Bracciano: Difference between revisions
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| coordinates_footnotes = |
| coordinates_footnotes = |
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| region = [[Lazio]] |
| region = [[Lazio]] |
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| metropolitan_city = [[Metropolitan City of Rome Capital|Rome]] (RM) |
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| frazioni = Castel Giuliano, Pisciarelli, Sambuco, Vicarello, Vigna di Valle |
| frazioni = Castel Giuliano, Pisciarelli, Sambuco, Vicarello, Vigna di Valle |
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| mayor_party = |
| mayor_party = |
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| mayor = |
| mayor = Marco Crocicchi |
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| area_footnotes = |
| area_footnotes = |
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| area_total_km2 = |
| area_total_km2 = 143.06 |
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| population_footnotes = |
| population_footnotes = |
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| population_total = 18516 <ref>{{cite web |title=Resident population on 1st January: Lazio |url=http://dati.istat.it/Index.aspx?QueryId=18544&lang=en |website=Istituto nazionale di statistica |access-date=9 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240609135656/http://dati.istat.it/Index.aspx?QueryId=18544&lang=en |archive-date=9 June 2024}}</ref> |
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| population_total = 19384 |
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| population_as_of = |
| population_as_of = 1 January 2024 |
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| pop_density_footnotes = |
| pop_density_footnotes = |
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| population_demonym = Braccianesi |
| population_demonym = Braccianesi |
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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 of [[Anguillara Sabazia]] and [[Trevignano Romano]]. |
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 of [[Anguillara Sabazia]] and [[Trevignano Romano]]. |
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==Geography== |
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Bracciano's territory lies on the western edge of the Sabatine Hills, a low volcanic hills range encircling [[Lake Bracciano]]. |
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==History== |
==History== |
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There is no certain information about the origins of Bracciano, on the [[Via Cassia]] overlooking the lake.<ref>The modern history is Carla Micheli Giaccone, ''Bracciano e il suo castello''Rome, 1990.</ref> It probably rose from one of the numerous towers built in the tenth century as a defence against the Saracen attacks, as implied by the ancient name of ''Castrum Brachiani''. In the eleventh century the neighbouring territory was acquired by the [[Prefetti di Vico]] family, who turned the tower into a castle. [[Ferdinand Gregorovius]] dated the possession of Bracciano by the [[Orsini]] to 1234. The area was later acquired by the Roman hospital of Santo Spirito in Sassia and, from 1375, was a [[Papal States|Papal]] possession. |
There is no certain information about the origins of Bracciano, on the [[Via Cassia]] overlooking the lake.<ref>The modern history is Carla Micheli Giaccone, ''Bracciano e il suo castello''Rome, 1990.</ref> It probably rose from one of the numerous towers built in the tenth century as a defence against the Saracen attacks, as implied by the ancient name of ''Castrum Brachiani''. In the eleventh century the neighbouring territory was acquired by the [[Prefetti di Vico]] family, who turned the tower into a castle. [[Ferdinand Gregorovius]] dated the possession of Bracciano by the [[Orsini family|Orsini]] to 1234. The area was later acquired by the Roman hospital of Santo Spirito in Sassia and, from 1375, was a [[Papal States|Papal]] possession. |
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In 1419 the [[Colonna]] [[Pope Martin V]] confirmed the fief of Bracciano in the Orsini family branch of [[Tagliacozzo]]. Under this powerful family the city developed into a flourishing town, famous in the whole of Italy for its castle, which was enlarged, starting from 1470, by [[Napoleone Orsini]] and his son [[Gentile Virginio Orsini|Virginio]]. In 1481 it housed [[Pope Sixtus IV]], who had fled from the plague in Rome; the ''Sala Papalina'' in one of the corner towers commemorates the event. Four years later, however, the city and the castle were ravaged by Papal troops under [[Prospero Colonna]], and subsequently a new line of walls was built. |
In 1419 the [[Colonna]] [[Pope Martin V]] confirmed the fief of Bracciano in the Orsini family branch of [[Tagliacozzo]]. Under this powerful family the city developed into a flourishing town, famous in the whole of Italy for its castle, which was enlarged, starting from 1470, by [[Napoleone Orsini (condottiero)|Napoleone Orsini]] and his son [[Gentile Virginio Orsini|Virginio]]. In 1481 it housed [[Pope Sixtus IV]], who had fled from the plague in Rome; the ''Sala Papalina'' in one of the corner towers commemorates the event. Four years later, however, the city and the castle were ravaged by Papal troops under [[Prospero Colonna]], and subsequently a new line of walls was built. |
