Cittaducale
This Angevin and Abruzzo town, founded by King Charles II in 1308, is one of the largest municipalities in the province after Rieti, famous for its episcopal seat, industrial settlements, and source of the great aqueduct that feeds the water network of Rome.
Population
6.426
Area
71 km²
Altitude
481 m
Where is it?
With its 6,700 inhabitants Cittaducale is the third most populous town in the Province of Rieti. It stands out a hill overlooking the Salaria Road, at an equidistant position between the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic coasts, and is situated about 10 km. away from Rieti and 60 km. away from L’Aquila, to which it is connected by the Terni-Sulmona railway.
What to see?
The territory of Cittaducale extends from the hills of Monte Terminillo to the Valley of Salto and the plain of San Vittorino, crossed by the Velino River. The urban structure of the town follows the elliptical model, typical of the Castrum Romanum and consisting of two perpendicular streets that delimit four modular districts surrounded by ancient walls, on which some defensive towers stand out. The main access is represented by Porta Napoli dominated by the tower of St. Manno or Torre Angioina typical for its double section: cylindrical on the side facing the countryside and rectangular on the side facing the town. From Porta Napoli, Corso Mazzini leads to Piazza del Popolo, overlooked by the Palazzo della Comunità and flanked by the Civic Tower and the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Popolo, an Episcopal seat until the first half of the 19th century. The interior shows some 17th-century paintings, a 14th-century high relief and a polychrome statue of San Rocco dating back to 1500. Another attraction not to be missed is the church of S. Cecilia, a reconstruction of the ancient church, semi-destroyed by the earthquake of 1703, whose remains are still preserved today. Outside the walls, near the Roman Via Salaria, stands the spectacular archaeological area of the Baths of Vespasian, a stone's throw from the modern Baths of Cotilia. The complex extends for 400 m. in length and is developed on four levels. An ancient swimming pool has been found nearby, together with a series of rooms whose structures reach 5 m. in height. The eastern facade preserves large rectangular rooms alternated with small apses, as well as the staircase to the upper floor. The complex dates back to a period between the second half of the 2nd century BC and the first half of the 1st century AD and was used for thermal purposes at least until the 12th century. Structures and material from the baths were reused in the following centuries for the construction of the 12th-century church of Santa Maria di Cesoni and for the church of San Vittorino (dedicated in 1613), today visible on the side of the Via Salaria, although half invaded by the waters.
