Poggio Mirteto

Poggio Mirteto is a comune (municipality) and former Catholic bishopric in Sabina in the Central Italian region Lazio (Latium). Administratively Poggio Mirteto is in the province of Rieti (formerly part of the province of Perugia) and geographically this municipality is about 45 kilometres (28 mi) northeast of Rome and about 20 kilometres (12 mi) southwest of Rieti.

According to Giuseppe Marocco's 1833 book (Monumenti dello Stato Pontificio e relazione topografica di ogni paese - Sabina e sue memorie) the name Poggio Mirteto derives from the abbundance of Myrtus plants (mirto in Italian) in its territory and from the Italian word which means knoll, Poggio, because the old town was built on a knoll.

Poggio Mirteto's cathedral, formerly seat of its own bishops, became the episcopal see of the Bishop of the Suburbicarian Diocese of Sabina-Poggio Mirteto.

History

For ecclesiastical history, see Roman Catholic Diocese of Poggio Mirteto

Poggio Mirteto was founded in the early thirteenth century and later became part of the Papal States.

On 6 and 7 July 1849 Giuseppe Garibaldi, during his retreat from Rome with about 4,000 troops and his wife Anita, stopped in Poggio Mirteto: in Poggio Mirteto's main square there is a commemorative plaque in the building where Anita stayed during these days.^[2]

In the end of the year 1860, similarly to other Papal States territories, Poggio Mirteto joined the Kingdom of Sardinia during the fast events which arranged the making of the Kingdom of Italy that happened in the next year. The then Special Commissioner for the Province of Umbria of the Kingdom of Sardinia, Gioacchino Napoleone Pepoli, created by decree the Province of Umbria, merging the previous Districts of Perugia, Spoleto, Orvieto, Foligno, Terni and Rieti on 15 December 1860;^[3] therefore Poggio Mirteto, which was in the Rieti District, was included in this new Province.

Since 27 January 1927, Poggio Mirteto has been part of the Province of Rieti which was established in the same year by Decree.^[4]

Geography

The city center is situated on a hill, which is around 250 meters above the sea level, by the left bank of the river Tevere in a fertile region, where pot-herbs, cereals, grapes and pastures are cultivated. Olive plantation is the most typical product of the Poggio Mirteto's agriculture and its extra virgin olive oil has the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) like all the extra virgin olive oil produced in Sabina.

The municipality of Poggio Mirteto comprises the following hamlets (subdivisions, mainly villages), in Italian "frazioni": Poggio Mirteto Scalo where there is the railway station, San Valentino, San Luigi, Misericordia and Castel San Pietro.

Poggio Mirteto borders one another the following municipalities: Poggio Catino, Montopoli di Sabina, Torrita Tiberina, Cantalupo in Sabina and Salisano.

The famous Farfa Abbey is close to Poggio Mirteto.

Transportation

Poggio Mirteto is directly linked with Rome, Fiumicino Aeroporto railway station, Orte and other Lazio's towns thorugh the railway FR1. The railway station is in the biggest municipality's hamlet, Poggio Mirteto Scalo, which is far from the city center around six kilometres.

The main road in the municipality territory it is the road SS 79 "Ternana" which links Terni to Rieti.

Main sights

Piazza Martiri della Libertà is a square which represents the city center of Poggio Mirteto where there are the City Hall and the Cathedral. This very large square, which is enclosed by buildings for the biggest part of its perimeter, was developed as an expansion of the old medieval city in the seventeenth century: the square is linked to the medieval part of the city through a monumental gateway, Porta Farnese: this gateway is named by the House of Farnese because its construction was proposed by the Cardinal Alessandro Farnese during the sixteen century when he was Abbot of Farfa.

In the medieval part of the city there is also the huge bishop palace and its prison.

In the municipality territory there are the following churches:

Saint Paul Church, thirteenth century

Cathedral
Saint John
San Rocco
Holy Family
Madonna della Misericordia
Santa Maria della Pietà
Saint Paul

In the old city there is a notable medieval clock tower.

Clock tower

An old chimney made of bricks, now near the city center, is the most notable remainder of the former glassmaker Fajella.^[5] In the municipality territory ancient ruins of Roman villas are numerous such as the villa called "Bagni di Lucilla" and a villa which traditionally is claimed to have been of Terentius Varro. In the countryside there are also remnants of small Roman aqueducts.

In the hamlet of Castel San Pietro there is a huge castle.

Former glassmaker's chimney

Culture

The Carnival season in Poggio Mirteto comprises three landmarks events, all happening mainly in Piazza Martiri della Libertà.

the first event is the festival of bruschetta on the penultimate sunday of Carnival.
the second one is the Carnival of the children on the Carnival Thursday.
third one, on the first sunday of the Lent, is the Carnevalone Liberato ('freed big Carnival' in Italian), a busker style festival with a parade of satirical groups and chariots.

Notable locals

Pietro Bonfante
Raimondo D'Inzeo

Twin towns — sister cities

Canéjan in 2003

Curiosity

According to a book of the journalist Italo Pietra when Enrico Mattei was fourteen years old he arrived in Poggio Mirteto by train: he had run away from his home and reached Rome with a friend where the two stayed for some days living like homeless. Later the two teenagers left Rome without a train ticket but the Carabinieri found out and blocked them in the railway station of Poggio Mirteto.^[6]

Sources and External links

References

↑ All demographics and other statistics: Italian statistical institute Istat.
↑ http://rete.comuni-italiani.it/wiki/Poggio_Mirteto/Lapide_a_ricordo_di_Anita_Garibaldi
↑ Decreto n° 240, serie n° 197, 15 Dicembre 1860.
↑ Decreto 2 gennaio 1927, n.1
↑ Bacci Valeria, La Fabbrica dei Cristalli. Ricerche sull'antica vetreria Fajella di Poggio Mirteto. ISBN 88-903056-9-X
↑ Italo Pietra, Mattei. La Pecora Nera. La Biblioteca di Repubblica

Lazio · Comuni of the Province of Rieti

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