The municipality of Atina is remembered by the eminent Latin poet Virgil as Atina potens, one of the five cities of Lazio allied against Aeneas. According to legend, Atina was founded by Saturn who came to Latium and started the Golden Age, founding five large and flourishing cities.
Palazzo Ducale dei Cantelmo and piazza Saturno – www.comune.atina.fr.it
In the historical town centre of Atina, some ruins of ancient polygonal walls and Roman tombs can be found. Several Roman inscriptions can be found incorporated in the buildings of the old town. The impressive Palazzo Ducale dei Cantelmo occupies a large part of Piazza Saturno and today houses the Atina Town Hall.
Palazzo Ducale Cantelmo – retedimorestorichelazio.it
Built starting in 1350, the Palazzo Ducale Cantelmo is in the Gothic style. It served as the residence of the Cantelmo family from the mid-1300s to the mid-1400s. In 1655, the reception hall was converted into a theater. The last theatrical performance took place in 1939, but it continued to operate as a movie theater. Today, the Palazzo Ducale Cantelmo is one of the Historic Residences of Lazio, hosting exhibitions, conferences, and events.
Atina – Instagram Domenico Capodanno @visit_atina
Atina was destroyed twice, first by the Lombards and then by the earthquake of 1349. Today, Atina is among the ‘Borghi più Belli d’Italia‘ (Italy’s Most Beautiful Villages) and an Orange Flag village, a prestigious recognition awarded by the Italian Touring Club for the quality of tourism-environmental development. Places full of history can be visited here, including the 18th-century co-cathedral, known as the Parrocchiale dell’Assunta, which houses a wooden baptistery from the Baroque period.
Palazzo Visocchi – retedimorestorichelazio.it
The 18th-century Palazzo Visocchi features a distinctive T-shaped layout and is built in the Neoclassical style. The private chapel, complete with a choir loft and dedicated to Our Lady of Loreto, is open to the public during the celebrations for Our Lady of Loreto and Corpus Christi.
Palazzo Visocchi, interni – retedimorestorichelazio.it
The dining room is lined with a rare example of “French” wallpaper, produced in the early 19th century at the Lefevre Paper Mill in Isola del Liri.
Casa Museo Academie Vitti – Facebook @Museo-Académie-Vitti
Very interesting is the Académie Vitti Museum , established in 2013 and housed in the Atina residence that has belonged to the Caira-Vitti family since their return from France. The museum preserves and passes on the cultural and historical heritage and materials of the Académie Vitti, one of the most vibrant private art ateliers in Paris until 1914.
Photographs, postcards, nude drawings mostly made on charcoal paper, and sketches document the events of the private painting schools in Paris at a crucial historical moment for modern art, namely the end of the 19th century and the first two decades of the 20th century.
Museo archeologico di Atina e della Valle di Comino Giuseppe Visocchi
The Archaeological Museum of Atina and the Valle di Comino ‘G. Visocchi’ preserves inscriptions, pre-Roman and Roman ceramics, mosaics, tombs and frescoes. The museum is located near the Municipal Park, a true botanical garden where you can hike along the Madonnella trail to enjoy a spectacular view of the entire valley.
Former Convent of the Observant Friar Minor – retedimorestorichelazio.it
At the edge of the park stands the former Convent of the Observant Friars Minor, a 17th-century Historic Residence in Lazio flanked by the Church of San Francesco. Following its restoration in 1984, one floor served as a branch office of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage until 2019.
Cannellino e Cabernet di Atina
Among the typical local products, there is Cabernet Atina Doc, a wine with an intense ruby red colour, characterised by a striking bouquet. Then there is the ‘Fagiolo Cannellino Bianco di Atina Dop’ (Atina Cannellino Bean), cooked in the characteristic ‘Pignata’. Typical dishes also include Pappafuocchie or Faffuocchie, a dough of water and flour rolled out with a rolling pin (gl’ mattariegl’), cut into strips and mixed with Atina Cannellino Bean.