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Villa Placitelli in Fondi: from Roman sanctuary to 19th-century villa
On this hill, which the people of Fondi call Montevago or Colle delle Monache, a Roman sanctuary, a medieval convent, and a 19th-century villa were built one on top of the other. This historical stratification is today preserved within the Villa Placitelli complex, managed by the Monti Ausoni and Lake Fondi Regional Natural Park.
The temple, the convent, and the destruction of 1534
The polygonal masonry (opus polygonale) terracing on the hilltop likely dates back to the 1st century BC, and once housed what sources identify as the "Temple of Isis," although the archaeologist Quilici has noted that this attribution remains hypothetical. Between the 5th and 6th centuries AD, a proto-Benedictine cenobium (monastery) was established upon the ruins. It endured until 1534, when the pirates of Hayreddin Barbarossa attacked Fondi in an attempt to kidnap Giulia Gonzaga. The raid failed, but the convent was set on fire, and the monastic community was dispersed.
What to see today
The 25-hectare estate includes a citrus grove (with oranges, lemons, and clementines), an olive grove, an external chapel, and the villa itself. The ground floor includes educational spaces and a library dedicated to the Monti Ausoni Park, while the first floor boasts a turret (or small tower) with panoramic windows used as a scenic lookout.
