Itri : The Village

Positioned on a quit hillside along the old Via Appia, from Itri is still possible to see part of the spectacular and ancient Appia’s path which joins the ruins of funeral monuments and milestones. Itri is only few miles away from the sea and is historically a southern Lazio’s door to the inland mountains. The nearness to the sea is also evident in the natural blend between sea and mountain flora where the greener vegetation carob alternate with the Mediterranean scrub of broom, rosemary, mastic and century-old olive trees;

  A mews in the historic centre

these produce the renowned ‘Itrane’ olives also know better as Gaeta olives. Extensive olive groves are a feature of the countryside and Itri seems to blend perfectly in its own bucolic landscape. Its olives and olive oil are exported all over the world. In fact, the village is famous since the medieval age for its production of olive oil and pickled olives, the ‘Itrane’, better known and marketed in the medieval age all around the Mediterranean as Gaeta’s olives.

Itri is also known for its brooms, maths and other handcrafts many of which are made from the ‘stramma’, a special long, stiff and sharp grass that grows in abundance on the hills around the village.The ancient core of Itri is a typical example of the most typical Mediterranean hillside village; a thick building aggregation, with narrow streets easy to defend in the event of sudden raids, with arches and sunny terraces among cream and white buildings.

The massive castle of Itri dates back to the time of the frequent invaders raids since the early medieval time which intensified from VIII and IX century. The three or four small squares on the way to the castle offer a picturesque view of the village and give an idea of how the life was structured in medieval times with a small community trading with travellers on the way to Rome or towards the south of Italy. The villagers in medieval ages were ready to find refuge inside the massive walls of the castle in times of war and invasions.

High on a hill, the village centre is dominated by the ruins of its bulky castle with two large towers, one cylindrical in shape and the other one square. In the older part of the village visitors can see the ruins of the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore. The church was destroyed during the Second World War. There is a splendid bell tower with its 13th century polychrome decorations. The churches of San Michele Arcangelo and of the Annunziata are also worth exploring.

The bell tower on S.Maria Maggiore was originally constructed in Romanesque style during the 12th century and decorated with alternate bands of white stone and brick, majolica-tiles and acute arched mullion windows. Unfortunately, the church was badly damaged during the last world’s conflict. The small square Piazzetta St. Angelo is dominated by the 11th century church with the same name on the top of the medieval stone-steps. Originally the church was built according to a single nave plan but then renovated and transformed at the end of the 18th century.

The Romanesque bell tower at the entrance has two rows of double mullion rows with a third row of acute-arched triple mullions with brick and white stone decoration. Inside, the quire is supported by small columns resting on statues of sleeping lions.

Skirting around the castle, Via San Martino descends into Vicolo Giudea from where visitors can pass through Arco di San Martino to reach Porta della Costa, known also as Mamurra, which is inscribed with Roman and medieval writings as well as well as heraldic writings. From Porta della Costa it is easy to reach the Via Appia and Murat’s Fountain. Itri is the birthplace of few famous and important men such as Pope Urban VI, elected in 1378. Every year Itri becomes a colourful village with streets covered of flowers. Itri’s community organise the ‘Infiorata’ a village festival in the occasion of the religious event of the Corpus Domini. During the Infiorata the village’s streets are lined with carpets of flowers.