| Cassino | ||
 | ||
| State | Italy | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Lazio | |
| Altitude | 40 m a.s.l. | |
| Inhabitants | 34.994 (2013 census) | |
| Name inhabitants | Cassinati | |
| Prefix tel | 39 0776 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 03043 | |
| Time zone | UTC 1 | |
| Patron | Saint Benedict of Nursia co-patron San Germano | |
Position
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| Institutional website | ||
Cassino is a municipality of the Lazio southern.
To know
For centuries the administrative center of the Land of San Benedetto, Cassino is today the second largest city in the province of Frosinone by number of inhabitants. It develops at the foot of the hill on which the famous abbey of Montecassino stands, in a historically strategic place for communications between central and southern Italy. Almost totally destroyed by the bombings of the Second World War, and for this reason also known as the Martyr City, was rebuilt after the war.
Geographical notes
The city of Cassino 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. The center is located at the base of the hill called Montecassino, which rises up to 520 m a.s.l., which branches off from Monte Cairo, in the plain enclosed by the Liri and Rapido rivers. The hill is made up of compact geological material, which does not retain atmospheric waters, which therefore flow largely into the valley giving rise to the sources of the Gari river which crosses the city and which, after about a kilometer, near the so-called Varronian baths, it joins with the Rapido. Not far from the city center, in the village of Sant'Apollinare in the locality of Giunture the Gari flows into the Liri which thus becomes the Garigliano river; due to this abundance of water, in the past there were marshy areas. The importance of the location is remarkable: Cassino is located in the place where the Liri valley narrows, well connected to the Gulf of Gaeta and the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise, which has always been crossed by important connecting roads Rome with Naples and the rest of Southern Italy
When to go
The city has a particularly humid climate, with hot and sultry summers and moderately cold winters, in which the frequent presence of fog is recorded. Precipitation is concentrated mainly in spring.
Background
Casinum it was a thriving Roman center of antiquity Latium located along the ancient via Latina. After the end of the Roman Empire the city was destroyed by the invasion of the Lombards. In 529 A.D. San Benedetto da Norcia chose the Montecassino hill to found his first convent in place of a pagan temple dedicated to the god Apollo. Since that moment I have never left Monte Cassino: here he wrote the famous Benedictine Rule which became the founding principle for Western monasticism. The Abbey of Montecassino became a model for Western monasticism and one of the major European cultural centers throughout the Middle Ages. The first official documents written in the Italian vernacular, the Placiti Cassinesi, are kept in the abbey.
In 744 the abbey assumed political autonomy and Cassino became the administrative center of the surrounding area: in the period of maximum extension the Land of San Benedetto, this is the name of the feudal state, extended from Cassino to the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Unfortunately, due to its geographical location and its protected position, the monastery and, consequently, the city remained involved in military events throughout the ages, which destroyed both the abbey and the underlying city several times.
In 1815 the city, which at the time was called San Germano, was the scene of the final battle of the Austro-Neapolitan war, the battle of San Germano, which ended with the victory of the Austrians. In 1883 San Germano assumed the Italianized name Cassino. In 1927 it passed from the Terra di Lavoro Province to that of Frosinone in Lazio. In 1930 the cable car that connected the center of Cassino to the abbey was inaugurated. The cable car, however, did not survive the horrors of the war that soon shook theItaly and that they saw Cassino one of the most affected centers of the Second World War. Cassino located on the Gustav Line, was for months at the center of the clashes between the Germans and the Allies. On February 15, 1944, mistakenly believing that the Germans had hidden in the abbey, the Americans bombed the monastery, destroying one of the main symbols of Christianity. Exactly one month later the same fate befell the city of Cassino which was completely razed to the ground.
For this Cassino deserved the award of the Gold Medal for military valor and is known as the Martyr City.
