| This town stands on a hill in the northern
area of the Colli Albani, covering the territory which once was
of the ancient Tusculum. Its name is due to two important persons,
which had some properties in this zone: Cato the Censor and Cato
l'Uticense. In a written statement for a donation made by
the Conti di Tuscolo in 1068, it is mentioned for the first time
as ‘Monte Porculo'. Nel 12th century it belonged to
the monastery of San Paolo and it was referred to as ‘Castrus
Montis Porcis'. At the end of the 14th century this village
almost abandoned was property of the Annibaldi, a noble family
that probably built a new enclosure wall. During the following
years, the rapid depopulation of this area caused its decline,
and the village consisted only of the enclosure wall and a tower.
Gregorio XIII (1572-1585) in 1579 ordered the construction of
a church; for this town began a new period.
In 1581 Monte Porzio Catone was bought by the cardinal Marco
Sitico Altemps. In 1613 it belonged to the cardinal Scipione
Borghese, who strengthened the centre of the village and its
surroundings. In 1872, when the village was annexed to the Reign
of Italy, it was added the name ‘Catone' to distinguish
it from another Monte Porzio in the Marches. Coming from Frascati,
while reaching Monte Porzio Catone it is possible to see on
the right the ruins and the terraces of the villa of Matidia
Augusta, mother-in-law of the emperor Adriano; over this site
at the end of the second world war it was built the astronomical
observatory, that because the high level of luminosity during
night, never functioned. In its interior there is a collection
of optical instruments and astronomical tables made by A. Kirche
in 1636.
It is worth mentioning the historical centre of Monte Porzio
Catone. This agglomerate of buildings without enclosure wall
originate from a previous defensive structure, that however
has not left any marks. The system of the internal streets on
the axis gathering the cathedral with the Borghese Palace is
a sort of trident structure (three parallel streets), typical
of the Baroque, that also characterizes the town of Albano and
Genzano. The Palace Ricci-Moscatelli built in the 18th century,
the Palace Statuti, and the ruins of the summer palace of the
English college are also very interesting.
From the square in front of the Borghese Palace, decorated
with a fountain and many ilexes it is possible to see the panorama
of the valley underneath, surrounded by the Monti Tiburtini
and by the Monti Prenestini. Within the territory of the town
it is possible to see the wonderful villas and their gardens
built in the past by noble families such as: Villa Vecchia,
Villa Mondragone, Villa Taverna – Borghese – Parisi,
belonging to the Ville Tuscolane.
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