise Gaeta, zerfällt in die Ober und Unterstadt, hat Tongruben, Teigwaren und Ölfabrikation, einen Hafen, in dem …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Formia — Fọrmia,   Hafenstadt und Seebad in der Provinz Latina, Region Latium, Italien, am Golf von Gaeta, 35 300 Einwohner; Sitz der staatlichen Leichtathletikschule.   Stadtbild:   In Formia befinden sich Ruinen eines römischen Theaters (4.… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Formia — Original name in latin Formia Name in other language Formia, forumia State code IT Continent/City Europe/Rome longitude 41.25626 latitude 13.60588 altitude 29 Population 34931 Date 2013 04 07 …   Cities with a population over 1000 database

  • Formia — ▪ Italy formerly  Mola di Gaeta,  Latin  Formiae        town, Lazio (Latium) region, south central Italy, on the Golfo (gulf) di Gaeta between the mouth of the Garigliano and the Gaeta peninsula, northwest of Naples. A town of the ancient Volsci… …   Universalium

  • Erasmo de Formia — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Los catorce santos auxiliadores con sus atributos San Erasmo de Formia, muerto hacia 303 también conocido como San Elmo, es el santo patrón de los marineros. El fuego de San Telmo lleva este nombre en su honor.… …   Wikipedia Español

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