Portus was a large artificial harbour of Ancient Rome located at the mouth of the Tiber on the Tyrrhenian Sea . It was established by Claudius and enlarged by Trajan to supplement the nearby port of Ostia .
48-597: The archaeological remains of Portus are near the modern-day village of Porto within the comune of Fiumicino , Lazio , just southwest of Rome . Ancient Rome 's original port was Ostia located at the mouth of the Tiber on the Tyrrhenian Sea . The Tiber splits into two streams at its mouth, roughly 1 mile before reaching the Tyrrhenian, with Ostia situated on the larger southern stream. Emperor Claudius constructed
96-496: A building usually called the municipio , or palazzo comunale ( lit. ' town hall ' ). As of January 2021, there were 7,904 comuni in Italy; they vary considerably in size and population. For example, the comune of Rome , in Lazio , has an area of 1,287.36 km (497.05 sq mi) and a population of 2,758,454 inhabitants, and is both the largest and
144-813: A comune as rione ( Italian: [riˈoːne] ; pl. : rioni ) or contrade . The term originated from the administrative divisions of Rome, and is derived from the Latin word regio ( pl. : regiones ), meaning "region". All currently extant rioni are located in Municipio I of Rome. The term has been adopted as a synonym of quartiere in the Italian comuni . Terzieri , quartieri , sestieri , rioni , and their analogues are usually no longer administrative divisions of these towns, but historical and traditional communities, seen especially in towns' annual Palio . A terziere ( pl. : terzieri )
192-561: A number of ancient inscriptions from the site. On the island Isola Sacra just opposite is the church of S. Ippolito , built on the site of a Roman building, with a picturesque medieval campanile (13th century ?), as well as the Isola Sacra Necropolis . 3.2 km (2 mi) to the west is the modern village of Fiumicino at the mouth of the right arm of the Tiber, which is 34 km (21 mi) west-southwest by rail from Rome. It
240-559: A see unto itself with a certain allegiance to the See of Rome. The idea of a see as a sovereign entity is somewhat complicated due to the existence of the twenty-three Particular Eastern Catholic Churches . Both the Western Church and its Eastern Catholic counterparts reserve some level of autonomy, yet each also is subdivided into smaller sees (dioceses and archdioceses). The episcopal see of the Pope ,
288-526: A separate ruler, through the arbitration of Venice, which were known as sestieri . The island of Crete , a Venetian colony (the Kingdom of Candia ) from the Fourth Crusade , was also divided into six parts, named after the sestieri of Venice herself, while the capital Candia retained the status of a comune of Venice. The island of Burano north of Venice is also subdivided into sestieri . A variation of
336-599: A synonymous of neighbourhood, and an Italian town can be now subdivided into a larger number of quartieri . The Swiss town of Lugano (in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino) is also subdivided into quarters. The English word quarter to mean an urban neighbourhood (e.g. the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana) is derived from the cognate old French word quartier . A sestiere ( pl. : sestieri )
384-401: Is a frazione , or portion of the commune of Rome. 5 km (3 mi) to the north is the pumping station by which the lowland, formerly called Stagno di Maccarese , now reclaimed and traversed by many drainage canals, between there and Maccarese is kept drained Bonifica di Maccarese . The site can still be fairly clearly traced in the low ground to the east of Fiumicino. The lighthouse
432-470: Is a list of the largest comuni in Italy, in descending order of surface area, according to ISTAT data referring to 9 October 2011. The provincial capitals are highlighted in bold. The following is a list of the smallest comuni in Italy, in ascending order of surface area, according to ISTAT data referring to 9 October 2011. The following is a list of the first comuni by altitude, in descending order. The indicated altitude coincides with
480-454: Is a subdivision of certain Italian towns and cities. The word is from sesto ( lit. ' sixth ' ), so it is thus used only for towns divided into six districts. The best-known example is the sestieri of Venice , but Ascoli Piceno , Genoa , Milan and Rapallo , for example, were also divided into sestieri . The medieval Lordship of Negroponte , on the island of Euboea , was also at times divided into six districts, each with
528-592: Is a subdivision of several towns in Italy . The word derives from terzo ( lit. ' third ' ) and is thus used only for towns divided into three neighborhoods. Terzieri are most commonly found in Umbria , for example in Trevi , Spello , Narni and Città della Pieve ; towns divided into terzieri in other regions include Lucca in Tuscany , and Ancona and Macerata in
