Civitavecchia

Comune

Comune di Civitavecchia

Civitavecchia fort and harbour

Coat of arms

Civitavecchia

Location of Civitavecchia in Italy

Coordinates: 42°06′N 11°48′E / 42.100°N 11.800°ECoordinates: 42°06′N 11°48′E / 42.100°N 11.800°E

Country

Frazioni

Aurelia, La Scaglia

Government

• Mayor

Pietro Tidei (PD)

Area

• Total

71.95 km² (27.78 sq mi)

Elevation

4 m (13 ft)

Population (2008)

• Total

51,969

• Density

720/km² (1,900/sq mi)

Demonym

Civitavecchiesi

Time zone

CET (UTC+1)

• Summer (DST)

CEST (UTC+2)

Postal code

00053

Dialing code

0766

Patron saint

Saint Fermina

Saint day

28 April

Website

Official website

Civitavecchia [ˌtʃivitaˈvɛkkja] is a town and comune of the province of Rome in the central Italian region of Lazio. A sea port on the Tyrrhenian Sea, it is located 80 kilometres (50 miles) west-north-west of Rome, across the Mignone river. The harbour is formed by two piers and a breakwater, on which is a lighthouse. The name Civitavecchia means "ancient town".

History

Civitavecchia in 1795, etching by William Marlow.

The modern city was built over a pre-existing Etruscan settlement.

The harbour was constructed by the Emperor Trajan at the beginning of the 2nd century. The first occurrence of the name Centum Cellae is from a letter by Pliny the Younger (AD 107). The origin of the name is disputed: it has been suggested that it could refer to the centum ("hundred") halls of the villa of the emperor.

In the early Middle Ages, Centumcellae was a Byzantine stronghold. Raided by the Saracens in 828, it was later acquired by the Papal States.

The place became a free port under Pope Innocent XII in 1696 and by the modern era was the main port of Rome. The French occupied it in 1849. On 16 April 1859 the Rome and Civitavecchia Rail Road was opened for service. The Papal troops opened the gates of the fortress to the Italian general Nino Bixio in 1870.

During World War II, Allied bombings severely damaged Civitavecchia, and caused civilian casualties.

Economy

Civitavecchia is today a major cruise and ferry port, the main starting point for sea connection from central Italy to Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, Tunis and Barcelona. Fishing has a secondary importance.

The city is also the seat of two thermal power stations. The conversion of one of them to coal has raised the population's protests, as it has been suggested it could create heavy pollution.

Main sights

The massive Forte Michelangelo was first commissioned from Donato Bramante by Pope Julius II, to defend the port of Rome. The upper part of the "maschio" tower, however, was designed by Michelangelo, whose name is generally applied to the fortress. North of the city at Ficoncella are the Terme Taurine baths frequented by Romans and still popular with the Civitavecchiesi. The modern name stems from the common fig plants among the various pools. And also next to the town is the location of the cruise ship docks. All major cruise lines start and end their cruises at this location, and others stop for shore excursion days that allow guests to see Rome and Vatican sights, which are 90 minutes away.

Geography

Climate

Civitavecchia experiences a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa).

Climate data for Civitavecchia
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	12.8 (55.0)	13.1 (55.6)	14.6 (58.3)	16.7 (62.1)	20.3 (68.5)	23.6 (74.5)	26.5 (79.7)	27 (80.6)	24.9 (76.8)	21.4 (70.5)	17 (62.6)	13.9 (57.0)	19.3 (66.8)
Average low °C (°F)	7.1 (44.8)	7.4 (45.3)	8.5 (47.3)	10.6 (51.1)	14.3 (57.7)	17.5 (63.5)	20.3 (68.5)	20.5 (68.9)	18.5 (65.3)	15.2 (59.4)	11.1 (52.0)	8.1 (46.6)	13.3 (55.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	94 (3.7)	71 (2.8)	51 (2.0)	53 (2.1)	43 (1.7)	18 (.7)	10 (.4)	30 (1)	56 (2.2)	84 (3.3)	89 (3.5)	71 (2.8)	665 (26.2)
Source: ^[1]

Transport

View of the port

View of station platforms

The Port of Civitavecchia, also known as "Port of Rome",^[2] is an important hub for the maritime transport in Italy, for goods and passengers. Part of the "Motorways of the Sea"^[3] it is linked to several Mediterranean ports and represents one of the main links between Italian mainland to Sardinia.

Civitavecchia railway station, opened in 1859, is the western terminus of the Rome–Civitavecchia railway, which forms part of the Pisa–Livorno–Rome railway. A short line linking the town center to the harbour survived until the early 2000s.^[4] It counted two stations: Civitavecchia Marittima, serving the port, and Civitavecchia Viale della Vittoria.

Civitavecchia is served by the A12, an unconnected motorway linking Rome to Genoa and by the State highway SS1 Via Aurelia, which also links the two stretches. The town is also interested by a project regarding a new motorway, the Civitavecchia-Venice or New Romea,^[5] nowadays completed as a dual carriageway between Viterbo and Ravenna (via Terni, Perugia and Cesena) and commonly known in Italy as the Orte-Ravenna.

Il Pirgo, the ornate pier leading from the port of Civitavecchia, over coast waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea, Lazio, Italy.
Chiesa della Santissima Concezione.
Virgin Mary relief, Civitavecchia, Lazio, Italy.
View on the sea port of Civitavecchia (the Tyrrhenian Sea), Lazio, Italy.
View on the Tyrrhenian Sea from the port of Civitavecchia, Lazio, Italy.
View of St. Francis of Assisi Basilica, Civitavecchia, Lazio, Italy.

Education

The commune has multiple preschools,^[6] primary schools,^[7] junior high schools,^[8] and high schools.^[9] Polo Universitario di Civitavecchia is located in the city.