On the highest summit of Arpino, at about 650 meters above sea level, stands the majestic Acropolis of Civitavecchia, also known as Civitavecchia di Arpino, one of the most extraordinary examples of megalithic architecture in southern Latium and the authentic archaic heart of the village. Shrouded in a halo of history and legend, Civitas Vetus is the primitive nucleus of the Volscian settlement, built in pre-Roman times for defensive reasons on a naturally protected rocky outcrop.
The Acropolis is surrounded by polygonal walls- improperly called “cyclopean”-made of huge blocks of Pleistocene puddinga perfectly fitted together without the use of mortar. This type of masonry, which reaches considerable thicknesses and heights, originally developed for about 3 km; today about half of it is preserved, partly incorporated into more recent constructions.
A unique element in the Italian archaeological scene is the pointed arch, an ogival doorway more than 4 meters high, dating from the 7th-6th centuries B.C., which recalls Mycenaean construction techniques and represents a unicum throughout the Mediterranean. This gateway, a true symbol of Arpinate antiquity, still constitutes the main access to the Acropolis, flanked by towers, ramparts and medieval walls later added.
Towering over the fortress is the so-called Tower of Cicero, a quadrangular stone tower built in late Norman or Swabian times, mistakenly believed in the past to be linked to the family of the great Roman orator. The tower was the centerpiece of the medieval defense system, with moats, patrol paths and a reinforced city wall. Today it can be visited and offers a breathtaking view of the Liri Valley, the surrounding hills and the entire town of Arpino.
Inside the Acropolis are also the small panoramic belvedere, the 18th-century Church of the Holy Trinity, also known as the Church of the Crucifix, built by Cardinal Giuseppe Pesce, and the Church of San Vito, with works by Cavalier d’Arpino and the Tyrolean Michele Stolz.
The archaeological area of Civitavecchia is not only a place of stone, but a living fragment of Latium’s most remote history: an interweaving of myths, battles, civilization and faith, still capable of thrilling those who walk through its ancient paving stones and the solemn silence of the centuries. The Acropolis of Arpino is an identity monument, guardian of the origins and glories of the village that gave birth to Cicero, and one of the most fascinating sites in all of Ciociaria.