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The Polygonal Walls of Canterano: in the Aniene Valley, walls that have stood for 3,000 years
The polygonal walls of Canterano, also known as Pelasgian walls, are the oldest polygonal structures in the Aniene Valley. Large stone blocks fitted together without mortar, on a panoramic hilltop along the provincial road that climbs up to the village. They were built — it is believed — by the mysterious Pelasgian people, who arrived from the Peloponnese more than 3,000 years ago.
A technique that has stood the test of time
The boulders served as foundations to overcome the terrain's elevation changes, and were used for building Roman villas or defensive outposts. The technique is simple and brutal: enormous stones, no binding material, only weight and clever interlocking to hold them together. And after 3,000 years, they are still standing.
The Pelasgians and the coat of arms with a ship
The Pelasgians came from the Peloponnese, and merged with the local populations of Lazio. On Canterano's coat of arms there is a ship with unfurled sails — perhaps a reminder of that arrival from the sea. No one knows for certain, but perhaps it is not mere coincidence.
Practical information
The walls can be reached from the main road, the SP47a, in the Municipality of Canterano.