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In 1494 [[Charles 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 by [[Giovanni di Candia]], son of [[Pope 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 libertine [[Paolo Giordano I Orsini]], having married in 1558 [[Isabella de' Medici]], daughter of [[Cosimo I de' Medici|Cosimo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany]], received the title of [[Duchy of Bracciano|duke of Bracciano]] in 1560. The ''castello'' 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, the ''Sala Papalinia'' that had been occupied by Sixtus IV.<ref>Caroline P. Murphy, ''Murder of a Medici Princess'' 2008:80f.</ref> Isabella spent the remainder of her life avoiding a return to the castle, which a modern tourist tradition would have her haunting.<ref>"Given that Isabella could not bear the idea of living in Bracciano when she was alive, it seems unlikely she would choose to haunt the castle dead," observes Caroline P. Murphy, ''Murder of a Medici Princess'' 2008:351.</ref> |
In 1494 [[Charles 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 by [[Giovanni di Candia]], son of [[Pope 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 libertine [[Paolo Giordano I Orsini]], having married in 1558 [[Isabella de' Medici]], daughter of [[Cosimo I de' Medici|Cosimo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany]], received the title of [[Duchy of Bracciano|duke of Bracciano]] in 1560. The ''castello'' 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, the ''Sala Papalinia'' that had been occupied by Sixtus IV.<ref>Caroline P. Murphy, ''Murder of a Medici Princess'' 2008:80f.</ref> Isabella spent the remainder of her life avoiding a return to the castle, which a modern tourist tradition would have her haunting.<ref>"Given that Isabella could not bear the idea of living in Bracciano when she was alive, it seems unlikely she would choose to haunt the castle dead," observes Caroline P. Murphy, ''Murder of a Medici Princess'' 2008:351.</ref> |
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However, the expensive tenor of life of the Orsini eventually damaged the economic conditions of the city. The last great ruler was probably [[Paolo Giordano II Orsini|Paolo Giordano II]], a patron of arts and literature who made Bracciano a center of culture in Italy. The decline culminated in 1696 when the castle was sold to [[Livio Odescalchi]], nephew of [[Pope Innocent XI]]; the [[Odescalchi]] family still retain the castle. |
However, the expensive tenor of life of the Orsini eventually damaged the economic conditions of the city. The last great ruler was probably [[Paolo Giordano II Orsini|Paolo Giordano II]], a patron of arts and literature who made Bracciano a center of culture in Italy. The decline culminated in 1696 when the castle was sold to [[Livio Odescalchi]], nephew of [[Pope Innocent XI]]; the [[Odescalchi]] family still retain the castle. |
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In the castle, richly frescoed [[frieze]]s and ceilings now contrast with blank walls, which were hung with richly coloured tapestries when the lords of Bracciano were in residence. |
In the castle, richly frescoed [[frieze]]s 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<ref>Malcolm Bull, ''The Mirror of the Gods, How Renaissance Artists Rediscovered the Pagan Gods'', Oxford UP, 2005, {{ISBN|0-19-521923-6}}</ref> is still visible. |
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[[File:Orsini Odescalchi.jpg|thumb|The castle seen from the hospital parking lot.]] |
[[File:Orsini Odescalchi.jpg|thumb|The castle seen from the hospital parking lot.]] |
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[[File:Lake Bracciano, seen from Largo Falcone and Borsellino.jpg|thumb|left|220px|The lake as seen from Largo Falcone and Borsellino, near the castle.]] |
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The main economic activities are tourism, services and agriculture. Until the twentieth century the region was notoriously unhealthy for its [[malaria]], now eradicated; as a result, none of the fine villas were built at the water's edge, but all stood on healthier rises of ground. |
The main economic activities are tourism, services and agriculture. Until the twentieth century the region was notoriously unhealthy for its [[malaria]], now eradicated; as a result, none of the fine villas were built at the water's edge, but all stood on healthier rises of ground. |
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The main monument of Bracciano is its castle, [[Castello Orsini-Odescalchi]], one of the most noteworthy examples of Renaissance military architecture in Italy. |
The main monument of Bracciano is its castle, [[Castello Orsini-Odescalchi]], one of the most noteworthy examples of Renaissance military architecture in Italy. |
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{{convert|3|km|0|abbr=on}} outside the city, alongside the road leading to Trevignano Romano, is the ancient church of ''San Liberato'' (ninth century). It occupies what was once the Roman settlement of ''Forum Clodii'', now surrounded by an [[herb garden]], part of the complex of English-style gardens at the adjoining Villa San Librato, designed by [[Russell Page]] in 1965 for the art historian conte Donato Sanminatelli and his contessa, Maria Odescalchi, and carried out over the following decade. |
{{convert|3|km|0|abbr=on}} outside the city, alongside the road leading to Trevignano Romano, is the ancient church of ''San Liberato'' (ninth century). It occupies what was once the Roman settlement of ''Forum Clodii'', now surrounded by an [[herb garden]], part of the complex of English-style gardens at the adjoining [[Tenuta di San Liberato, Bracciano|Villa San Librato]], designed by [[Russell Page]] in 1965 for the art historian conte Donato Sanminatelli and his contessa, Maria Odescalchi, and carried out over the following decade. |
