The acropolis of Civitavecchia - Arpino (Italy)

The acropolis of Civitavecchia, with its marvellous megalithic walls, dates back to a pre-Romanesque era between the Seventh and the Sixth century BC. Its city walls, which can also be found in other villages in the Ciociaria, are composed of enormous boulders called “Cyclopean walls”. It has remained intact in all the years even because, during the Middle Ages, it was fortified with defensive towers.
The presence of a pointed arch makes this place really unique, because it is the only example of ogival arch that survived in the Mediterranean area. It is a “scea” door, that is not frontal but lateral on the left, just as the famous ones in the ancient Troy. Whenever enemies would enter inside the city, they left the right side of their body uncovered because it wasn’t protected by shields, which were held by their left hand. Not distant from the entrance of the pointed arch, there is the Church of the Holy Trinity, built in 1720 thanks to the cardinal Giuseppe Pesce, teacher and dean of the Pontifical Chapel. The church is characterised by a late-Baroque style, with a Greek cross plan and, on the inside, it is partly covered in frescos.
A prominent position is occupied by the church of the Sixteenth century dedicated to St Vito. It is characterised by a Baroque-Romanesque style; on its inside, behind the high altar, there is a painting by the Knight of Arpino portraying the saints Vito, Crescenzo and Modesto.
During the following years, to enter the village, a new door was built, which nowadays is still used as the main entrance. On its left there is the majestic “Tower of Cicero”, that probably dates back to the Thirteenth century. It is the remains of a castle, in fact it also has beautiful Mediaeval crenellations, and it is recognized as the residence of Cicero’s family. It was renovated in 2011 and today it can be accessed to enjoy its beautiful terrace, with a marvellous landscape in the Liri valley.