Cassinate is a region of Southern Lazio.
To know
Geographical notes
The Cassinate is located in the southern part of Lazio, on the border with Campania, in the northern part of the historical region of the Terra di Lavoro. It is located in the valley where the Rapido, Gari and Liri rivers join and the Garigliano is formed. It borders to the north with the Comino Valley, south with i Aurunci Mountains to the west with the Liri Valley and to the east with the Campania and the Molise.
When to go
The recommended periods are spring and autumn (March-June and September-October) when temperatures are milder.
Background
The first populations to live there were the Ausoni, followed by the Volsci and Olsci. In 300 BC the territory was conquered by the Romans and crossed by the ancient via Latina (today's via Casilina). With the fall of the empire and the barbarian devastation, the Cassinate area returned to shine thanks to the arrival of San Benedetto da Norcia who founded the abbey of Montecassino. Over time, the power of the monastery grew to govern a real state, called the Land of San Benedetto which, at its greatest extent, reached the Tyrrhenian Sea. Cassinate was part of the Kingdom of Naples and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, until the unification of Italy. Administratively it was included in the Terra di Lavoro Province and divided between the districts of Sora to the north and Gaeta to the south. In 1927 it passed to the Province of Frosinone, in today's Lazio. During the Second World War, the territory was crossed by the Gustav Line. The fighting that went on for months in the "Battle of Cassino" in 1944, led to the almost complete destruction of all the urban centers of Cassinate, including the Abbey, so much so that, to date, very few testimonies of the pre-war period remain in the respective centers. historians.
Spoken languages
The dialects spoken in this area are a variant of the Campania dialects, mitigated by some expressions of Abruzzo and Median origins.
Territories and tourist destinations
Urban centers
- Cassino - With its Abbey of Montecassino, the monumental war cemeteries and the archaeological park of the ancient Roman city Casinum, the Martyr City, as it was defined after the Second World War, is one of the main tourist destinations in Lazio.
- Cervaro - Located on a hill behind Cassino, in Cervaro you can visit the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Piternis and the ruins of the Castle of Monte Trocchio, an ancient fortification in defense of the land of San Benedetto.
- Piedimonte San Germano
- San Vittore del Lazio - Located on the border between Lazio and Campania, S. Vittore has a well-preserved historic center, inside which stands the thirteenth-century church of San Nicola.
- Sant'Elia Fiumerapido - Crossed by the Rapido river, the small inhabited center of S. Elia preserves the thirteenth-century Church of Santa Maria la Nova, miraculously unharmed by the bombings that involved the whole Cassinate.
Other destinations
- The Mainarde - They are the lower reaches of the mountain range of the gods Monti della Meta on the border between Lazio, Abruzzo and Molise. There are mountain villages such as Vallerotonda, Acquafondata (the municipality of Lazio with the least number of inhabitants), Viticuso.
- Valley of the Saints - It is the name of the territory south of Cassino which includes all the towns that were born as celle owned by the land of San Benedetto and for this reason, still called today with the name of saints (Sant'Apollinare, Sant'Andrea del Garigliano, Sant'Ambrogio sul Garigliano, San Giorgio a Liri). Exceptions are the municipalities of Pignataro Interamna and Vallemaio, which fall within the territory of the Valle dei Santi, but which have origins prior to the land of San Benedetto.
How to get
By car
- From the North: A1 towards Naples, Cassino exit ..
- From the South: A1 towards Rome, San Vittore exit.
- From Center: A25 towards L'Aquila, exit Avezzano, then SS690 towards Sora, then SSV Sora-A1 up to Cassino.
On the train
- Rome-Cassino-Naples line, Piedomonte S. Germano-Villa S.Lucia-Aquino, Cassino, Fontanarosa-Cervaro stations.
How to get around
What see
- Montecassino Abbey, Cassino. Founded by St. Benedict of Nursia in the year 529, it is the most famous monastery of Christianity. It stands on the hill overlooking the city of Cassino. Here, the patriarch saint founded the famous "Rule" which spread throughout the Western world. The monastery, which has undergone four destructions in its millenary history, is known throughout the world for the last one, which took place on February 15, 1944, in which it was completely razed to the ground by Allied bombing. It was rebuilt after the war "as it was, where it was" and, returned to its original majesty, it is a destination for pilgrimages from all over the world.
- Archaeological Park of Casinum, Cassino. The area includes the remains of Casinum, the ancient Roman city that stood at the foot of Montecassino. The amphitheater, the theater and the remains of streets and houses can be visited.
- Church of Santa Maria La Nova, Sant'Elia Fiumerapido. Church of thirteenth-century origin, inside which are preserved paintings of the eighteenth century of considerable artistic importance.
- Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie, Villa Santa Lucia (Piumarola). Sanctuary built in the sixth century, inside which the Sacred effigy of the Madonna is preserved, brought to light after World War II.
What to do
- 1 [link previously not working]Haway Park, Via Sferracavalli, 105 - Cassino. It is one of the largest water parks in central Italy.
