LOCAL HISTORY
Ancient Roman period
Even before the Imperial period, the towns of Eretum, Nomentum, and Crustumerium stood in the area between Monterotondo, Mentana, and the Marcigliana hills. This was one of the richest, most strategic, and most active areas of the entire peninsula. Located in the fertile Tiber valley, this district was the “true engine” that sustained and supplied the nearby capital, also making use of the navigable waters of the River Tiber. The Sabines lived in this area, and they traveled to the Adriatic Sea to obtain salt. After the Roman conquest of the Sabine territory, the Romans improved the road network by building the Via Salaria — a road that takes its name from the Latin word for salt.
The Via Salaria ran — and still runs today — very close to the bed of the River Tiber. In winter or during periods of heavy rainfall, the river would frequently flood, inundating the plain and turning the Salaria into a muddy, impassable track. For this reason, the Via Nomentana effectively served as a higher, drier alternative route. Unlike the Salaria, the Nomentana ran further inland, following the ridges of the hills — passing through Nomentum — and was safely out of reach of the floodwaters. Once past the critical stretch of the Tiber’s bends, the Via Nomentana-Eretum rejoined the Via Salaria near Eretum, just beyond present-day Monterotondo. The territory was therefore a vital transit zone, crossed by a network of roads busy with merchants, soldiers, and travellers.
Near Tor Mancina (Monterotondo), there is an archaeological area containing a section of the ancient Roman road between Nomentum and Eretum. The stone paving is so well preserved that the ruts carved by Roman cart wheels are still clearly visible.
The funerary objects, pottery, weapons, and gold jewellery unearthed during excavations are now housed at the Archaeological and Multimedia Museum in Monterotondo.
The archaeological area opens regularly to the public with free guided tours, usually on the first or second Sunday of the month. The visits are led by experts from the Archeoclub d’Italia, Mentana-Monterotondo branch.
The surrounding area was once a productive agricultural landscape, yielding wheat, olive oil, and above all a fine wine that was highly prized in Rome. Famous poets such as Martial, along with wealthy Roman aristocrats, owned properties in these hills as a retreat from the chaos of the capital, building rustic villas and elegant country residences amid the peaceful countryside.
ERETUM
Eretum was the ancient Sabine city which, according to historical accounts, stood in the very territory of present-day Monterotondo. This old and prosperous city — mentioned even by the poet Virgil in the Aeneid — occupied a spectacular panoramic position overlooking the Tiber valley.
NOMENTUM
Just a short distance from Monterotondo stood Nomentum, one of the most significant cities of the Tiberian Sabina and of Latium vetus. Also cited by Virgil in the Aeneid, this settlement enjoyed centuries of great splendour before being conquered by the Romans.
CRUSTUMERIUM
Just a few kilometres from Monterotondo lies one of the most important archaeological secrets in Lazio: the ancient Latin city of Crustumerium. This settlement flourished between the 11th and 6th centuries BC, growing into a rich and populous city even before Rome had risen to become the power we know today.
Historical accounts suggest that it was one of the Latin cities that played a central role in the famous episode of the Rape of the Sabine Women. The site is not currently open to the public.
The Via Francigena
The Via Francigena developed around the 11th century, when the revival of international trade made it essential to improve and expand the road network. The route quickly became the principal axis connecting northern and southern Europe, linking the wealthy regions of Flanders and Champagne with northern Italy. Merchants, travelers, and armies regularly traveled along this route. The term Francigena literally means “road originating in France“, reflecting the fact that the majority of those who travelled it came from those territories.
During the same period, Europe was pervaded by the papal call to Christianity to defend Jerusalem — it was the age of the Crusades. The Via Francigena thus became the route of choice for pilgrims travelling south from the north of Europe towards Rome. Many of them then continued along the Appian Way toward the port of Brindisi, where they embarked for the Holy Land.
Following the death of Saint Francis and the establishment of the Franciscan order, some devotees began to deviate from the main route to pray at the saint’s tomb in Assisi before resuming their journey to Rome. This gave rise to the Via di Francesco — a celebrated variant of the Via Francigena that passes through the town of Monterotondo itself. The Way of Francis – The route, still used today by groups of pilgrims, begins at the Capuchin Friars’ Convent in Monterotondo. From there, it winds for approximately 18 kilometres along municipal roads and dirt paths, crossing the evocative Roman countryside. The landscape, dotted with ancient farmhouses and medieval towers, coincides with the site of the archaic Latin city of Crustumerium. Walking through the Marcigliana Nature Reserve, one can catch a glimpse in the distance of the dome of St. Peter’s, which accompanies the steps of travellers all the way to the entrance into the urban area of Rome, in the Montesacro district.
