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Anzio and Nettuno

The origins of the town of Anzio are not certain. One legend has it that the ancient city of Antium was founded by Anteo, the son of Ullyses and the sorceress Circeo, however another myth says that Ascanio, son of Aeneas, as having established the city.

Antium was the main municipality of the Volsci tribe, before being captured by the Romans in 338. Both of the Emperors Caligula and Nero were born here. It became a popular holiday destination for many distinguished Romans, including Nero, Caligula, Cicero, Lucretius, Brutus, Cassius and Maecenas who constructed lavish villas along this coastline, some of which were sumptuously decorated. The remains of Nero’s luxurious villa can be seen in the Archaeological Park on the cliff-top headland of Capo d’Anzio.

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During the excavations several works of art were unearthed such treasures as the statues: “The Maiden of Antium” (now in the National Museum), “The Borghese Gladiator” (now in the Louvre) and “The Apollo of Belvedere” (now in the Vatican Museum). Also some magnificent mosaics were discovered. Many other exhibits are on show at the Public Archaeological Museum, in Villa Adele in Anzio, such as the statue of a young girl known as the “Fanciulla D’ Anzio”.

There are the ruins of an important Roman port, which was built by Nero, and on the hill of Santa Teresa there are the ruins of a Roman theatre built in the first century AD.

With the decline of the Roman Empire the city was sacked by the Goths and then the Saracens who destroyed the Roman port, and the town fell into disrepair.

During the Middle Ages Anzio was little more than a fishing village.

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