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Latina, from the hinterland to the sea
Latina, located in the Pontine plain, is the first “New Town” of the reclaimed Marshes to rise following the Integrated Land Reclamation carried out in the 20th century.
It was originally established in 1932 under the name of Littoria, renamed Latina only in 1945. It was Oriolo Frezzotti who designed the town planning layout of the city, conceiving it according to the medieval vision of cosmological unity based on a circle. The central nucleus thus developed around the square.
A New Town to be discovered by walking among its buildings, such as the Palazzo delle Poste, and visiting its museums. The Cambellotti Museum, which houses the great works of Duilio Cambellotti dedicated to the Pontine Marshes and their rebirth, the original drawings by Oriolo Frezzotti and the photographic funds dedicated to the Land Reclamation; the Museo della Terra Pontina which exhibits artefacts, artistic works, documents and historical-scientific funds from the pre-Land Reclamation period to the agrarian transformation of the Pontine Marshes and its anthropisation. A visit to the Galleria Civica di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (Civic Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art), which exhibits works of Italian art from the 1930s, and the Museo Valeriani which displays medals, engraved graphics and photographs of the city, is also a must.
However, Latina has been a city since ancient times.
Before the reclamation of the Marshes, the wet and marshy land had experienced many attempts at reclamation over time, including those of the Romans and the Popes. It is an area that has seen alternating Volscians, Latins, Romans, Saracens and noble families. They have left us so much heritage, you definitely have to see them. Lose yourself among the fascinating remains of ancient Satricum. Explore the original route of the Appian Way, the ancient Regina Viarum, past Roman villas, rivers and canals. It is a unique experience that evokes the atmosphere of journeys long gone and never forgotten. Precisely by travelling along the Appian Way in an uncomfortable wagon, Horace tells of a journey to Terracina on a horse-drawn carriage on the Decennovium, starting from the Appian Forum. At Tor Tre Ponti St Paul stopped on his pilgrimage to Rome.
Latina also lives of remembrance.
Artefacts, scenographic settings, animations and sound effects, inside the Piana delle Orme Museum, make you relive fascinating scenes of life and settings from farming life to those of the land reclamation to those linked to the allied landings of the Second World War. A truly emotional experience. Do you have children? They will love seeing planes, tanks and boats. The Pontine Tower Museum is also worth a visit. It contains the historical and cultural heritage of the Pontine territory and its population and has the task of preserving its memory.
Latina lives amidst the sea, nature and flavours.
You go from history to the coast in just a few kilometres and minutes. Fine sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters are the perfect mix for everyone: young people, couples and families. Beautiful Mediterranean maquis provides the backdrop. Just a few kilometres from the city centre and close to the sea is Lake Fogliano. An enchanting place that you can explore on foot or by bicycle. A visit here is a journey back in time: the Pontine Marshes still seem untouched and buffaloes roam free. The latter are a real "heritage" for the area. Their milk is used to produce the white queens of the table: PDO Buffalo Mozzarella from Campania and PDO Buffalo Ricotta from Campania. While being the symbol of Campania par excellence, they are processed in the traditional way here too. Genuine and fresh to be enjoyed in all seasons. In Latina, you can also taste the delicious kiwis that have won the prestigious PGI label.
Latina lives in the movies.
The city has served as a backdrop in several films of Italian cinema: in The Story of Piera by Marco Ferreri, in The Family Friend by Paolo Sorrentino, in My Brother Is an Only Child by Daniele Luchetti and in Prisma by Ludovico Bessegato.
Latina is a city to be experienced from the hinterland to the sea amid history, remembrance and traditions.