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On the same road are the ruins of the ''Aquae Apollinaris'', a complex of baths famous in the Roman age. |
On the same road are the ruins of the ''Aquae Apollinaris'', a complex of baths famous in the Roman age. |
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At Vigna di Valle, next to the lake, the former [[seaplane]] base today houses the [[Italian Air Force Museum]].<ref>url=http://aeroweb.lucia.it/en/museums/vigna.htm</ref> The museum's four hangars hold a number of historical military aircraft, including famous planes such as the [[MC. 202]], the [[Supermarine Spitfire]], the [[Savoia Marchetti S.79]], the [[F-104 Starfighter]], the [[Caproni Ca.100]] and the [[Panavia Tornado]]. Also on view is a remarkable collection of three Schneider Cup racers, including the [[Macchi M.C.72]]. The museum stages an annual 'Giornata Azzura' airshow at [[Pratica di Mare]] airport. |
At Vigna di Valle, next to the lake, the former [[seaplane]] base today houses the [[Italian Air Force Museum]].<ref>url=http://aeroweb.lucia.it/en/museums/vigna.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116004542/http://aeroweb.lucia.it/en/museums/vigna.htm# |date=2010-01-16 }}</ref> The museum's four hangars hold a number of historical military aircraft, including famous planes such as the [[MC. 202]], the [[Supermarine Spitfire]], the [[Savoia Marchetti S.79]], the [[F-104 Starfighter]], the [[Caproni Ca.100]] and the [[Panavia Tornado]]. Also on view is a remarkable collection of three Schneider Cup racers, including the [[Macchi M.C.72]]. The museum stages an annual 'Giornata Azzura' airshow at [[Pratica di Mare]] airport. |
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==Climate== |
==Climate== |
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The [[Köppen Climate Classification]] subtype for this climate is "[[Mediterranean climate|Csa]]" (Mediterranean climate).<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=162240&cityname=Bracciano%2C+Latium%2C+Italy&units= Climate Summary for Bracciano]</ref> |
The [[Köppen Climate Classification]] subtype for this climate is "[[Mediterranean climate|Csa]]" (Mediterranean climate).<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=162240&cityname=Bracciano%2C+Latium%2C+Italy&units= Climate Summary for Bracciano]</ref> |
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<div style="width:75%;"> |
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{{Weather box |
{{Weather box |
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| width = auto |
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|location = Bracciano |
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| collapsed = yes |
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|single line = Yes |
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|metric first = |
| metric first = yes |
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| single line = yes |
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| location = Vigna di Valle (1991–2020) |
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|Feb high F = 51 |
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| Jan record high C = 18.7 |
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| Feb record high C = 19.3 |
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| Mar record high C = 23.8 |
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| Apr record high C = 27.2 |
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| May record high C = 31.4 |
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| Jun record high C = 36.0 |
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| Jul record high C = 37.6 |
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| Aug record high C = 39.8 |
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| Sep record high C = 33.4 |
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| Oct record high C = 28.4 |
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| Nov record high C = 24.4 |
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| Dec record high C = 18.8 |
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|Jan low F = 37 |
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| year record high C = 39.8 |
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| Jan high C = 10.6 |
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| Feb high C = 11.6 |
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| Mar high C = 14.4 |
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| Apr high C = 17.4 |
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| May high C = 21.9 |
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| Jun high C = 26.5 |
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| Jul high C = 29.7 |
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| Aug high C = 30.0 |
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| Sep high C = 25.0 |
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| Oct high C = 20.3 |
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| Nov high C = 15.2 |
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| Dec high C = 11.3 |
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| year high C = 19.5 |
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| Jan mean C = 7.5 |
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| Feb mean C = 7.9 |
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|Apr precipitation inch = 3 |
