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Ceri | |
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| Country | Italy |
| Region |  Lazio |
| Province | Rome Capital (RM) |
| Comune | Cerveteri |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Ceri (Italian pronunciation:[ˈtʃɛːri]) is a hamlet (frazione) of thecomune ofCerveteri, in theMetropolitan City of Rome,Lazio (centralItaly). It occupies a fortified plateau oftuff at a short distance from the city of Cerveteri.
Inhabited before the 7th century BC, the town's native population changed several times, fromEtruscans toRomans. Numerous tombs from the Etruscan and Roman periods can be found in the area.
The town as it looks today was founded in 1236 when the inhabitants of its Caere neighbour abandoned the former to be better protected by rock formations. To this, they gave the name of Caere Novum (simply Ceri, not to be confused with another neighbour,Cerenova), in order to distinguish it from the ancient city, Caere Vetus (todayCerveteri). In the same period, the castle was constructed for the defence of the town.
Since the 14th century, Ceri became the property of some of the greatest Italian families: from theAnguillara (of which the greatest exponent wasRenzo da Ceri) toCesi, theBorromeo, theOdescalchi, and ended with theTorlonia, who are still owners of a large part of Ceri.
The main attraction is theRomanesque Church of the Madonna di Ceri, which stands on an ancient site where Etruscans and Romans venerated the cult of the goddessVesta. In 1980, during a restoration, frescoes from approximately the 12th century, representing some scenes drawn fromOld Testament, were discovered on a wall of the church building.
41°59′43″N12°09′12″E / 41.99528°N 12.15333°E /41.99528; 12.15333
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