Bracciano | |
|---|---|
| Comune di Bracciano | |
 A view of theCastello Orsini-Odescalchi | |
 Coat of arms | |
  Bracciano Location of Bracciano in Italy Show map of Italy Bracciano Bracciano (Lazio) Show map of Lazio | |
| Coordinates:42°06′N12°11′E / 42.100°N 12.183°E /42.100; 12.183 | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Lazio |
| Metropolitan city | Rome (RM) |
| Frazioni | Castel Giuliano, Pisciarelli, Sambuco, Vicarello, Vigna di Valle |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Marco Crocicchi |
| Area | |
• Total | 143.06 km2 (55.24 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 280 m (920 ft) |
| Population (1 January 2024)[2] | |
• Total | 18,516[3] |
| • Density | 129.43/km2 (335.22/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Braccianesi |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 00062 |
| Dialing code | 06 |
| Patron saint | St. Sebastian |
| Saint day | January 20 |
| Website | Official website |
Bracciano[4] is a small town in the Italian region ofLazio, 30 kilometres (19 miles) northwest ofRome. The town is famous for its volcanic lake (Lake Bracciano or "Sabatino", the eighth largest lake in Italy) and for a particularly well-preserved medieval castleCastello Orsini-Odescalchi. The lake is widely used for sailing and is popular with tourists; the castle has hosted a number of events, especially weddings of actors and singers.
The town is served by an urban railway (Line FR3) which connects it with Rome (stations of Ostiense and Valle Aurelia) in about 55 minutes. Close to it lie the two medieval towns ofAnguillara Sabazia andTrevignano Romano.
Bracciano's territory lies on the western edge of the Sabatine Hills, a low volcanic hills range encirclingLake Bracciano.
There is no certain information about the origins of Bracciano, on theVia Cassia overlooking the lake.[5]
In 1494Charles VIII of France and his troops marching against Rome stopped at Bracciano. This act led to the excommunication of the Orsini, and in 1496 the city was besieged by a papal army headed byGiovanni di Candia, son ofPope Alexander VI Borgia, though it resisted successfully.Cesare Borgia, another of Alexander's natural sons, was unsuccessful in his attempt to take the Orsini stronghold a few years later. The sixteenth century was a period of splendour for Bracciano. The notorious spendthrift and libertinePaolo Giordano I Orsini, having married in 1558Isabella de' Medici, daughter ofCosimo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany, received the title ofduke of Bracciano in 1560. The castle received some modernization for the brief visit of the Medici that year. He hired the most prestigious painter available in Rome,Taddeo Zuccaro, to fresco with allegories and coats-of-arms the fortress's most prestigious room, theSala Papalinia that had been occupied by Sixtus IV.[6] Isabella spent the remainder of her life avoiding a return to the castle, which a modern tourist tradition would have her haunting.[7]
In the castle, richly frescoedfriezes and ceilings now contrast with blank walls, which were hung with richly coloured tapestries when the lords of Bracciano were in residence. The important late-15th century frieze showing the labours of Hercules[8] is still visible.
TheKöppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Csa" (Mediterranean climate).[9]
| Climate data for Bracciano (Vigna di Valle) (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 18.7 (65.7) | 19.3 (66.7) | 23.8 (74.8) | 27.2 (81.0) | 31.4 (88.5) | 36.0 (96.8) | 37.6 (99.7) | 39.8 (103.6) | 33.4 (92.1) | 28.4 (83.1) | 24.4 (75.9) | 18.8 (65.8) | 39.8 (103.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 10.6 (51.1) | 11.6 (52.9) | 14.4 (57.9) | 17.4 (63.3) | 21.9 (71.4) | 26.5 (79.7) | 29.7 (85.5) | 30.0 (86.0) | 25.0 (77.0) | 20.3 (68.5) | 15.2 (59.4) | 11.3 (52.3) | 19.5 (67.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 7.5 (45.5) | 7.9 (46.2) | 10.2 (50.4) | 12.9 (55.2) | 17.2 (63.0) | 21.5 (70.7) | 24.3 (75.7) | 24.7 (76.5) | 20.4 (68.7) | 16.4 (61.5) | 12.0 (53.6) | 8.5 (47.3) | 15.3 (59.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 4.8 (40.6) | 4.7 (40.5) | 6.6 (43.9) | 8.8 (47.8) | 12.8 (55.0) | 16.8 (62.2) | 19.4 (66.9) | 20.0 (68.0) | 16.5 (61.7) | 13.2 (55.8) | 9.3 (48.7) | 5.9 (42.6) | 11.6 (52.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −4.0 (24.8) | −5.0 (23.0) | −3.6 (25.5) | −0.6 (30.9) | 5.1 (41.2) | 9.8 (49.6) | 11.0 (51.8) | 12.4 (54.3) | 8.7 (47.7) | 4.6 (40.3) | 0.0 (32.0) | −4.2 (24.4) | −5.0 (23.0) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 70.4 (2.77) | 68.2 (2.69) | 67.6 (2.66) | 63.6 (2.50) | 54.1 (2.13) | 31.2 (1.23) | 24.0 (0.94) | 29.1 (1.15) | 76.0 (2.99) | 126.4 (4.98) | 143.2 (5.64) | 98.7 (3.89) | 852.4 (33.56) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 7.3 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 7.0 | 6.3 | 3.5 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 5.8 | 7.8 | 10.3 | 8.7 | 74.9 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 77.5 | 73.6 | 72.7 | 72.8 | 72.0 | 68.6 | 65.2 | 65.9 | 70.9 | 76.9 | 80.3 | 78.3 | 72.9 |
| Averagedew point °C (°F) | 3.8 (38.8) | 3.4 (38.1) | 5.4 (41.7) | 8.2 (46.8) | 12.1 (53.8) | 15.0 (59.0) | 16.4 (61.5) | 17.0 (62.6) | 15.0 (59.0) | 12.5 (54.5) | 8.9 (48.0) | 4.9 (40.8) | 10.2 (50.4) |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 155.6 | 171.6 | 201.8 | 225.6 | 279.3 | 298.5 | 335.7 | 316.2 | 242.7 | 183.2 | 146.4 | 146.9 | 2,703.7 |
| Source:NOAA[10] | |||||||||||||
Bracciano istwinned with
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