Orte
| Orte | ||
|---|---|---|
| Comune | ||
| Comune di Orte | ||
|
The Romanesque bell tower of the church of San Silvestro | ||
| ||
  Orte Location of Orte in Italy | ||
| Coordinates: 42°27′37″N 12°23′11″E / 42.46028°N 12.38639°E | ||
| Country | Italy | |
| Region | Lazio | |
| Province | Viterbo (VT) | |
| Frazioni | Orte Scalo | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Maria Pia De Rosa (commissar) | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 70.16 km2 (27.09 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 132 m (433 ft) | |
| Population (31 December 2014[1]) | ||
| • Total | 8,982 | |
| • Density | 130/km2 (330/sq mi) | |
| Demonym(s) | Ortani | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| Postal code | 01028 | |
| Dialing code | 0761 | |
| Patron saint | St. Giles Abbot | |
| Saint day | September 1 | |
| Website | Official website | |
Orte is a town and comune (municipality) in the province of Viterbo, in the Italian region Latium Lazio, located about 60 kilometres (37 mi) north of Rome and about 24 kilometres (15 mi) east of Viterbo.
Geography
Orte is situated in the Tiber valley on a high tuff cliff, encircled to North and East from a handle of the Tevere river. It is an important road and rail hub.
History
The Etruscans inhabited the area from the 6th century BC and called it *Hurta,[2] as testified by the findings in a necropolis nearby, now preserved in the Vatican Museums. Orte was theatre of battles between Etruscans and Romans (310 and 283 BC), near the Vadimone lake, in both of which the Romans were victorious.
The Romans domination made it the municipality of Horta (also Hortanum).[3] Under the rule of Augustus it received numerous public works. Subsequently, because of its strategic position, Orte was occupied by the Ostrogoths, the Byzantines and the Lombards. During the late 9th to early 10th century, it was, along with much of central Italy, a stronghold of, or threatened by the Saracens.[4]
In the Middle Ages the city was never seat of a fief, becoming a free comune under a podestà. Later it became part of the Papal States.
Events
- Saint'Egidio Abate's Day and Ottava of Saint'Egidio: from 31 August to the second Sunday in September. A Medieval festival with shows, fairs, conventions, seminaries of study, art exhibitions of art and archery competitions (the "Palio", contented by the archers of the Seven Contrade).
- Religious procession of Dead Christ: every Friday before Easter. A torchlight procession representing early religions orders ("Confraternite").
Transport
Orte railway station, opened in 1865, forms part of the Florence–Rome railway and the Ancona–Orte railway. It is situated in Piazza Giovanni XXIII, in the locality of Orte Scalo, approximately two kilometres southeast of the town centre.
References
- ↑ Demographic data from ISTAT
- ↑ Chiesa, Tarquinia: archeologia e prosopografia tra ellenismo e romanizzazione, 2006, p.267.
- ↑ John Murray, A dictionary of Greek and Roman geography, Volume 1, 1873, p.1091
- ↑ Peter Partner (1 Jan 1972). The Lands of St. Peter: The Papal State in the Middle Ages and the Early Renaissance (illustrated ed.). University of California Press. p. 81. ISBN 9780520021815.
External links
Media related to Orte at Wikimedia Commons