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| Mar mean C = 10.2 |
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| Apr mean C = 12.9 |
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| May mean C = 17.2 |
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| Jun mean C = 21.5 |
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| Jul mean C = 24.3 |
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| Aug mean C = 24.7 |
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| Sep mean C = 20.4 |
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| Oct mean C = 16.4 |
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| Nov mean C = 12.0 |
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| Dec mean C = 8.5 |
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|source 1 = Weatherbase <ref name=Weatherbase> |
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| year mean C = 15.3 |
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{{cite web |
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| Jan low C = 4.8 |
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|url =http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weatherall.php3?s=162240&cityname=Bracciano%2C+Latium%2C+Italy&units=|year=2013 |
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| Feb low C = 4.7 |
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| Mar low C = 6.6 |
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| Apr low C = 8.8 |
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| May low C = 12.8 |
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| Jun low C = 16.8 |
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| Jul low C = 19.4 |
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| Aug low C = 20.0 |
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| Sep low C = 16.5 |
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| Oct low C = 13.2 |
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| Nov low C = 9.3 |
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| Dec low C = 5.9 |
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| year low C = 11.6 |
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| Jan record low C = -4.0 |
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| Feb record low C = -5.0 |
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| Mar record low C = -3.6 |
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| Apr record low C = -0.6 |
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| May record low C = 5.1 |
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| Jun record low C = 9.8 |
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| Jul record low C = 11.0 |
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| Aug record low C = 12.4 |
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| Sep record low C = 8.7 |
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| Oct record low C = 4.6 |
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| Nov record low C = 0.0 |
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| Dec record low C = -4.2 |
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| year record low C = -5.0 |
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| precipitation colour = green |
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| Jan precipitation mm = 70.39 |
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| Feb precipitation mm = 68.24 |
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| Mar precipitation mm = 67.58 |
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| Apr precipitation mm = 63.63 |
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| May precipitation mm = 54.10 |
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| Jun precipitation mm = 31.17 |
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| Jul precipitation mm = 24.02 |
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| Aug precipitation mm = 29.06 |
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| Sep precipitation mm = 75.98 |
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| Oct precipitation mm = 126.42 |
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| Nov precipitation mm = 143.15 |
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| Dec precipitation mm = 98.70 |
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| year precipitation mm = 852.44 |
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| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |
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| Jan precipitation days = 7.33 |
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| Feb precipitation days = 6.83 |
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| Mar precipitation days = 6.79 |
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| Apr precipitation days = 6.97 |
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| May precipitation days = 6.27 |
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| Jun precipitation days = 3.47 |
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| Jul precipitation days = 2.10 |
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| Aug precipitation days = 2.55 |
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| Sep precipitation days = 5.80 |
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| Oct precipitation days = 7.83 |
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| Nov precipitation days = 10.27 |
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| Dec precipitation days = 8.67 |
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| year precipitation days = 74.88 |
