Poggio Mirteto is a (municipality) is situated in the Tiber Valley Central Italian region of Latium. Administratively Poggio Mirteto is in the province of Rieti (formerly part of the province of Perugia) and geographically this municipality is about northeast of Rome and about southwest of Rieti.
According to Giuseppe Marocco's 1833 book the name Poggio Mirteto means the "knoll with plenty of Myrtus plants" because in its territory there would be plenty of Myrtus plants (called mirto in Italian, which is where the adjective mirteto comes from) and the old town was built on a knoll which in Italian is translated with the toponym Poggio.
Poggio Mirteto's cathedral, formerly seat of its own bishops, became the episcopal see of the Bishop of the Suburbicarian Diocese of Sabina-Poggio Mirteto.
History
A Roman villa called "Bagni di Lucilla" is nearby in the suburb of San Valentino. A famous mosaic discovered ther can be seen in the Vatican Museums in Rome.
Poggio Mirteto was founded in the early 13th century in an area around some earlier small castles: previously in this area there had been some old Roman villas. Later the town became part of Papal States.
On 6 and 7 July 1849 Giuseppe Garibaldi, during his retreat from Rome with about 4,000 troops and his wife Anita, stopped in Poggio Mirteto: in Poggio Mirteto's main square there is a commemorative plaque in the building where Anita, who was pregnant, stayed during these days.
In the end of the year 1860, similarly to other Papal States territories, Poggio Mirteto joined the Kingdom of Sardinia during the fast events which arranged the making of the Kingdom of Italy that happened in the next year. The then Special Commissioner for the Province of Umbria of the Kingdom of Sardinia, Gioacchino Napoleone Pepoli, created by decree the Province of Umbriaon 15 December 1860, merging the previous Districts of Perugia, Spoleto, Orvieto, Foligno, Terni and the one of Rieti; therefore Poggio Mirteto, which was in the Rieti District, was included in this new Province.
Since 27 January 1927, Poggio Mirteto has been part of the Province of Rieti which was established in the same year by Decree.
During World War II, Poggio Mirteto has been theatre of some episodes of the fight against the German occupation by the Partisans, on Monte Tancia, the Monte Tancia massacre took place, during the Nazi-fascist roundup. Afterwards, the Nazi bombings against civilian populations, in the square of Poggio Mirteto, during the Nazi retreat.
Geography
The city center is situated on a hill, which is around 250 meters above the sea level, by the left bank of the river Tevere in a fertile region, where pot-herbs, cereals, grapes and pastures are cultivated. Olive plantation is the most typical product of the Poggio Mirteto's agriculture and its extra virgin olive oil has the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) like all the extra virgin olive oil produced in Sabina.
The municipality of Poggio Mirteto, other than the city center, comprises the following hamlets (subdivisions, mainly villages), in Italian "frazioni": Poggio Mirteto Scalo, San Valentino, San Luigi, La Misericordia, Castel San Pietro.
The biggest hamlet is Poggio Mirteto Scalo which has grown around the railway station, this hamlet is far from the city center around six kilometres, while Castel San Pietro is an enclave because its territory is not connected with the other territory of the municipality.
Poggio Mirteto borders one another the following municipalities: Poggio Catino, Montopoli di Sabina, Torrita Tiberina, Cantalupo in Sabina and Salisano.
The Farfa Abbey is in the municipality of Fara Sabina, border with Montopoli near Poggio Mirteto.
Transportation
Poggio Mirteto is directly linked with Rome, Fiumicino Aeroporto railway station, Orte and other Lazio's towns through the railway FR1. The railway station is far from the city center around six kilometres.
The main road in the municipality territory it is the road SS 79 "Ternana" which is part of the connection between Terni to Rieti.