Mentana

Mentana
Comune
Comune di Mentana
Coat of arms
Mentana Location of Mentana in Italy
Coordinates: 42°01′N 12°39′E / 42.017°N 12.650°E / 42.017; 12.650
Country	Italy
Region	Latium
Province / Metropolitan city	Rome
Frazioni	Casali, Castelchiodato, Mezzaluna
Government
• Mayor	Altiero Lodi (PD)
Area
• Total	24 km2 (9 sq mi)
Elevation	150 m (490 ft)
Population (28 February 2010)
• Total	21,286
• Density	890/km2 (2,300/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Mentanesi
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	00013
Dialing code	06
Patron saint	St. Nicholas of Bari
Saint day	December 6
Website	Official website

Mentana is a town and comune, former bishopric and presant Latin Catholic titular see in the Metropolitan City of Rome, Lazio, central Italy. It is located 29 kilometres (18 mi) north-east of Rome and has a population of about 21,000.

Mentana's name in ancient times was Nomentum, to which the Via Nomentana led from Rome. According to Livy, the town was part of the Latin League, which went to war with Rome during the reign of Rome's king Lucius Tarquinius Priscus. Nomentum was one of a number of towns captured by Tarquinius.

It was a Latin town, but was considered by some to be Sabine, and, like Fidenae and Ficulea, was excluded from the first region by Augustus, who made the Anio river its northern boundary. The city was part of the League defeated by Rome in the Battle of Lake Regillus, and was captured definitively in 338 BCE.

Subsequently, Nomentum received the civitas sine suffragio; in its municipal constitution the chief magistrate even in imperial times bore the title of dictator. Pliny and Martial often praise the fertility of its neighbourhood.

In 741 it was briefly occupied by the Lombards and the inhabitants moved to a new centre on the Via Nomentana which was more easily defendable. On 23 November 799, it was the site of the meeting of Pope Leo III and Charlemagne.

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Wikipedia