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| Jan humidity = 77.47 |
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| Feb humidity = 73.62 |
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| Mar humidity = 72.67 |
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| Apr humidity = 72.80 |
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| May humidity = 72.00 |
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| Jun humidity = 68.59 |
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| Jul humidity = 65.19 |
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| Aug humidity = 65.93 |
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| Sep humidity = 70.92 |
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| Oct humidity = 76.87 |
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| Nov humidity = 80.34 |
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| Dec humidity = 78.34 |
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| year humidity = 72.89 |
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| Jan dew point C = 3.80 |
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| Feb dew point C = 3.41 |
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| Mar dew point C = 5.35 |
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| Apr dew point C = 8.24 |
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| May dew point C = 12.08 |
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| Jun dew point C = 14.97 |
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| Jul dew point C = 16.39 |
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| Aug dew point C = 16.98 |
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| Sep dew point C = 14.97 |
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| Oct dew point C = 12.54 |
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| Nov dew point C = 8.90 |
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| Dec dew point C = 4.87 |
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| year dew point C = 10.21 |
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| Jan sun = 155.62 |
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| Feb sun = 171.64 |
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| Mar sun = 201.81 |
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| Apr sun = 225.60 |
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| May sun = 279.31 |
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| Jun sun = 298.50 |
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| Jul sun = 335.73 |
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| Aug sun = 316.20 |
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| Sep sun = 242.70 |
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| Oct sun = 183.21 |
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| Nov sun = 146.40 |
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| Dec sun = 146.94 |
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| year sun = 2703.66 |
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| source 1 = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]]<ref name="WMONormals">{{cite web |
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|url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/VignaDiValle_16224.csv |
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|title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Vigna di Valle |
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|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
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|access-date = February 3, 2024}}</ref> |
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}} |
}} |
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Retrieved on July 29, 2013. |
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</ref> |
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|date=July 2013 |
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}} |
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</div> |
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==Twin towns== |
==Twin towns== |
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Bracciano is [[Town twinning|twinned]] with |
Bracciano is [[Town twinning|twinned]] with |
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* |
* {{flagicon|GER}} [[Neusäß]], [[Germany]] |
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* |
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Châtenay-Malabry]], [[France]] |
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* {{flagicon|ETH}} [[Wolaita Sodo]], [[Ethiopia]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Wolaita Sodo establishes sister city network with Bracciano|url=https://press.et/herald/?p=6607|website= Ethiopian press agency}}</ref> |
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==Filmography== |
==Filmography== |
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* [[Medici: Masters of Florence]] TV series (Castle Bracciano).<ref>http://www.gismonda.it/en/2017/01/26/medici-tv-series-location-castle-bracciano/</ref> |
* [[Medici: Masters of Florence]] TV series (Castle Bracciano).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gismonda.it/en/2017/01/26/medici-tv-series-location-castle-bracciano/|title=I Medici Masters of Florence tv series location: Castle Orsini Odescalchi in Bracciano|access-date=2017-03-06|archive-date=2019-09-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925165840/http://www.gismonda.it/en/2017/01/26/medici-tv-series-location-castle-bracciano/|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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* [[Elisa di Rivombrosa]] |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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*[[Orsini]] |
