The city, known as Velitrae in ancient times, boasts a rich history and culture. It was a Volscian settlement in pre-Roman times. According to legend, it came into conflict with the Romans during the reign of Ancus Marcius, the fourth king of Rome; then again in the 5th and 4th centuries BCE, during the early Roman Republic.
The Volsci were an Italic tribe, and at the time of the Roman Republic they inhabited the south of Latium. Rivals of Rome for several hundred years, their territories were taken over and assimilated by 300 BCE. The gens Octavia – Augustus’ paternal family – hailed from Velitrae, where he also spent his childhood (despite being born at the Ox Heads – Capita Bubula – a small property on the Palatine Hill in Rome).
Velletri is located on a spur of Monte Artemisio and is the largest territory in the Castelli Romani. The town, which is surrounded by vineyards, was chosen as a holiday spot by the Romans (Patricians used to own villas in the area) and still is a popular destination. As a place of great naturalistic importance, Velletri is also part of the Castelli Romani Regional Park.
In 1787 Goethe visited Velletri, and was so struck by it that he decided to write about it in his famous work “Italian Journey”:
Velletri is agreeably situated on a volcanic hill, which toward the north alone is connected with other hills, and toward three points of the heavens commands a wide and uninterrupted prospect.
The Works of J. W. von Goethe/Volume 12/Letters from Italy/Part VII
The symbol of Velletri is the Torre del Trivio, a tower built in 1353 in Lombard-Gothic style, in gratitude for the liberation of the city from a plague that devastated it in 1348. It is part of the Chiesa di Santa Maria del Trivio, a 14th century church. Struck by lightning in 1622, the old structure was demolished. Architect Carlo Maderno worked on the new project, which was completed in 1759 by Carlo Murena.
Not far from the Torre del Trivio is the Fountain of Piazza Cairoli. According to the original project, this Piazza should have featured two fountains by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. In the end it was architect Gian Battista Rainaldi who designed the fountain in 1623.
Another prominent sight in Velletri is the Porta Napoletana. It was a gate which was part of the medieval city walls. Built in 1511 by workmen from Lombardy, it survived intact to this day, unlike other gates in the city such as the Porta Romana, built in 1573 and designed by Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola (Il Vignola).
In the 17th century the area of the Ex Convento del Carmine comprised the Church of Sant’Antonino (1065) and the oratory of the Confraternita della Misericordia (1533), both gifted to the Carmelite Friars who had arrived in the city. Thanks to generous donations from citizens, they could build a convent there with the typical Carmelite architectural style (the spaces had to be essential, solid and functional), a quadrangular body on several floors. In the basement we could find the warehouses, on the ground floor the cloister, the refectory, the kitchen and the church with the oratory, on the upper floor the cells for the friars and the rooms for the Prior. The decoration of the cloister and part of the refectory dates back to the second half of the 17th century and was in all likelihood painted by Gaspard Dughet (1615-75), brother-in-law of Poussin and active in the surroundings of Rome at the time.
The Velletri Cathedral or Cathedral of St Clement was built in the 4th century over the ruins of a pagan temple. It has three naves and was rebuilt in the current form in 1659–1662. The Renaissance portal is by Trojano di Palestrina (1512). The interior has several frescoes, while the Capitular Museum houses important relics and paintings including works by Gentile da Fabriano and Antoniazzo Romano.
One of the most precious treasures of the Archeological Museum in Velletri is the so-called Velletri Sarcophagus with the 12 labours of Hercules. It is a Roman sarcophagus from 140–150 CE. There are a total of 86 human and divine figures (including Caryatids and Telamons), 43 mythical creatures, and 40 animals.
If you want to relax in a spectacular spot of great natural beauty, then you can’t miss the Villa Ginnetti Park. Palazzo Ginnetti was built in the 17th century by cardinal Marzio Ginnetti, however the palace has since been demolished and only the monumental entrance gate remains. In its place is now a beautiful park with plants and trees coming from all over the world.
Velletri is also a wine production area and is famous for its great food and festivals, so don’t forget to try the local specialities while there!
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