Palestrina | ||
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Comune | ||
Comune di Palestrina | ||
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Location of Palestrina in Italy | ||
Coordinates: 41°50′N 12°54′E / 41.833°N 12.900°E | ||
Country | Italy | |
Region | Latium | |
Province / Metropolitan city | Rome (RM) | |
Frazioni | Carchitti, Valvarino | |
Government | ||
• Mayor | Adolfo De Angelis | |
Area | ||
• Total | 46.8 km2 (18.1 sq mi) | |
Elevation | 450 m (1,480 ft) | |
Population (30 November 2010) | ||
• Total | 21,567 | |
• Density | 460/km2 (1,200/sq mi) | |
Demonym(s) | Palestrinesi o Prenestini | |
Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
• Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
Postal code | 00036 (capital, Valvarino), 00030 (Carchitti) | |
Dialing code | 06 | |
Patron saint | St. Agapitus martyr | |
Saint day | August 18 | |
Website | Official website |
Palestrina (ancient Praeneste; Ancient Greek: Πραίνεστος, Prainestos) is an ancient city and comune (municipality) with a population of about 21,000, in Lazio, about 35 kilometres (22 miles) east of Rome. It is connected to the latter by the Via Prenestina.
It is the birthplace of composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina.
Palestrina is sited on a spur of the Monti Prenestini, a range in the central Apennines.
Palestrina borders the following municipalities: Artena, Castel San Pietro Romano, Cave, Gallicano nel Lazio, Labico, Rocca di Cave, Rocca Priora, Rome, San Cesareo, Valmontone, Zagarolo.
Early burials show that the site was already occupied in the 8th or 7th century BC. The ancient necropolis lay on a plateau at the foot of the hill below the ancient town. Of the objects found in the oldest graves, and supposed to date from about the 7th century BC, the cups of silver and silver-gilt and most of the gold and amber jewelry are Phoenician (possibly Carthaginian), but the bronzes and some of the ivory articles seem to be of the Etruscan civilization.