Atina, Lazio

Atina
Comune
Comune di Atina
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Coat of arms
Atina Location of Atina in Italy
Coordinates:
Country	Italy
Region	Lazio
Province / Metropolitan city	Frosinone (FR)
Frazioni	Capo di China, Colle Alto, Colle Melfa, Le Sode, Ponte Melfa, Rosanisco, Sabina, San Marciano, Settignano
Government
• Mayor	Silvio Mancini
Area
• Total	490 km2 (190 sq mi)
Population (2007)
• Total	4,480
• Density	9.1/km2 (24/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	03042
Dialing code	0776
Patron saint	San Marco Galileo
Saint day	October 1
Website	www.comune.atina.fr.it

Atina is a town and comune in the province of Frosinone, Lazio region of central Italy.

The economy is mostly based on agriculture (olive oil, wine – including Cabernet – and beans).

History

Atina was a town of the Samnites, later conquered by the Romans.

File:Atina - San Marco.JPG

The church of San Marco with the annexed Roman ruins

Cicero speaks of it as a prosperous country town, which had not as yet fallen into the hands of large proprietors; and inscriptions show that in the Imperial age it was still flourishing.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, it was conquered by the Lombards, becoming part of the Duchy of Benevento in 702. Later it was ruled by the lords of Capua, the counts of the Marsi and those of Aquino, and, together with of most of the Comino Valley of the County (later Duchy) of Alvito. It remained part of the Kingdom of Naples until 1860.

Once a part of the Terra di Lavoro province, it was included in the province of Frosinone in 1929.

Main sights

The walls, of carefully worked polygonal blocks of stone, are still preserved in parts, and the modern town does not fill the whole area which they enclose. One of these last is a boundary stone relating to the assignation of lands in the time of the Gracchi, of which six other examples have been found in Campania and Basilicata.

Other sights include:

• The Gothic Ducal Palace was built in 1349 by Rostaino Cantelmo. The façade has three mullioned windows and an ogival portal with an ancient Roman relief. The "Noble Floor" has a mosaic from the 2nd century BCE.
• The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, in Baroque style, was first erected in the 11th century on the remains of a temple dedicated to Saturn. The current Baroque style dates back to the 18th century. It has a nave, two aisles, and frescoes of St. John the Baptist, St. Thomas Aquinas and the Transfiguration painted by Teodoro Mancini (1796–1868).
• The Convent of St. Francis (17th century), held by Franciscan monks until 1865, when it was abandoned. In 1871, it became property of the municipality of Atina.

Atina DOC

The alluvial marl vineyard soils around the ancient boundaries of Atina are home to a Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) zone specializing in red wines. The standard DOC red wine of Atina is composed of 50–70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10–30% each of Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet franc with other local red grape varieties such as Abbuoto permitted to make up to 15% of the blend. Wines labeled as Cabernet are composed of at least 85% of Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Cabernet franc. Grapes destined for DOC wine production must be harvested to a yield no greater than 12 tonnes/hectare with the finished wines needing to attain a minimum alcohol level of at least 12%. A separate Riserva bottling can be made of any DOC wine provided the wines have a minimum alcohol level of 12.5% and are aged at least two years prior to release.