Frusinate

<< Lazio

The Frusinate is the territory of the Province of Frosinone. This area is crossed by a large valley called Valle Latina (“Latin Valley”) and surrounded by mountains. Here are several ancient towns with many historic attractions, with the most notable examples being Cassino, Frosinone, and Alatri.

Frosinone

Frosinone is a city in Southern Lazio, and the main center of the Valle Latina. Settled in ancient times by the Volsci, it was later conquered by the Romans. After centuries as a small town under the rule of the Papal States, it developed as an industrial center since the late 19th century.

Frosinone Cathedral

Also known as: Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta)

The Frosinone Cathedral (Duomo di Frosinone) is a historic church in the old town of Frosinone. Erected in Romanesque style during the Middle Ages, it was later reworked with the addition of Baroque decorations in the 18th century. The church houses various artworks.

Archaeological Museum of Frosinone

The Archaeological Museum of Frosinone (Museo Archeologico di Frosinone) houses a collection of artworks and objects unearthed in and around the city. The museum includes archaeological finds dating between prehistory and the Roman age.

Cassino

Cassino is a the second largest town in the Province of Frosinone, located at the end of the Valle Latina. Originally founded by Italic tribes, it was later conquered by the Romans. The town has always been one of the main centers of Southern Lazio, thanks to its strategic position and its historic abbey. The town was often contested between local powers, and was ruled for a long time by the Kingdom of Naples. Cassino was heavily damaged during World War II, and it is now an industrial center.

✪ Montecassino Abbey

The Montecassino Abbey (Abbazia di Montecassino) is a monastery founded by Saint Benedict in 529 on top of a hill overlooking Cassino. This is the main abbey of the Benedictine Order, and one of the most important monasteries in the world. The abbey was destroyed and rebuilt several times over its long history, most recently after being bombed during World War II. In the Late Middle Ages the monastery lived its golden age, ruling over a large territory and becoming one of the most famous cultural centers in Europe. The abbey includes a richly decorated church with numerous artworks and a frescoed crypt. The complex also features some decorated cloisters and offers a great view on the surrounding hills.

Rocca Janula

The Rocca Janula is a medieval fort erected on the hill overlooking Cassino, not far from the Montecassino Abbey. The castle was built in the 10th century and was for a long time one of the main forts in the area, but it was eventually abandoned. Now it has been partly restored.

National Archaeological Museum of Cassino

The National Archaeological Museum of Cassino (Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Cassino) is an archaeological museum housing a rich collection of ancient artworks unearthed in and around Cassino. Around the museum is the archaeological area of the ancient city of Casinum, which includes the ruins of an amphitheater, a theater, a mausoleum, a nymphaeum, and a few other structures.

Cassino Museum of Contemporary Art

The Cassino Museum of Contemporary Art (Cassino Museo d’Arte Contemporanea) is a museum of contemporary art in Cassino, which houses a collection of several works by many Italian and international artists.

Anagni

Anagni is a town located among the hills of the Province of Frosinone. In ancient times, it was the capital of the Hernici, an Italic tribe, and it was later conquered by the Romans. During the Late Middle Ages, it was a free comune closely linked with the papacy. This was the site of the Outrage of Anagni, an incident in which Pope Boniface VIII was imprisoned by the ruling Colonna family in 1303. The town now features a few historic attractions.

Anagni Cathedral

Also known as: Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Annunziata)

The Anagni Cathedral (Cattedrale di Anagni) is the main church of Anagni, erected between the 11th and 12th century. The church features Romanesque and Gothic elements, and houses several artworks and decorations, including the frescoes in the richly adorned crypt. The cathedral also hosts a museum with numerous religious artworks and archaeological finds.

Fiuggi

Fiuggi is a town located among the mountains of the Province of Frosinone, known since the Middle Ages for its natural springs.

Thermal Baths of Fiuggi

Fiuggi rose to prominence in the Late Middle Ages thanks to its natural springs, and it has been a popular spa town ever since. The town features various thermal complexes and it is a famous tourist destination.

