Gradoli
Encyclopedia
Gradoli is a comune
(municipality) in the Province of Viterbo
in the Italian
region Latium
, located about 100 km northwest of Rome
and about 35 km northwest of Viterbo
.
Gradoli sits on a tuff
hill in the Monti Volsini
area, a few kilometers from the Lake Bolsena
. It is home to a palace which was owned by the Farnese family; it was commissioned by Pope Paul III
to (allegedly) Antonio da Sangallo the Younger
on the site of the medieval castle. Of the castle, only few traces remains, including a defensive tower, the entrance arch and few parts of the walls; its ditch has been now transformed into roads and squares. Sangallo also designed the nearby church of Santa Maria Maddalena.
Gradoli borders the following Comuni: Bolsena
, Capodimonte, Grotte di Castro
, Latera
, Montefiascone
, Onano
, San Lorenzo Nuovo
, Valentano
.
, when a castle was built here: this could be reached only through a series of steps (in Latin, gradus), whence its name. Matilde of Canossa donated the castle to the Papal States
in the 11th century. In the following century the town became a free commune
, but was soon conquered by Orvieto
. Revolts followed, which were violently suppressed. In the 15th century Gradoli became a possession of the House of Farnese, who established here a summer residence under Pope Paul III
. Gradoli, part of the Duchy of Castro
, returned to the Papal States after the latter was crushed in the War of Castro (1649). It became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Italy in 1871.
In 1978, during the kidnapping of Aldo Moro
, Gradoli was mentioned (in an alleged séance
participated by future prime minister Romano Prodi
) as the possible location of the politician. It was later discovered that the Red Brigades
, the terrorist group who had captured him, had in fact a base at Rome, in via Gradoli.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
(municipality) in the Province of Viterbo
Province of Viterbo
The Province of Viterbo is a province in the Lazio region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Viterbo. It is bordered to the north by the Province of Grosseto and Siena, by the north-east with the Province of Terni and Rieti, in the west by the Tyrrhenian Sea and south by the Province of Rome.It...
in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
region Latium
Latium
Lazio is one of the 20 administrative regions of Italy, situated in the central peninsular section of the country. With about 5.7 million residents and a GDP of more than 170 billion euros, Lazio is the third most populated and the second richest region of Italy...
, located about 100 km northwest of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and about 35 km northwest of Viterbo
Viterbo
See also Viterbo, Texas and Viterbo UniversityViterbo is an ancient city and comune in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It is approximately 80 driving / 80 walking kilometers north of GRA on the Via Cassia, and it is surrounded by the Monti Cimini and...
.
Gradoli sits on a tuff
Tuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
hill in the Monti Volsini
Monti Volsini
The Monti Volsini or Vulsini are a minor mountain range in northern Lazio, Italy, near the Lake Bolsena. The highest point is that of Passo della Montagnola, in the comune of Latera, at c. 645 m....
area, a few kilometers from the Lake Bolsena
Lake Bolsena
Lake Bolsena is a crater lake of central Italy, of volcanic origin, which was formed starting 370,000 years ago following the collapse of a caldera of the Vulsini volcanic complex into a deep aquifer. Roman historic records indicate activity of the Vulsini volcano occurred as recently as 104 BC,...
. It is home to a palace which was owned by the Farnese family; it was commissioned by Pope Paul III
Pope Paul III
Pope Paul III , born Alessandro Farnese, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1534 to his death in 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era following the sack of Rome in 1527 and rife with uncertainties in the Catholic Church following the Protestant Reformation...
to (allegedly) Antonio da Sangallo the Younger
Antonio da Sangallo the Younger
thumb|250px|The church of Santa Maria di Loreto near the [[Trajan's Market]] in [[Rome]], considered Sangallo's masterwork.thumb|250px|View of St. Patrick's Well in [[Orvieto]]....
on the site of the medieval castle. Of the castle, only few traces remains, including a defensive tower, the entrance arch and few parts of the walls; its ditch has been now transformed into roads and squares. Sangallo also designed the nearby church of Santa Maria Maddalena.
