Bracciano

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Bracciano is a town and commune located north-west of Rome, Italy, famous for its lake of volcanic origin (Lago di Bracciano or "Sabatino") and its medieval castle.

The town is a popular tourist destination for Italians as it is situated on the volcanic Lake Bracciano. Lake Bracciano is widely used for sailing and other watersports.

The main economic activities are: tourism, services and agriculture.

History

There are no certain informations about the origins of Bracciano. It probably rose from one of the numerous towers built in the 10th century as a defence against the Saracen attacks, as implied by the ancient name of Castrum Brachiani. In the 11th the neighbouring territory was acquired by the Prefetti di Vico family, who turned the tower into a castle. The area was later acquired by the Roman hospital of Santo Spirito in Sassia and, from 1375, was a Papal possession.

In 1419 Pope Martin V gave the fief of Bracciano to the Orsini family branch of Tagliacozzo. Under this powerful family the city developed into a flourishing town, famous in the whole Italy for its castle. The latter was enlarged, starting from 1470, by Napoleone Orsini and his son Virginio. In 1481 it housed Pope Sixtus IV, who had fled from the plague in Rome. Four years later, however, the city and the castle were ravaged by Papal troops under Prospero Colonna, and subsequently a new line of walls was built.

In 1494 Charles VIII of France and his troops marching against Rome stopped at Bracciano. This act led to the excommunication of the Orsini, and in 1496 the city was sieged by a Papal army: though it resisted. The 16th century was a period of splendour for Bracciano. In 1560 Paolo Giordano I Orsini, marrying Isabella de' Medici, received the title of duke. The economy was boosted by the exploitation of sulphur and iron, the production of tapestries and paper. The latter was favoured by the construction of an aqueduct whose ruins can be still seen in the city. Bracciano in this period had some 4,500 inhabitants.

However, the expensive tenor of life of the Orsini eventually damaged the economic conditions of the city. The Last great ruler was probably Paolo Giordano II, a patron of arts and literature which made Bracciano a center of culture in Italy. The decline culminated in 1696 with the cession of the fief to the Odescalchi family, who still detain the castle.

Main sights

• The main monument of Bracciano is of course its castle, one of the most noteworthy examples of Renaissance military architecture in Italy.

• 3 km outside the city, alongside the road leading to Trevignano Romano, is the ancient church of San Liberato (9th century). It occupies what was once the Roman settlement of Forum Clodii, now surrounded by a botanical garden.

• On the same road are the ruins of the Aquae Apollinaris, a complex of baths famous in the Roman age.

• At Vigna di Valle, facing the lake, an ancient hydroplane base houses today the museum of the Aeronautica Militare Italiana. The show include most of the historical Italian military aircraft, including famous planes such as the MC. 202, the Supermarine Spitfire, the Savoia Marchetti S.79, the F-104 Starfighter and the Panavia Tornado.

See also

• Orsini
• Lake of Bracciano

 

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