Nettuno
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the Italian town near Rome. "Nettuno" is also Italian for Neptune.
| Comune di Nettuno | |
|---|---|
 Municipal coat of arms |
|
| Country |  Italy |
| Region | Lazio |
| Province | Rome |
| Mayor | |
| Elevation | 11 m |
| Area | 71.46 km² |
| Population | |
| - Total (as of December 31, 2004) | 36,849 |
| - Density | 508/km² |
| Time zone | CET, UTC+1 |
| Coordinates | |
| Gentilic | Nettunesi |
| Dialing code | 06 |
| Postal code | 00048 |
| Frazioni | Cadolino, Canala, Cioccati, Padiglione, Piscina Cardillo, Pocacqua, Sandalo Di Levante, Tre Cancelli, Zucchetti |
| Patron | Madonna delle Grazie |
| Website: www.comune.nettuno.roma.it | |
Nettuno is a town and commune of province of Rome in the Lazio region of central Italy, 60 kilometers south of Rome. It is named in honour of the Roman god Neptune. A resort city and agricultural center on the Tyrrhenian Sea, in the Mediterranean Sea it has a population of approximately 40,000.
The town was founded by the Saracens in the ninth century. It's a popular tourist destination today, where there are a well-preserved old quarter, called Borgo Medievale, with mediaeval streets and small squares, and the Sangallo Fort built in the 1500s.
It's an important center of pilgrimages, as shrine of Saint Maria Goretti. In the shrine there is a crypt where the mortal remains' Saint lie. The church keeps also a priceless wooden statue of Our Lady of Grace, which is praised by all the town every year the first Saturday of May with a procession.
Nettuno has one of the most important baseball Italian teams, Danesi Nettuno often winner of the Championship. This game was taught to the local people by U.S. soldiers during the Second World War, who landed along the coasts for the operation Shingle. The town has an American Cemetery and Memorial, where thousands of soldiers are buried.
In the domain of army, Nettuno has one of the biggest Poligono for the Italian Force, whose land extend to the Province of Latina, and one of the most important Italian Police Schools, where especially police dogs are trained.
It has a touristic harbour hosting about 860 boats and a shopping center, selling everything for fishing and sailing.
Nettuno is the city of the finest D.O.C. wine Cacchione.
The Villa Borghese has extensive gardens.
