Artena is a town andcomune in theMetropolitan City of Rome, Italy. It is situated in the northwest ofMonti Lepini, in the upper valley of theSacco River. It is approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) southeast by rail, and 30 kilometres (19 mi) direct from Rome.
The economy is based on agriculture, animal husbandry and tourism.
The name of the original village of theVolsci is uncertain;Ecetra orFortinum are possible suggestions.
The modern village was calledMonte Fortino until 1873. It owes its present name to an unproven identification of the site with the ancient Volscian Artena, destroyed in 404 BC. Another Artena, which was anEtruscan town belonging to the district ofCaere, and laying between it andVeii, was destroyed in the period of the kings, and its site is unknown.[3][4]
In the Middle Ages Artena was a fief of theCounts of Tusculum and then theCounts of Segni, who held its castle until 1475 when, after the request ofCharles VIII of France, it was assigned to theColonna. Due to the latter's anti-papal stance, Artena was ravaged several times by papal armies (1526, 1543 and 1557).
On the mountain 600 metres (2,000 ft) above the village are the fine remains of the fortifications of a city built in the 6th or 5th century BC, incyclopean blocks of local limestone. Within the walls are traces of buildings, and a massive terrace which supported some edifice of importance.[3][5][6] This terraced settlement (Piano della Cività) later was the site of aRomanvilla.[7]
Other sights include thePalazzo Borghese (17th century), and the churches of Santa Maria delle Letizie, Santa Croce, Santo Stefano Protomartire and San Francesco.
^C. Brouillard, J. Gadeyne, A. Rovelli. 2012. "La villa romana del Piano della Civita (Artena, Roma). Campagna di scavo 2010. Una struttura alto-medievale ed un tesoretto monetale bizantino", inLazio e Sabina 8, a cura di G. Ghini e Z. Mari, Roma 2012, pp. 305-311.