After the war the city was completely rebuilt according to the architectural canons of the time. In 1964 the abbey was rededicated. In the 1970s, the investments favored by the Cassa del Mezzogiorno were noteworthy, which gave rise to various industrial plants, including that of Fiat with its related industries. Since then, the city economy has undergone a transformation from an agricultural center to an industrial and tertiary center. Since 1979 it has also been a university center, with the presence of the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio.
How to orient yourself
Cassino: full screen map.Although pre-war the historic center developed at the foot of Rocca Janula, the reconstruction plan determined the displacement of the city center on the plain, along three main road axes: Course of the Republic, Via E. De Nicola is Viale Dante.
How to get
By plane
The nearest airports are at Rome (Fiumicino and Ciampino) e Naples (Capodichino); to reach Cassino you can continue by train, bus or taxi.
- From Rome Fiumicino Airport: Special "Leonardo Express" train from the airport to Rome Termini station, Rome-Cassino Train Line Fr6 to Cassino.
- From Rome Ciampino Airport: Ciampino-Cassino Train Line Fr6.
- From Naples Capodichino Airport: Alibus Line Bus to Naples Central Railway Station (Piazza Garibaldi), Naples-Cassino Line Fr6 train to Cassino. Alternatively, bus Rome Marche Lines spa direct from Napoli Centrale station to Cassino.
By car
A1 motorway (Milan-Naples) Cassino exit. The motorway exit is located about 5 km from the city center, on the SR 630, which connects Cassino to the Pontine coast (Formia is Gaeta), to Liri valley (Sora) and toAbruzzo (Avezzano).
Strada Statale n.6 "Casilina": it follows a north-south direction almost parallel to that of the A1 motorway but allows you to better enjoy the landscape and cultural riches of Lower Lazio. Via Casilina entirely crosses the city of Cassino and represents an alternative for those who want to reach Cassino from the surrounding area.
On the train
Rome-Naples railway via Cassino (Line Fr6) - Cassino stop. There are also fast trains that allow you to reach Cassino from Rome without intermediate stops.From Cassino station you can easily reach the city center on foot (800 meters away) or by using one of the many urban buses, or by taking a taxi. from Piazza Garibaldi, in front of the railway station.
By bus
Cassino is served by numerous public and private bus routes, which connect it with all the surrounding cities.
- Cotral: connection with other municipalities of the Lazio.
- Roma Marche Lines spa: offers a direct bus service from the Napoli Centrale railway station (piazza Garibaldi) to Cassino.
- Autoservizi Cerella: offers bus services fromAbruzzo and from Molise towards the city of Cassino.
How to get around
By public transport
In the city center, the Magni and Mastrantoni bus lines carry out urban transport services. The terminus is located in Piazza San Benedetto. Most of the lines stop in front of the train station.
By taxi
Taxis are available in front of the train station in Piazza Garibaldi.
What see
- 1 Montecassino Abbey, ☎ 39 0776 311529, @[email protected]. Founded by San Benedetto da Norcia in the year 529, it is the most famous monastery in Christendom. 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.
- 2 Rocca Janula. Built in the 10th century by the abbot Aligerno, it was for centuries the military fulcrum of the land of San Benedetto. Heavily damaged by the bombing of the Second World War, it has undergone a significant restoration in recent years and still dominates today's city of Cassino.
"Casinum" Archaeological Park
- 3 Roman amphitheater, Via Montecassino. The Roman amphitheater was built by Ummidia Quadratilla and is still present in the archaeological area which also includes her Mausoleum. The structure is elliptical in shape with the diameter of the larger side equal to about 85 meters and the smaller side that reaches a size of 69 meters. Most likely in the upper part of the amphitheater there were loopholes whose purpose was to accommodate a series of strips that went to support the velarium. The year of construction dates back to the 1st century AD. The neighborhood in which the amphitheater is located, due to the presence of the latter, is called the "Colosseum".
