Palestrina

:This article deals with the ancient town, for the composer see: Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

Christian Praeneste

A bishop of Praeneste is first mentioned in 313. The cathedral, just below the level of the temple, occupies the former civil basilica of the town, upon the facade of which was a sun-dial described by Varro (traces of which may still be seen). In the modern piazza the steps leading up to this latter basilica and the base of a large monument were found in 1907; so that only a part of the piazza represents the ancient forum.

Related Topics:
313 - Basilica - Varro - 1907

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In 1297 the Colonna family, who then owned Praeneste (Palestrina), revolted from the pope, but in the following year the town was taken by Papal forces and razed to the ground. In 1437 the rebuilt city was captured by the papal general Giovanni, Cardinal Vitelleschi and once more utterly destroyed. It was rebuilt once more and fortified by Stefano Colonna in 1448. In 1630 it passed by purchase into the Barberini family. Praeneste was the native town of Aelian, and in modern times of the great composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina.

Related Topics:
1297 - Colonna family - 1437 - Giovanni, Cardinal Vitelleschi - 1448 - 1630 - Barberini family - Aelian - Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

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The modern town of Palestrina is centered on the terraces once occupied by the temple of Fortune.

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On the summit of the hill (2471 ft.), nearly a mile from the town, stood the ancient citadel, the site of which is now occupied by a few poor houses (Castel San Pietro) and a ruined medieval castle of the Colonna. The magnificent view embraces Soracte, Rome, the Alban Hills and the Campania as far as the sea. Considerable portions of the southern wall of the ancient citadel, built in very massive Cyclopean masonry of blocks of limestone, are still to be seen; and the two walls, also polygonal, which formerly united the citadel with the town, can still be traced.

Related Topics:
Soracte - Alban Hills - Campania

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The calendar, which, as Suetonius tells, was set up by the grammarian, Marcus Verrius Flaccus in the forum of Praeneste (the reference being to the forum of the imperial period, at the Madonna dell Aquila), was discovered in the ruins of the church of S. Agapitus in 1771, where it had been used as building material.

Related Topics:
Suetonius - Marcus Verrius Flaccus - 1771

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