Sora, Lazio

Sora
Comune
Comune di Sora
Panoramic view Panoramic view
Sora within the Province of Frosinone Sora within the Province of Frosinone
Country	Italy
Region	Lazio
Province / Metropolitan city	Frosinone (FR)
Frazioni	Carnello
Government
• Mayor	Roberto De Donatis (Forza Nuova)
Area
• Total	71 km2 (27 sq mi)
Elevation	300 m (1,000 ft)
Population (2014)
• Total	28,500
• Density	400/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Sorani
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	03039
Dialing code	0776
Patron saint	Santa Restituta
Saint day	May 27

Sora (Italian pronunciation: [ˈsɔːra]) is a town and comune of Lazio, Italy, in the province of Frosinone. It is built in a plain on the banks of the Liri. This part of the valley is the seat of some important manufactures, especially of paper-mills. The area around Sora is famous for the costumes of its peasants.

History

See also: Duchy of Sora

Sora, an ancient Volscian town, was thrice captured by the Romans, in 345, 314 and 305 BC, before they managed, in 303, by means of a colony 4,000 strong, to confirm its annexation. In 209 it was one of the colonies which refused further contributions to the war against Hannibal. By the lex Julia it became a municipium, but under Augustus it was colonized by soldiers of the legio IV Sorana, which had been mainly enrolled there. It belonged technically to Latium adiectum.

The city and the ducal palace in 1604.

Located in the Ducatus Romanus under the authority of the pope during the early Dark Ages, it was captured by the Lombards of Gisulf I of Benevento in 705.

The castle of Sorella, built on the rocky height above the town, was in the Middle Ages a stronghold of some note. In 1443 King Alfonso of Naples made Sora the seat of an independent Duchy for the Cantelmi; it was afterwards seized by Pope Pius II, but, being restored to the Cantelmi by Pope Sixtus IV, it ultimately passed to the Della Rovere of Urbino. Against Caesar Borgia the city was heroically defended by Giovanni da Montefeltro. It was purchased by Pope Gregory XIII for 11,000 ducats and bestowed under the suzerainty of Gregory's son, Giacomo Boncompagni (who was the first duke of Sora of the family).

Geography

The distance from Sora to centre of Rome is 115 km, heading In the opposite direction the downtown area of Naples is 138 km from Sora.

The municipality, located next to Abruzzo, borders with Arpino, Balsorano (AQ), Broccostella, Campoli Appennino, Castelliri, Isola del Liri, Monte San Giovanni Campano, Pescosolido and Veroli.

Main sights

The original cathedral, consecrated by Pope Adrian IV in 1155, was destroyed by the earthquake of 1634.

Above the town on a precipitous rock, elevation 540 metres (1,770 ft), that guards the Liri's valley and the entrance to the Abruzzi are remains of polygonal walls; here, possibly, was the citadel of the original Volscian town. There are also remains of medieval fortifications.

Among the churches in town are:

• Sanctuary of the Madonna della Figura.
• San Silvestro Papa

Notable people

• Caesar Baronius
• Luca Brandolini
• Ludovico Camangi
• Vittorio Cristini
• Alfredo De Gasperis
• Vittorio De Sica
• Enzo Di Pede
• Tony Evangelista
• Filippo Iannone
• Lucius Mummius
• Stefano Pescosolido
• Giulio Polerio
• Quintus Valerius Soranus
• Anna Tatangelo
• Zappacosta
• Davide Zappacosta

Twin towns

• Vaughan, Ontario, Canada
• Athis-Mons, France

Gallery

• 

  Cathedral

• 

  Justice Palace

• 

  St. Dominik Abbey

• 

  A view of Sora

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: 

External links

• (Italian) Sora city homepage