Sermoneta, A Brief History

Before the twelfth-century, little is known about the history of Sermoneta. Archaeological finds in the area suggest that the region could have been either an Italian, Latin or Ausona base.

During the first-century the history of this area is tied very closely with that of Rome and reflects the development of the Roman Empire. After the founding of Rome in 753 B.C.E., Roman influence was extended in all directions and many Latin towns and villages including Sulmo (Sermoneta) came under Roman rule. Sulmo (Sermoneta) took part in the war between the Latins and the Romans as the Latins tried to regain their freedom from Rome. The war, which lasted 200 years, ended in the fall of the Latin empire and the beginning of the Roman empire.

Early Roman ruins found in the area around Sermoneta include ruins of temples dedicated to Roman divinities, a villa that may have belonged to the emperor Caracalla, and an urn on which is inscribed the name of a Roman patrician. Sermoneta's location was strategic even in Roman times as it dominated a road between Sermoneta and the Roman coastal garrison colony of Terracina.

In the early middle ages after the fall of Rome, invasions into the area followed one another bringing periodic destruction to Southern Lazio. Again Sermoneta's strategic location provided refuge for a frightened population. Towards the beginning of the thirteenth century, Sermoneta was ruled by the Annibaldi family who established a fortress/castle there.

In 1298 Pietry (Peter) Caetani acquired the fiefdom from the Annibaldi. The Caetani enlarged the castle and its fortifications. In the late fifteenth century, Pope Alexander VI confiscated the Caetani estates, gaving them to his son Cesare Borgia the Duke of Valentinois. Alexander gave the castle itself to his daughter Lucrezia Borgia. Five years later the Caetani regained their fief.

During the medieval period additions were made to the fortress and its defences were improved. Several churches were also constructed during this period. They include the Cathedral of St. Maria, the Church of San Giuseppe, and the Church of St. Angelo. The Cathedral was built on the ruins of a pagan temple during the height of the architectural school of Fossanova. It contains a large quantity of paintings and sculptures. The cathedral's romanesque belfry with its five orders of mullioned windows dominates the surrounding houses of Sermoneta.

Sermoneta was one of many towns built on the mountains overlooking the Pontine Marshes which flood during the rainy season making the fields unusable. Efforts to drain these marlaria infested waters had been made since Roman times. However the flooding only became worse, As each town worked to divert the waters from their own properties to those of their neighbors, lawsuits and wars broke out. One such quarrel between Sermoneta and its neighbor, Sezze, resulted in a lawsuit that lasted between 1230 and 1790.

The French occupied Sermoneta's castle in 1798 and removed the contents of the armory. My sources do not provide information regarding the history of Sermoneta during the twentieth century; in particular during World War II.

Today Sermoneta's location overlooking the Pontine Plain, its well kept castle, its cathedral, and its medieval character make it a desirable one-day trip from Rome. In July concerts are held in the Piazza d'Armi by some of the most well known contemporary artists and orchestras.