- 4 Roman theatre, Via Montecassino. The Roman Theater has the typical Greek-Roman theater scheme, with a semicircular shape and with the slope of the mountain that is used to support twenty steps. They are divided into a Summa cavea which includes seven and an Imma cavea of thirteen steps. Access was guaranteed by a series of covered galleries that led directly to the top step of the structure. Completely forgotten in the medieval period, it was brought to light only in 1936 and was restored around the fifties and later in 2001. It has a capacity of about 3000 seats and is still used in the summer for numerous events and cultural activities. such as shows, concerts, open-air cinema. The theater is located at the intersection of via Crocifisso and via Montecassino.
- 5 Mausoleum of Ummidia Quadratilla, Via Montecassino. The mighty structure rises on the south-eastern slopes of Montecassino. Built with large square blocks and perfectly connected without mortar, held together only by lead clips inside, it has withstood the ravages of time, earthquakes and, lastly, the fury of war, without suffering substantial damage. The origins of the artifact are undoubtedly obscure: it is traced back between the first century BC and the first after Christ. Those who have dealt with it have sometimes called it "temple" and sometimes "tomb". Many scholars attribute the mausoleum to the cassinate benefactress Ummidia Quadratilla, daughter of the consul Ummidio Durmio Quadrato; this conviction stemmed from the discovery, which took place in 1757, of an inscription in the nearby amphitheater.
- 6 Urban walls, Via Montecassino. The Roman city was protected by mighty polygonal walls which, with a distance of about 4.5 km, enclosed a much larger area than that actually inhabited. The circuit of the urban walls of Casinum suffered heavy damage during the Second World War; furthermore, some sections, in the sector further downstream, were restored in the Middle Ages or incorporated into recently built buildings. In the walls the Porta Romana opened to the south-west and the Porta Campana to the south-east, crossed by the via Latina nova, which constituted the decumanus maximus, that is the main axis of the city.
- 7 Nymphaeum Ponari, Via Montecassino. The structure known as the "Ponari" nymphaeum, from the name of the family that owns the area, consists of two contiguous rooms: a rectangular room, with a barrel vault in cement and rectangular niches along the walls and a small atrium in front, uncovered, with a shallow basin in the center (impluvium). The nymphaeum, intended to host water games, was attached to a rich private residence. It was built in the second half of the 1st century. B.C. in opus coementicium and then restored during the second century. A.D. or in the following one, as suggested by the decorative techniques used.
Monumental war cemeteries
- 8 Commonwealth Cemetery, Via S. Angelo. The Cassino War Cemetery is a military cemetery located near the Folcara university campus, where the soldiers of the Commonwealth countries who fell in the battle of Montecassino during the Second World War rest. There are 4,266 military graves from the current ones UK, Canada, Australia, New Zeland, South Africa, India is Pakistan and a Red Army soldier. 284 of these soldiers have not been identified.
- 9 Polish cemetery, Via Montecassino. It is located in a basin behind the hill where the abbey stands and is under the supervision of the Italian defense ministry. It was built by the Polish soldiers themselves and inaugurated at the beginning of September 1945. It collects the remains of the soldiers of the Polish II Corps who, under the leadership of General Anders, fought heroically in Montecassino in May 1944. They are buried inside the remains of 1078 soldiers including those of the general, who wanted to be buried there among his soldiers, and of the military chaplain. A part of the shrine is reserved for soldiers of the Jewish religion enrolled in the corps. Every 18 May a commemorative day is organized where the remaining survivors, their families and representatives of Polish institutions gather.
- 10 Germanic cemetery, Via Caira. The German cemetery stands on a hill, called Colle Marino, in the locality of Caira. The shrine, cared for and maintained by a private association and voluntary German soldiers, collects not only the bodies of German soldiers who died in Montecassino, but also those found and exhumed in the provisional war cemeteries of southern Italy (Calabria, Puglia, Basilicata, Molise is Abruzzo), becoming the largest and most important German war cemetery in Italy. More than 20,000 people rest there, many unknown soldiers. The cemetery was inaugurated in 1965.
