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Lo Straccio in Itri: the quarter born on the Appian Way at the foot of the castle
Lo Straccio is one of the oldest quarters of Itri, in the southern Pontine area. Standing along the stretch of the via Appia (Appian Way) that passes by the foot of the medieval castle, it is one of the town’s original nuclei. The name most likely relates to the trading in cloth and rags that took place along the consular road. Abandoned after the fall of the Western Roman Empire — too exposed, too difficult to defend — the quarter was not repopulated until the Middle Ages.
History among its lanes
Today Lo Straccio preserves its medieval layout: narrow lanes, stone houses built one against the other, steep steps climbing towards the castle. It is one of the most characterful areas of Itri, alongside the neighbourhoods of Sant'Angelo, San Gennaro and Madonna delle Grazie. Here, as in the rest of the old town, the architecture betrays the passage of successive influences: Roman, Lombard, Norman, Angevin. Porta Mamurra, the main gateway into the old city, lies a few steps away.
The bonfire of 19 March
Every year, for the feast of St Joseph, Lo Straccio takes part in the Fuochi di San Giuseppe — a centuries-old tradition celebrating the end of winter, with bonfires lit in every quarter. Each neighbourhood prepares its own fire, offers food tastings — in the case of Lo Straccio, the traditional zeppolata — and welcomes folk music groups. This silent contest to see who builds the tallest bonfire has been staged for generations.
