Cincinnato is a small sea side vacation area in theLazio region ofItaly, 50 kilometres (31 mi) southwest ofRome. It is part of the municipality ofAnzio. The area consists mainly of summer vacation homes and beach clubs serving Romans.
The name derives fromLucius Quinctius Cincinnatus (519 BC – 438 BC), an aristocrat and political figure of theRoman Republic, serving asconsul in 460 BC andRoman dictator in 458 BC and 439 BC.[1]
Cincinnato adjoins the 42-hectare (104-acre) regional park of Tor Caldara, which features a medieval watch tower that was built in the Middle Ages to defend the area from the frequent incursions ofSaracens and later from the Arabic pirates. In 1565 the tower was restored byMarcantonio Colonna, of thepowerful noble family and largefief holders inLazio and thePapal States. Sulfur was also mined there in the 16th century. In 1999 the ruins of an ancientRoman villa were discovered adjacent to the tower. The park featuresevergreen oak trees andMediterranean vegetation that before commercial development extended along the whole coastline of the region. Characteristic springs and water courses can be found in the area.[2]
DuringWorld War II, Allied soldiers fought and died on the beach and in the surrounding countryside of this area. On January 22, 1944, it was the approximate location of the British beachhead landing during theBattle of Anzio, part of theAllied advance to Rome. A greater number of American forces landed inAnzio andNettuno, 10 kilometres (6 mi) south. A total of 110,000 troops landed.
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