Pomezia was founded in 1939 and developed as an industrial centre in the 1960s. Its Rationalist architecture in typical geometric-monumental fascist style, is also present in other new towns in Lazio, such as Latina, Sabaudia, Pontinia, and Aprilia. The
Museo Città di Pomezia – Laboratorio del 900, in the historic centre, narrates the town’s history from its founding to the industrial development in the 1950s and 1960s.
The historic centre of Pomezia, today included in the Rete delle Dimore Storiche del Lazio, is astonishing. It was designed, built, and embellished with paintings and sculptures by representatives of Italian Rationalism.
The Rationalist Architecture of Pomezia
The Nucleo Edilizio di Rappresentanza, composed of the Town Hall, the Civic Tower, the Post Office, the Church of San Benedetto, the Casa del Fascio, the GIL School and the Piazza recalls a simplified Neoclassic geometry. Decorations are mostly entirely absent in favour of smooth walls, interplays of round arches, and simple cornices, which give the architectural complex a severe, solemn, and linear appearance.
Pomezia, with its expansive, almost metaphysical perspectives, is characterized by large, scenic spaces, porticoes, and a serial repetition of architectural structures, enhancing the monumentality and heroism of the urban structure. The mostly used materials for the external claddings are travertine, tuff, and peperino, the same ones employed in Rome since the Imperial Age.
The large Piazza Indipendenza in Pomezia
The beating heart of the town is the large main square, Piazza Indipendenza, which, during the summer, hosts many cultural events, such as music festivals, art exhibitions, theatre performances, and concerts, offering locals and visitors the opportunity to enjoy the town’s atmosphere and discover its cultural treasures.
The exterior of the Biblioteca Municipale di Pomezia
Near the Town Hall, we can find the extraordinary Biblioteca Municipale Ugo Tognazzi, which houses approximately 25,000 volumes and reading rooms for adults and children. The building exterior is decorated with a mural by Agostino Iacucci, inspired by the myth of Aeneas.
The Coast of Torvaianica, Aeneas’ landing place– Photo by Silvana Pellegrini
Also worth a visit is the nearby hamlet of Pratica di Mare, which rises on the remains of the ancient Lavinium. The latter was built by Aeneas, from whom the Gens Iulia originated after the founding of Rome. Indeed, the famous Aeneas’s landing place has been identified along the coast, near a lagoon crossed by the Numicus River, today’s Fosso di Pratica di Mare.
Pratica di Mare, inhabited in the 1960s by the farmers of the surrounding estate and many cultural figures, is home to the noteworthy Borghese Castle, also part of the Rete delle Dimore Storiche del Lazio.
The entrance to the Museo Civico Archeologico Lavinium in Pomezia
Precious testimonies of the ancient Lavinium are on dispay in the Museo Civico Archeologico Lavinium and in the Archaeological Site of the Thirteen Aras and Heroon of Aeneas, accessible with guided tours.
The Tomb of Sergio Leone in Pratica di Mare – photo by Stefano Pinci
In the peaceful local cemetery, rests Sergio Leone, the famous Italian director and inventor of the “Spaghetti Western” genre, who expressly requested to be buried in Pratica di Mare, the location of some of his movies from the 1960.
The Riserva Presidenziale di Castel Porziano
The extraordinary coast of Torvaianica, perfect for kitesurfer and divers, includes the Parco di Castel Fusano, the Riserva Presidenziale di Castel Porziano and the estate of Capocotta.
The Red Lake of the Solfatara di Pomezia
Not to be missed is the Solfatara di Pomezia, in the Riserva Naturale Decima Malafede, known since ancient times. Even the poet Virgil mentioned this magical site in the Book VII of the Aeneid, calling the red sulfured lake Albunea. The colour of the waters is due to the presence of algae and other substances.
Other noteworthy sites are the Bosco della Sughereta, the German Military Cemetery, (the second largest national cultural heritage site in Italy), the archaeological remains of the Roman Villa on Via Siviglia in Torvaianica, and the Santuario del Sol Indiges.
Not to missed is the Zoomarine Water Park, where young people and families will be able to enjoy lot of fun, shows and nature.
Torvicelli alla Pometina
A typical local recipe is the Torvicelli alla Pometina, a pasta dish with anchovies, pecorino cheese, and fresh tomatoes, which combines rural and seafood traditions.
The Pometina Summer Calendar includes plenty of concerts, open-air movies, theatre performances, festivals, and guided tours for all ages.