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Tarracina

Terracina
Comune
Città di Terracina
Aerial view of Terracina with the Circeo promontory in the background
Aerial view of Terracina with the Circeo promontory in the background
Coat of arms of Terracina
Coat of arms
Terracina within the Province of Latina
Terracina within the Province of Latina
Terracina is located in Italy
Terracina
Terracina
Location of Terracina in Italy
Coordinates: 41°17′N 13°15′E / 41.283°N 13.250°E / 41.283; 13.250
Country Italy
Region Lazio
Province / Metropolitan city Latina (LT)
Frazioni Borgo Hermada, Frasso (shared with Sonnino), La Fiora, San Vito
Government
 • Mayor Erminia Ocello
Area
 • Total 136 km2 (53 sq mi)
Elevation 22 m (72 ft)
Population (2016)
 • Total 46,119
 • Density 340/km2 (880/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Terracinesi
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 04019
Dialing code 0773
Patron saint Saint Caesarius
Saint day First Sunday of November
Website http://www.comune.terracina.lt.it

Terracina is a town and comune of the province of Latina - (until 1934 of the province of Rome), Italy, 76 kilometres (47 miles) southeast of Rome by rail and 56 kilometres (35 mi) by the Via Appia by car.

Terracina appears in ancient sources with two names: the Latin Tarracina and the Volscian Anxur. The latter is the name of Jupiter himself as a youth (Iuppiter Anxur or Anxurus), and was the tutelary god of the city, venerated on the Mons Neptunius (current Monte S. Angelo), where a temple dedicated to him still exists (see below). The name Tarracina has been instead pointed out variously as pre-Indo-European origin (Ταρρακινή in ancient Greek), or as Etruscan (Tarchna or Tarchuna, the name of the Tarquinii family): in this view, it would precede the Volscian conquest.

Terracina occupied a position of notable strategic importance: it is located in fact at the point where the Volscian Hills (an extension of the Lepini Mountains) reach the coast, leaving no space for passage between them and the sea, in a site commanding the Pontine Marshes (urbs prona in paludes, "a city surrounded by marshes", as Livy called it) and also possessing a small harbour. During the 600's BC, it joined the Etruscan League of twelve cities. In 509 BCE Terracina was already under Roman supremacy, but was not included in the list of the Latin league of 499 BCE. In 406 it was stormed by the Romans, then lost in 402, recovered in 400, unsuccessfully attacked by the Volsci in 397, and finally secured by the establishment of a colony of Roman citizens in 329 BCE.


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Wikipedia

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