Natural areas
- 11 Sources of the Gari, Court Square. The particular hydrogeological conditions make the urban territory of the city of Cassino one of the richest water basins inEurope. The sources of the Gari are located on the slopes of Monte Cassino and the Rocca Janula, in the central Piazza Corte, behind the Mother Church.
- 12 Municipal Villa (Park XV March 1944), Course of the Republic. The Villa Comunale is the main public park in the city. It has large green spaces and is crossed by two branches of the Gari river that come together to create the suggestive lake. It has tree-lined avenues, benches and play areas for children and is very popular with people of all ages.
- 13 Varronian Baths, Via delle Terme. The Varronian Baths are a suggestive natural-thermal park born after the war near the sumptuous villa that belonged to Marco Terenzio Varrone. They are located in the area of the territory of Cassino called Monticello, near the railway station. The waters, classified as "cold medium-mineral bicarbonate", are diuretic and indicated for various gastric, renal and hepatic diseases, as well as to relieve gout.
Museums
- 14 Archaeological Museum "G. Carettoni", Via Montecassino. The archaeological museum preserves a series of finds that certify the fact that the Cassinate area was already inhabited in the Iron Age period, but also objects belonging to the period of expansion of the Roman Empire. All the preserved artifacts were found in the Cassinate area. The museum also includes an archaeological area, in which there is the tomb of Ummidia Quadratilla and part of the ancient Via Latina and the Roman Amphitheater.
- 15 Historiale Museum, Via San Marco. It is a completely innovative museum born in the sixtieth anniversary of the battle of Montecassino, with the aim of telling the historical events that led Cassino to become a crucial center of the Second World War in Italy. It was designed and built by Officina Rambaldi. Inside, auditory and visual solicitations in the thematic spaces specifically set up, aim at a full involvement of the visitor, making the visit a unique, attractive and suitable experience for all ages.
- 16 CAMUSAC, Via Casilina Nord. Acronym of Cassino Contemporary Art Museum, it is located on Via Casilina Nord, near the roundabout where there is the bronze statue of San Benedetto. It currently houses over 250 works of contemporary art.
Events and parties
- Easter Monday Epiphany.
January 6. On the night between 5 and 6 January, musicians and singers, recognizable by their unique capes and hats (red for one, black for the other), defying the cold of the night, recall the traditional "Easter Monday Epiphany", the ancient Cassinese song of the night Epiphany to announce the arrival of the Befana to children and adults. - Feast of San Benedetto. March 21. The celebrations in honor of San Benedetto, patron saint of Cassino andEurope, last a week which takes the name of the Week of San Benedetto. In the previous months, a torch is lit, bringing peace, in a European city that will reach the monastery in the night between 20 and 21 September at the height of the pilgrimage to the sanctuary of the saint. Therefore, following the torch, the faithful go on foot to the monastery. Throughout the week, the "Terra Sancti Benedecti" Historical Parade takes place, made up of figures who evoke the medieval atmosphere of the Land of San Benedetto. On 21 March the main parade takes place which starts and ends from the Palagio Badiale in Piazza Corte and is followed by long fireworks.
- Spring Marathon. 25 April. It is a traditional event that gathers thousands of families every year to challenge each other in a non-competitive marathon through the streets of Cassino.
- Feast of Sant'Antonio. June 13. It is one of the religious holidays most felt by the population. The party is organized by the parish of Sant'Antonio, the streets of the city center are adorned with lights. Markets are organized and in Piazza Green (or in Campo Miranda), rides are set up, where the youngest can have fun.
- Feast of St. Peter. June 29. It is organized by the Parish of San Pietro in the Colosseum district.
- Pilgrimage dedicated to Maria Assunta. July 9. It is a pilgrimage that is made to thank Our Lady of the Assumption for the end of the plague of 1837. Already in the night the faithful hold a prayer vigil in the Mother Church. At 5 in the morning mass begins, after which the procession starts: the faithful follow the statue of the Madonna which is carried to the other churches of the city, and then ends in the Church of St. Peter.
