Discover Alatri

Alatri is a comune of about 27,400 people in the province of Frosinone, in Lazio — known above all for its pre-Roman acropolis ringed by megalithic walls. English accounts give the population as around 30,000; the Italian record gives 27,400.

The Latin name was Aletrium, and it was an ancient city of the Hernici — the same people whose capital was Anagni.

The town rises on a twin hill of the Latin Valley, on the slopes of the Monti Ernici, which form the natural boundary between Lazio and Abruzzo.

The walls are the reason to come, and they are specific rather than vague. Alatri has well-preserved polygonal fortifications constructed from well-jointed local limestone. The circuit is almost entirely an embanking wall — as is the rule in the cities of this part of Italy — with a maximum height of probably about nine metres. Two of the gates, out of perhaps five that once existed, are still to some extent preserved, and three posterns can be found.

The area was settled as early as the second millennium BC, which makes this one of the longest continuously occupied sites in the region.

What is Alatri known for? Its pre-Roman acropolis ringed by megalithic walls — one of the best-preserved polygonal circuits in Italy.

What are the walls like? Well-preserved polygonal fortifications of well-jointed local limestone, almost entirely an embanking wall, as is the rule in the cities of this part of Italy, with a maximum height of probably about nine metres.

How many gates survive? Two, to some extent, out of perhaps five that once existed — plus three posterns.

Who built the town? The Hernici. Aletrium was one of their cities, and the area was settled as early as the second millennium BC.

What was the Hernician league? A defensive league formed around 550 BC by Aletrium together with Veroli, Anagni and Ferentino, against the Volsci and the Samnites.

When did Rome take it? 306 BC, when Alatri was defeated and forced to accept citizenship — the same year Rome settled Anagni.

Did Saint Benedict come here? Briefly. A monastic community founded under Theodoric by the patrician Liberius was one of the most ancient in the West, and Benedict sojourned there in 528.

What happened in 543? During the Gothic Wars, Alatri was sacked and destroyed by Totila's troops.

How big is it? About 27,400 people by the Italian record; English accounts give around 30,000.

How cold does it get? Winters are described as very cold, running mid-November to mid-March, with January coldest. The year generally runs between about 0 °C and 30 °C.

What should I pair it with? Anagni — the same Hernician league, the same year of defeat, and the same valley.