*[[Orsini family]] |
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*[[Lake of Bracciano]] |
*[[Lake of Bracciano]] |
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[[File:Lake Bracciano, seen from Largo Falcone and Borsellino.jpg|thumb|left|220px|The lake as seen from Largo Falcone and Borsellino, near the castle.]] |
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==Notes== |
==Notes== |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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{{ |
{{EB1911 poster|Bracciano}} |
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* [http://www.visitbracciano.it/ Tourist Information] |
* [http://www.visitbracciano.it/ Tourist Information] |
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* [http://www.odescalchi.it/ Castello Orsini-Odescalchi] |
* [http://www.odescalchi.it/ Castello Orsini-Odescalchi] |
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* [http://www.romeartlover.it/Bracciano.html Roberto Piperno, "Bracciano"] |
* [http://www.romeartlover.it/Bracciano.html Roberto Piperno, "Bracciano"] |
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* [http://www.avventurabraccianese.it Bracciano historical database] |
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<br> |
<br> |
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{{Authority control}} |
{{Authority control}} |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Bracciano| ]] |
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Latest revision as of 14:28, 9 June 2024
Bracciano | |
|---|---|
| Comune di Bracciano | |
 A view of the Castello Orsini-Odescalchi. | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Bracciano  | |
  Bracciano Location of Bracciano in Italy  Bracciano Bracciano (Lazio) | |
| Coordinates: 42°06′N 12°11′E / 42.100°N 12.183°E | |
| 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)[3] | |
• Total | 18,516 [1] |
| 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 of Lazio, 30 kilometres (19 miles) northwest of Rome. The town is famous for its volcanic lake (Lago di Bracciano or "Sabatino", the eighth largest lake in Italy) and for a particularly well-preserved medieval castle Castello 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 of Anguillara Sabazia and Trevignano Romano.
Geography
[edit]Bracciano's territory lies on the western edge of the Sabatine Hills, a low volcanic hills range encircling Lake Bracciano.
History
[edit]There is no certain information about the origins of Bracciano, on the Via Cassia overlooking the lake.[5] It probably rose from one of the numerous towers built in the tenth century as a defence against the Saracen attacks, as implied by the ancient name of Castrum Brachiani. In the eleventh century the neighbouring territory was acquired by the Prefetti di Vico family, who turned the tower into a castle. Ferdinand Gregorovius dated the possession of Bracciano by the Orsini to 1234. The area was later acquired by the Roman hospital of Santo Spirito in Sassia and, from 1375, was a Papal possession.
In 1419 the Colonna Pope Martin V confirmed the fief of Bracciano in the Orsini family branch of Tagliacozzo. Under this powerful family the city developed into a flourishing town, famous in the whole of Italy for its castle, which was enlarged, starting from 1470, by Napoleone Orsini and his son Virginio. In 1481 it housed Pope Sixtus IV, who had fled from the plague in Rome; the Sala Papalina in one of the corner towers commemorates the event. Four years later, however, the city and the castle were ravaged by Papal troops under Prospero Colonna, and subsequently a new line of walls was built.
In 1494 Charles 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 by Giovanni di Candia, son of Pope 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 libertine Paolo Giordano I Orsini, having married in 1558 Isabella de' Medici, daughter of Cosimo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany, received the title of duke of Bracciano in 1560. The castello 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, the Sala 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]
The economy was boosted by the exploitation of sulphur and iron, the production of tapestries and paper. The latter was favoured by the construction of an aqueduct whose ruins can still be seen in the city. Bracciano in this period had some 4,500 inhabitants.
However, the expensive tenor of life of the Orsini eventually damaged the economic conditions of the city. The last great ruler was probably Paolo Giordano II, a patron of arts and literature who made Bracciano a center of culture in Italy. The decline culminated in 1696 when the castle was sold to Livio Odescalchi, nephew of Pope Innocent XI; the Odescalchi family still retain the castle.
In the castle, richly frescoed friezes 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.
The main economic activities are tourism, services and agriculture. Until the twentieth century the region was notoriously unhealthy for its malaria, now eradicated; as a result, none of the fine villas were built at the water's edge, but all stood on healthier rises of ground.
Main sights
[edit]![[icon]](/enwiki/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2008) |
The main monument of Bracciano is its castle, Castello Orsini-Odescalchi, one of the most noteworthy examples of Renaissance military architecture in Italy.
