Introduction
Fontana Liri was born on the promontory of the mount of Santa Lucia, around
the year 1000. Its position, thanks to its meandering and arduous paths,
made the village safe for its inhabitants. Its name, which initially was just
Fontana, is derived from an ancient fountain situated in the lower part of the
town called "Fontana Abballo"1. The name of Fontana Liri was associated
with this town only in 1862 from the adjacent river. The birth of this village
started with the construction of the castle of Succorte, around which homes
were built for defensive purposes, as shown thanks to the fortified towers that
still exist. Through time, the village was initially the property of the Suevians,
then, in sequence, of the Papacy, of the Angevins, of the duchy of Sora and,
lastly, it fell in the hands of the Boncompagni. In the town, there are several
historically important churches, the church of Saint Stephen and Santa Croce
are the ones located in the village, whereas not far from it, the Sanctuary of
the Madonna of Loreto is surrounded by an evocative valley.
The explosives factory, now called the "Propellant Military Establishment", is
situated on the flat part of the territory of Fontana Liri, it was built around the
end of the XIX century due to the will of the Ministry of War existent at that
time, it certainly represents a fundamental part of the history of the town. Not
far from the explosives factory, the Solfatara Lake can be found, with its park
and its valuable sulphurous water.
A beautiful railway line surrounded by nature, with its picturesque galleries
and marvellous bridges made of stones, crosses the town.
Among the prestigious people from Fontana Liri that must be remembered,
there is the actor Marcello Mastroianni, the sculptor Umberto Mastroianni, the
chemist Nicola Parravano and the versatile contemporary artist Vincenzo
Bianchi.