| The history of the town is strictly
linked with that of the Annibaldi's fortress. Its location
and its ruins are a summary of Rocca di Papa's history.
It was placed in a strategic area on the northern side of the
hill and on the way leading to the Volsci villages.
The village originated in a place sheltered by the fortress
and probably it consisted only of the Bavaresi quarter in the
highest part of the hill. Its articulated and continuous structure
of streets linked to the place's characteristics reveals
its medieval origin.
Till the end of the 1600 the history of its transformation
is featured by the presence of several noble families: the Annibaldi,
the Colonna, the Borgia. In the Cadastre Alessandrino of 1659,
the town has already his fortress and it is well developed.
During this period, the growth and stabilization of the town
can be compared with the slow increase in population, following
the logic of the previous settlements, i.e. the construction
of buildings along the slopes characterized by regular structures
and a rich articulation of public space. The Assunta church
is an example of this process. It was built in 1664, it was
destroyed by an earthquake in 1806 and rebuilt in 1816.
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