This wonderful square is the social and commercial center of Poggio Mirteto. In 1610 it saw the foundations for its future urban structure gradually expanded and modified, as the buildings raised by a floor due to the demographic growth. The urban definition evolved with the construction of the retaining wall towards Rio Sole and the road leveling dated 1893.
Martyrs of Freedom Square
Position
Piazza Martiri della Libertà
02047 Poggio Mirteto (RI)
Opening hours
Always open
Contacts
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This wonderful square is the social and commercial center of Poggio Mirteto. In 1610 it saw the foundations for its future urban structure gradually expanded and modified, as the buildings raised by a floor due to the demographic growth. The urban definition evolved with the construction of the retaining wall towards Rio Sole and the road leveling dated 1893.
The war memorial in the center of the square, inaugurated in August 9, 1926, is a work by Balestrieri. A memorial plaque tells the stay of Anita Garibaldi, who pregnant was hosted in the Lattanzi home. Garibaldi wanted to stay with his men at Valle Tonda-Rio Sole, where the small monument near the bus station was erected. An inscription remind the fallen in wars of citizens of Poggio with Garibaldi.
Other plaques commemorate the mortar shelling on civilians in 1944 and the fallen of II World War.
Where there is the newspaper kiosk today, the gallows were erected for the beheadings of the sentenced to death. The last execution took place in 1844, whit the death of Bartolomeo Di Pietro aged 28, and Giovanni Gerardi 25, convicted of killing a monk of Roccantica. The execution took place at the hands of the famous Executioner “Mastro Titta”.
On the facade of the house number 63, an interesting sundial saying: “NARDI posuit”, has been implanted in 1889 by Ercole Nardi, scholar and local historian.
Two of the main churches in the country overlook the square: the church of San Rocco and the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. From the square it is also possible to access the historic center of the town, commonly called “Poggio Vecchio“, where it will be possible to admire the Sala Farnese with the iconic Clock Tower, the Church of San Giovanni Battista and the Bishop’s Palace.
CURIOSITY
FAIELLA GLASWORKS
In the town of Poggio Mirteto,Going down Via S. Paolo, one arrives at Piazza della Vetreria, dominated by the tall chimney ;the first industrial glassworks in Italy for the production of glass sheets.
It was started on May 6, 1826, and as early as 1827 produced its first plates. For some time it also produced glasses and other trinkets, but then that branch of production was abandoned.
At peak activity it came to have about 120 workers. It was fed with silica sands from Sicily, and for some time sand from the sediments below Mount Soratte was also used.
It went into crisis in the early twentieth century and stopped operating shortly thereafter. Today it is completely dismantled, while originally the entire square was occupied by the factory buildings.