The city is built on the location of the Latin city ofCabum.
Documents from 12th century name Rocca di Papa asCastrum Rocce de Papa ("Rock of the Pope Castle"), becausePope Eugene III lived there. In 1541,Pier Luigi Farnese and French troops destroyed the castle. In 1855, the town proclaimed the "Rocca di Papa Republic" against prince Colonna and thePapal States.
In 1889, the "Royal Geodynamic Observatory" was built on the top of Rocca di Papa, near the little Church of the Crucified. Between 1922 and 1935, the scientistGuglielmo Marconi carried out several experiments from this building in radio-transmission, wireless transmission and broadcasting.
In 1944, duringWorld War II, Rocca di Papa was bombed, destroying the town centre. 34 people died in that airstrike, and 35 more died in a second one on 25 May. The city was liberated from theNazi German occupation on 4 June 1944 by the85th Infantry Division, of theUnited States Army.
In June 2019, an accidental explosion at the town hall building killed MayorEmanuele Crestini and another man, while several others were injured.[3]
Convent of Palazzolo, located on top of a rock dominating the east shore ofLake Albano. The old Roman buildings (on the site on which some scholars place the ancient Albalonga) was turned into monasteries and a church dedicated toSaint Mary of Palatiolo. In the orchard of the convent is a sepulchral monument of the 2nd century BC with a staircase pyramid. Currently, the Abbey and the church belong to theEnglish College.
The most important festival held in Rocca di Papa is the Roast Chestnut Festival (3rd week-end of October), in which it is possible to eat the roast chestnut (the "Rocchicianelle") with wines ofCastelli Romani pouring out by stands in the streets of the town.
The Geophysical Museum shows scientific data about the inside of the Earth. It has preservation tools and scientific documents of the geology, geography and terrestrial physics of the Earth.
The astronomic observatory "Franco Fuligni", located in thefrazione of Vivaro, is a public structure, available to whoever (skygazings, curious,amateur astronomers, groups and students) is interested in astronomy.
Rocca di Papa funicular 1907, "Valle Oscura" station
There is the Federal Equestrian Centre ofC.O.N.I. – Pratoni del Vivaro. It is situated on a knoll in the center of the communal farm of "Domatore". Since 1960, when the equipment for the horse-riding events was installed for theOlympic Games, it has been the center of equestrian championships and a meeting place for horse-riders. The equipment has been improved and enlarged to form an adequate spot for the preparation of the best horse-riders, offering an excellent track with every kind of difficulty and obstacle.
The alpine-stylefunicular of Rocca di Papa was inaugurated on 12 August 1907 (although it had already entered service on 10 October 1906). It connected "Valle Oscura" to "Viale Silvio Spaventa" and worked on thewater-ballast counterbalancing principle, which was also regulated according to the number of passengers.
The Valle Oscura funicular was dismantled and on 28 July 1932, a new electric funicular was inaugurated, this connected "Valle Vergine" station (also called Anello) with "Piazza Margherita" (later, Piazza della Repubblica), this remained in service until 15 December 1963 before giving way to new means of transport. The upper station, which became a bus station, still contains a cabin from the electric funicular which was used to transport passengers for thirty years. The lower cabin was partially destroyed during a fire in 2003.
After the regional government ofLazio officially assigned a budget of 6 million euros to the reopening of the funicular, on 29 October 2013, work began on reconstruction of the funicular, half a century after its closure. The project provides for the reconstruction of the funicular on its old site, with associated access works and the construction of an access road to connect the station with the main road between Rocca di Papa and Grottaferrata.
Rocca di Papa was also connected to Rome by the Castelli Romani tramway, dismantled in the 1960s and replaced by a bus service. Direct road connection to Rome is provided by the SS511 Anagnina State Road and by the Via dei Laghi (former SS217 State Road). The nearest railway station is that ofFrascati.
