Anzio

Lore & Background

The symbol of Anzio is the goddess Fortuna, in reference to her veneration in the ancient Antium, whose territory Anzio occupies. In the Roman era the territory of Antium almost entirely corresponded to modern Anzio and nearby Nettuno. In the Middle Ages Antium was deserted in favour of Nettuno. At the end of the sixteenth century Pope Clement VIII gave instructions to safeguard the building heritage of Anzio. In the last decade of the seventeenth century, by the will of Pope Innocent XII the port was rebuilt, giving rise to economic recovery. In 1857 Pope Pius IX founded the modern municipality of Anzio, with the boundaries of Nettuno redrawn; the official name was Porto d'Anzio until 1885. In 1925, on 16 March, the Station of the submarine telegraph cable was inaugurated in Anzio, the first telecommunication cable connected directly from Anzio to New York. From 1940 to 1945 Anzio was united with Nettuno in a single municipality: Nettunia. On 14 September 1948, a waterspout came ashore, throwing a mobile home 40 m and a car into a tree, destroying a wooden and brick home, tearing roofs off ten homes, and uprooting about 50 large pine trees.

Reader's Guide

The town is connected to Rome by the Via Nettunense (SS207), the Via Ardeatina (SS601), and the Roma-Nettuno railway that connects Anzio with Roma Termini in around 1 hour. The railway line also stops in the stations of Padiglione, Lido di Lavinio, Villa Claudia, Marechiaro, Anzio Colonia. Ferries and hydrofoils connect Anzio to Ponza. Along the coast are numerous remains of Roman villas, including the Domus Neroniana and ruins of the villa of Cicero. The Anzio War Cemetery is located close to the Communal Cemetery and Beachhead Museum. The Beach Head War Cemetery is 5 km north on No207 Road. The Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial is in nearby Nettuno. About 8 km north is a WWF park with sulphur springs and a medieval tower, Tor Caldara. Near the ruins of the Villa of Nero lies the military sanatorium of the Italian Army, built 1930–1933. The town once hosted a Casino called Paradiso sul mare, now hosting cultural events. In the southern part are many Italian Art Nouveau style houses.

Did You Know?

• On 18 February 1944, the British light cruiser HMS Penelope was struck by two torpedoes off the coast of Anzio and sunk with a loss of 417 crew.
• Lieutenant Eric Fletcher Waters of the British Army lost his life in battle at Anzio; his son Roger Waters became the bassist and main lyricist of Pink Floyd.
• Caligula and Nero, Roman emperors, were born in Antium.