3 km (2 mi) outside the city, alongside the road leading to Trevignano Romano, is the ancient church of San Liberato (ninth century). It occupies what was once the Roman settlement of Forum Clodii, now surrounded by an herb garden, part of the complex of English-style gardens at the adjoining Villa San Librato, designed by Russell Page in 1965 for the art historian conte Donato Sanminatelli and his contessa, Maria Odescalchi, and carried out over the following decade.
On the same road are the ruins of the Aquae Apollinaris, a complex of baths famous in the Roman age.
At Vigna di Valle, next to the lake, the former seaplane base today houses the Italian Air Force Museum.[9] The museum's four hangars hold a number of historical military aircraft, including famous planes such as the MC. 202, the Supermarine Spitfire, the Savoia Marchetti S.79, the F-104 Starfighter, the Caproni Ca.100 and the Panavia Tornado. Also on view is a remarkable collection of three Schneider Cup racers, including the Macchi M.C.72. The museum stages an annual 'Giornata Azzura' airshow at Pratica di Mare airport.
Climate
[edit]The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Csa" (Mediterranean climate).[10]
| Climate data for 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) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 70.39 (2.77) |
68.24 (2.69) |
67.58 (2.66) |
63.63 (2.51) |
54.10 (2.13) |
31.17 (1.23) |
24.02 (0.95) |
29.06 (1.14) |
75.98 (2.99) |
126.42 (4.98) |
143.15 (5.64) |
98.70 (3.89) |
852.44 (33.56) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 7.33 | 6.83 | 6.79 | 6.97 | 6.27 | 3.47 | 2.10 | 2.55 | 5.80 | 7.83 | 10.27 | 8.67 | 74.88 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 77.47 | 73.62 | 72.67 | 72.80 | 72.00 | 68.59 | 65.19 | 65.93 | 70.92 | 76.87 | 80.34 | 78.34 | 72.89 |
| Average dew point °C (°F) | 3.80 (38.84) |
3.41 (38.14) |
5.35 (41.63) |
8.24 (46.83) |
12.08 (53.74) |
14.97 (58.95) |
16.39 (61.50) |
16.98 (62.56) |
14.97 (58.95) |
12.54 (54.57) |
8.90 (48.02) |
4.87 (40.77) |
10.21 (50.38) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 155.62 | 171.64 | 201.81 | 225.60 | 279.31 | 298.50 | 335.73 | 316.20 | 242.70 | 183.21 | 146.40 | 146.94 | 2,703.66 |
| Source: NOAA[11] | |||||||||||||
Twin towns
[edit]Bracciano is twinned with
Filmography
[edit]- Medici: Masters of Florence TV series (Castle Bracciano).[13]
- Elisa di Rivombrosa
See also
[edit]
Notes
[edit]- ^ "Resident population on 1st January: Lazio". Istituto nazionale di statistica. Archived from the original on 9 June 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
- ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ Bracciano is pronounced in three syllables: "Bra-CHA-no"
- ^ The modern history is Carla Micheli Giaccone, Bracciano e il suo castelloRome, 1990.
- ^ Caroline P. Murphy, Murder of a Medici Princess 2008:80f.
- ^ "Given that Isabella could not bear the idea of living in Bracciano when she was alive, it seems unlikely she would choose to haunt the castle dead," observes Caroline P. Murphy, Murder of a Medici Princess 2008:351.
- ^ Malcolm Bull, The Mirror of the Gods, How Renaissance Artists Rediscovered the Pagan Gods, Oxford UP, 2005, ISBN 0-19-521923-6
- ^ url=http://aeroweb.lucia.it/en/museums/vigna.htm Archived 2010-01-16 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Climate Summary for Bracciano
- ^ "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Vigna di Valle". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
- ^ "Wolaita Sodo establishes sister city network with Bracciano". Ethiopian press agency.
- ^ "I Medici Masters of Florence tv series location: Castle Orsini Odescalchi in Bracciano". Archived from the original on 2019-09-25. Retrieved 2017-03-06.
External links
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|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
