Introduction Fontana Liri (Italy)

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.