Ferentino

Ferentino is a town located on a hill just west of Frosinone. Originally a town of the Hernici, an Italic tribe, it was later conquered by the Romans, and it has always been one of the main centers in Southern Lazio. Now it is an industrial center.

Ferentino Cathedral

Also known as: Cathedral of Santi Giovanni e Paolo (Cattedrale dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo)

The Ferentino Cathedral (Duomo di Ferentino) is a Romanesque church erected during the Middle Ages on the site of the ancient acropolis of Ferentino. The church features some medieval artworks and houses a museum of religious art.

Alatri

Alatri is town located on top of a hill north of Frosinone. The town was founded by the Hernici, an Italic tribe, and was later conquered by the Romans. In the Late Middle Ages it was a free comune and an important stronghold of the Papal States, but later it declined. Alatri is now known for its megalithic acropolis and some other historic landmarks.

Alatri Acropolis

The Alatri Acropolis (Acropoli di Alatri) is a fortified area located on top of a hill in the center of Alatri, surrounded by large megalithic walls. The fortifications date from the Roman age, or even earlier, and feature two gates. At the center of this area is the Alatri Cathedral (Duomo di Alatri), a church founded in the Middle Ages and later adorned with Baroque decorations and artworks.

Gottifredo Palace

The Gottifredo Palace (Palazzo Gottifredo) is a medieval palace in Alatri erected in the 13th century in Romanesque and Gothic style. The palace hosts the Civic Museum (Museo Civico), a museum of local history and archaeology housing various ancient artworks.

Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Maggiore

The Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Maggiore (Collegiata di Santa Maria Maggiore) is a historic church in Alatri, founded in the 5th century. The church was built on the site of a previous temple, and was later reworked in Romanesque and Gothic style. The church features a Gothic rose window and an imposing bell tower, and it houses several artworks.

Church of San Francesco

The Church of San Francesco is a Gothic church erected in Alatri between the 13th and 14th century. Its facade is adorned with an elaborate rose window, while the church and the adjacent convent house various artworks.

Collepardo

Collepardo is a tiny town located among the hills north of Alatri, in the Province of Frosinone. A town of ancient origins, it is best known for the historic charterhouse located nearby.

Trisulti Charterhouse

The Trisulti Charterhouse (Certosa di Trisulti) is an ancient Carthusian monastery located among the mountains near Collepardo. The charterhouse was built in the 13th century on the site of a previous Benedictine abbey, and was later expanded. The complex includes a Baroque church with various artworks and an 18th-century pharmacy.

Isola del Liri

Isola del Liri is a town located on a small island formed by the Liri river among the hills east of Frosinone. Founded in ancient times, it has always been a small regional center ruled by surrounding powers.

Boncompagni-Viscogliosi Castle

The Boncompagni-Viscogliosi Castle is a historic castle in Isola del Liri. Erected in the Late Middle Ages and reworked during the Renaissance, it features some decorated halls and various artworks. The castle is located next to a waterfall formed by the Liri river.

Arpino

Arpino is a small town located on the hills east of Frosinone. Founded in ancient times, it was an important center under the Romans and it features some archaeological ruins.

Arpino Acropolis

Also known as: Civitavecchia

The Arpino Acropolis (Acropoli di Arpino) is an archeological area in the oldest part of Arpino. The ruins include a series of megalithic walls and gates, with some sections dating from the Iron Age. The walls also feature a large tower added in the Middle Ages.

Falvaterra

Falvaterra is a tiny town among the hills of the Province of Frosinone, best known for the system of caves located nearby.

Falvaterra and Rio Obaco Caves

The Falvaterra and Rio Obaco Caves (Grotte di Falvaterra e Rio Obaco) are a series of karst caves located among the hills near Falvaterra. The caves feature numerous rock formations and a rich ecosystem, and are open to tourists.

Pastena

Pastena is a small town in the Province of Frosinone, best known for the cave system located nearby.

Pastena Caves

The Pastena Caves (Grotte di Pastena) are a system of karst caves located near Pastena. The caves formed during the Mesozoic and are now opened to tourists. Various archaeological remains dating from prehistory have been found in the caves.