The Medieval Period
Originally, when the town did not yet exist, one of the first settlements was a watchtower, built when the territory was under the control of the Monks of San Paolo in Rome. Later, in 1081, the territory came under the protection of the Farfa Monastery.
The earliest documents mentioning a locality called Campum Rotundum or Mons Rotundum date back to the year 1012. Around 1152, the name Mons Rotundus appeared, and after the fortress had evolved into a castle, documents refer to it as Castrum Rotundu.
The medieval village of Monterotondo was born and developed following a classic model of fortified settlement. The stronghold, built on the highest and most panoramic point of the hill, acted as a powerful magnet. The locals decided to abandon the surrounding countryside to move closer to the fortress. In this way, they could enjoy the military protection offered by the walls and soldiers. Houses sprang up one beside the other, creating a labyrinth of narrow alleyways, steep stairways, and underground passages specifically designed to defend against and confuse enemies.
The fortress officially passed into the hands of the Orsini family in 1286, following the division of the assets of the powerful nobleman Matteo Rosso Orsini among his sons. It was Rinaldo Orsini who formally received the lordship of Monterotondo. Rinaldo founded the family branch known as the “Orsini di Monterotondo” and initiated the first works to expand the medieval stronghold around the central keep.
The connection with this dynasty has earned Monterotondo an honoured place in the broader history of Italy. Within the walls of this castle and across the surrounding feudal estate, one of the most fascinating female figures of the fifteenth century grew up: Clarice Orsini (born around 1450), daughter of Jacopo Orsini, lord of Monterotondo.
Thanks to her family’s immense power and its ties to the Pope, Clarice was chosen for a marriage that changed the history of European culture. In 1469, the young noblewoman married Lorenzo the Magnificent, becoming the consort of the lord of Florence and the most prominent woman of the Italian Renaissance. Clarice brought to Florence the culture, refinement, and pride characteristic of her homeland, and gave birth to seven children, among them the future Pope Leo X.
The fortress changed hands several times after the Orsini. Due to serious financial difficulties, the Orsini family was forced to sell the fiefdom and the castle in 1626. Since then, the structure passed into the hands of other prominent noble families.
The Boncompagni-Ludovisi (1814): They were the last private owners of the castle, using it primarily as an elegant country residence for their holidays.
Finally, in 1890, the Municipality of Monterotondo permanently acquired the entire palace. It thus ceased to be a private noble residence, becoming the seat of the municipal offices and housing the precious collections of the archaeological museum.
During the Second World War, from 1940 onwards, Palazzo Orsini was selected and requisitioned to serve as the clandestine headquarters of the General Staff of the Royal Italian Army (Stato Maggiore del Regio Esercito – SMRE).
Due to the presence of the General Staff, Monterotondo became the scene of a fierce military engagement immediately following the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile (8 September 1943). At dawn on 9 September, the German army launched an attack to capture the Italian generals. An elite special unit of German paratroopers took off from Pratica di Mare and dropped into the skies above Monterotondo.
The German paratroopers stormed Palazzo Orsini. However, they found only a handful of Italian soldiers there, as the General Staff had already abandoned the building the previous evening. Despite this, the soldiers who remained, the Carabinieri, and many civilian residents of Monterotondo took up arms and fought bravely to defend their town.
Garibaldi
In October 1867, Giuseppe Garibaldi chose Monterotondo as his headquarters for his most ambitious military campaign: the expedition to liberate Rome from papal rule and annex it to the newly founded Kingdom of Italy.
The event has remained etched in local memory as the historic Battle of Monterotondo, an epic clash in which Garibaldi’s volunteers fought against the army of the Papal State.
At dawn on 25 October, Garibaldi led approximately 4,700 Red Shirts in an assault on the town of Monterotondo, which was held by papal troops (papalini) barricaded within its walls.
The Garibaldians met fierce resistance at Porta Romana — the gate known today as Porta Garibaldi. Having no cannons at their disposal, the volunteers were forced to set fire to the town’s large wooden gate to break through.
Once inside the town, the fighting continued in hand-to-hand combat through the alleyways of the historic centre. The remaining papal troops barricaded themselves inside Palazzo Orsini. Only the following day, on 26 October, after a lengthy siege, the papal commander signed his surrender to Garibaldi.
Despite the victory at Monterotondo, Garibaldi’s campaign came to a halt just a few days later, on 3 November, with the painful defeat at the nearby Battle of Mentana against French troops armed with the highly modern Chassepot rifles.