Gradoli borders the following Comuni: Bolsena
Bolsena
Bolsena is a town and comune of Italy, in the province of Viterbo in northern Lazio on the eastern shore of Lake Bolsena. It is 10 km north-north west of Montefiascone and 36 km north-west of Viterbo...
, Capodimonte, Grotte di Castro
Grotte di Castro
Grotte di Castro is a comune in the Province of Viterbo in the Italian region Latium, located about 100 km northwest of Rome and about 35 km northwest of Viterbo.-References:...
, Latera
Latera
Latera is a small town and comune in the Province of Viterbo, Italy.Situated near Bolsena Lake and Mezzano Lake, is important for volcanic underground activity near the town centre. It has a small rock with a medieval palace by Farnese family, surrounded by medieval stone houses.-History:Latera and...
, Montefiascone
Montefiascone
Montefiascone is a town and comune of the province of Viterbo, Italy, located on a hill on the southeast side of Lake Bolsena, 95 km north of GRA .-History:...
, Onano
Onano
Onano is a comune in the Province of Viterbo in the Italian region Latium, located about 100 km northwest of Rome and about 40 km northwest of Viterbo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,096 and an area of 24.6 km².Onano borders the following municipalities:...
, San Lorenzo Nuovo
San Lorenzo Nuovo
San Lorenzo Nuovo is a small town and comune in the province of Viterbo, in the Latium region of Italy. It is an important agricultural center for potatoes, olive oil, garlic, onions, cereals and grapes. A second source of revenue is tourism.-Geography:...
, Valentano
Valentano
thumb|250px|View of Valentano.Valentano is a town and comune of the province of Viterbo, in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is 33 km from the provincial capital, Viterbo.left|thumb|220px|Rocca Farnese in Valentano....
.
History
Gradoli's origins date to the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, when a castle was built here: this could be reached only through a series of steps (in Latin, gradus), whence its name. Matilde of Canossa donated the castle to the Papal States
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
in the 11th century. In the following century the town became a free commune
Medieval commune
Medieval communes in the European Middle Ages had sworn allegiances of mutual defense among the citizens of a town or city. They took many forms, and varied widely in organization and makeup. Communes are first recorded in the late 11th and early 12th centuries, thereafter becoming a widespread...
, but was soon conquered by Orvieto
Orvieto
Orvieto is a city and comune in Province of Terni, southwestern Umbria, Italy situated on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff...
. Revolts followed, which were violently suppressed. In the 15th century Gradoli became a possession of the House of Farnese, who established here a summer residence under Pope Paul III
Pope Paul III
Pope Paul III , born Alessandro Farnese, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1534 to his death in 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era following the sack of Rome in 1527 and rife with uncertainties in the Catholic Church following the Protestant Reformation...
. Gradoli, part of the Duchy of Castro
Duchy of Castro
The Duchy of Castro was a fiefdom in central Italy formed in 1537 from a small strip of land on what is now Lazio's border with Tuscany, centred on Castro, Lazio, a fortified city on a tufa cliff overlooking the river Fiora which was its capital and ducal residence...
, returned to the Papal States after the latter was crushed in the War of Castro (1649). It became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Italy in 1871.
In 1978, during the kidnapping of Aldo Moro
Kidnapping of Aldo Moro
The kidnapping and murder of Aldo Moro was a seminal event in Italian political history.On the morning of 16 March 1978, the day in which the new cabinet led by Giulio Andreotti would undergo the confidence vote at the Italian Parliament, the car of Aldo Moro, former prime minister and then...
, Gradoli was mentioned (in an alleged séance
Séance
A séance is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word "séance" comes from the French word for "seat," "session" or "sitting," from the Old French "seoir," "to sit." In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, speak of "une séance de cinéma"...
participated by future prime minister Romano Prodi
Romano Prodi
Romano Prodi is an Italian politician and statesman. He served as the Prime Minister of Italy, from 17 May 1996 to 21 October 1998 and from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008...
) as the possible location of the politician. It was later discovered that the Red Brigades
Red Brigades
The Red Brigades was a Marxist-Leninist terrorist organisation, based in Italy, which was responsible for numerous violent incidents, assassinations, and robberies during the so-called "Years of Lead"...
, the terrorist group who had captured him, had in fact a base at Rome, in via Gradoli.