- Beer Festival. month of July. Every year Piazza Green turns into one of the largest beer festivals in the area. Every evening concerts and cabaret shows cheer the crowd.
- Feast of Our Lady of the Assumption. August 15. It takes place in Piazza San Benedetto and in Piazza Corte and in the surrounding streets, which surround the Mother Church, dedicated to the Madonna dell'Assunta. Concerts are held, there are stalls and the party ends with fireworks.
- White Night of Culture. last Saturday of August. Food and wine stands, street performers, shops open all night, stalls and museums open all night characterize this now traditional end of summer event, which attracts thousands of visitors every year.
- Christmas markets. December. In Piazza Labriola, every year close to the Christmas holidays, Christmas markets are set up, with Bavarian-style wooden houses that sell typical food and wine products and Christmas souvenirs. An ice rink is also set up.
January 6. On the night between 5 and 6 January, musicians and singers, recognizable by their unique capes and hats (red for one, black for the other), defying the cold of the night, recall the traditional "Easter Monday Epiphany", the ancient Cassinese song of the night Epiphany to announce the arrival of the Befana to children and adults.What to do
- Cultural path between history and nature, @[email protected]. An intense day in the Martyr City to relive a millenary history. The tour includes a visit to the abbey and the Polish military cemetery, a walk in the archaeological park of the ancient Casinum, a guided visit to the Museo Historiale
- [link not working]Sporting Routes in Mountain Bike, @[email protected]. For mountain bike enthusiasts, various excursions are available on Monte Cassino, which lead to visit the key places of the Second World War, such as the Gustav Line or the abbey.
- Soft-rafting sports-naturalistic routes, @[email protected]. Routes suitable for everyone to try their hand at a canoe or dinghy along the Gari river and discover its history and its scenic beauties.
- [link not working]Horse trekking. Horseback riding along the famous Cavendish Road and the abbey of Montecassino.
- Historical itinerary on the traces of the Second World War, @[email protected]. historical and monumental path in the footsteps of the various armies that took part in the four Battles of Montecassino. Provide comfortable shoes and a bottle of water in the summer
- War-historical tour (From Cassino station). Mon-Sun 10: 00-14: 00, reservation required. World War II battlefield war tour. The tour is available in Italian, English, German, French is Spanish.
Shopping
Shopping centers
The main shopping streets in Cassino are the very central Corso della Repubblica, Via E. De Nicola and Viale Dante. In the peripheral areas there are also 3 shopping centers:
- 1 Panorama Shopping Center, Via Casilina Sud Km 141,400.
- 2 Shopping Center Gli Archi, Via Casilina Sud Km 140,250.
- 3 Le Grange Shopping Center, Via Casilina Nord (TO Piedimonte San Germano), ☎ 39 0776 401029.
Markets
Cassino is also famous for its many markets:
- Clothing market, Miranda Square. Saturday morning. Every Saturday morning it attracts thousands of visitors from all over the Cassinate for the countless presence of clothing of all types and for all prices.
- Footwear market, Via Leopardi.
- American cloth market, Viale Europa. It is the second-hand clothes market where designer clothes can be found cheaply.
- Fruit and vegetable market, Via Giovanni Battista Vico and Via Grosso. Saturday morning.
- Antiques Fair, Viale Dante, Corso della Repubblica, Piazza Labriola. 3rd Sunday of the month.
How to have fun
Shows
- 1 Manzoni Theater, Diamare Square.
Night clubs
The places of the Cassinate nightlife are mainly enclosed in the streets of the center, between Corso della Repubblica, Viale Dante and Via De Nicola. In particular, young people gather in Piazza Labriola, where most of the bars are located.
- Millaenya.
- Bella Vita Disco, Via Casilina Sud (A1 motorway, Cassino exit, head towards Atina).