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#1732844354043576-700: Is granted to comuni that have been awarded it by decree of the King of Italy (until 1946) or of the provisional head of state (from 1946 to 1948) or, subsequently, of the President of the Republic (after 1948), on the proposal of the Ministry of the Interior , to which the comune concerned sends an application for a concession, by virtue of their historical, artistic, civic or demographic importance. The comuni endowed with
624-518: Is represented on coins, mosaics, bas-reliefs such as the Torlonia Harbor Relief. The harbour is generally supposed to have been protected by two moles with a breakwater in front, on which stood the lighthouse, with an entrance on each side of it. Trial soundings made in 1907 showed that the course of the right-hand mole is represented by a low sand-hill, while the central breakwater was only some 170 m long, and probably divided from each of
672-411: The frazioni , but the comune still retains the name of the capoluogo . In some cases, a comune might not have the same name of capoluogo . In these cases, it is a comune sparso ( lit. ' dispersed comune ' ) and the frazione which hosts the town hall ( municipio ) is a sede municipale (compare county seat ). Some towns refer to neighborhoods within
720-480: The Marches . The medieval Lordship of Negroponte , on the island of Euboea , was also divided into three distinct rulerships, which were known as terzieri . A quartiere ( Italian: [kwarˈtjɛːre] ; pl. : quartieri ) is a territorial subdivision, properly used, for towns divided into four neighborhoods ( quarto ; lit. ' fourth ' ) by the two main roads. It has been later used as
768-605: The plain . An older road, the Via Campana , ran along the foot of the hills, following the right bank of the Tiber. It passed the grove of the Arval Brothers at the sixth mile, to the Campus salinarum romanarum , the saltmarsh on the right bank from which it derived its name. In AD 103, Trajan constructed another harbour farther inland — a hexagonal basin enclosing an area of 39 hectares (97 acres). It communicated by canals with
816-622: The province of Isernia has 81,415 inhabitants in 52 comuni , or 1,640 inhabitants per comune – roughly 24 times more communal units per inhabitant. The coats of arms of the comuni are assigned by decree of the Prime Minister of Italy by the Office of State Ceremonial and Honors, Honors and Heraldry Service (division of the Presidency of the Council born from the transformation of
864-511: The spina of the Circus of Caligula . The harbour opened directly to the sea on the northwest and communicated with the Tiber by a channel on the southeast. The goal was to obtain protection from the prevalent southwest wind, to which the river mouth was exposed. Though Claudius, in the inscription which he erected in AD 46, stated that he had freed the city of Rome from the danger of inundation , his work
912-621: The Bishop of Rome, is known as "the Holy See " or "the Apostolic See ", claiming papal supremacy . The Eastern Orthodox Church views all bishops as sacramentally equal, and in principle holding equal authority, each over his own see. Certain bishops may be granted additional administrative duties over wider regions (as in the idea of the Pentarchy ), but these powers are limited and never extend over
960-637: The Fosse Traiana and pointed south. For some 400 years, from the late second century AD into the fifth and sixth centuries, this 100- yard -wide (90 meter ) canal was used to ship goods from all over the Empire to Rome. By means of these works Portus captured the main share of the harbour traffic of Rome. Though the importance of Ostia did not immediately decrease, Portus was already an episcopal see in Constantine 's time not very long, if at all, after Ostia, and as
1008-544: The Royal Consulta Araldica , eliminated pursuant to the provisions final of the Constitution of Italy ). Administrative subdivisions within comuni vary according to their population size. Comuni with at least 250,000 residents are divided into circoscrizioni (roughly equivalent to French arrondissements or London boroughs ) to which the comune delegates administrative functions like
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#17328443540431056-592: The ancient settlement and the medieval Porto began in the 4th century AD, when Constantine had a line of walls built. Ostia, just opposite on the left bank of the Tiber, was increasingly depopulated after Vandal and Saracen attacks. Porto was the main port on the Tyrrhenian Sea until the 6th century AD. Later it decayed, but maintained some importance as the episcopal see which, from 313, was made independent from that in Ostia . Ostia and Porto both were chosen to be amongst
1104-538: The autonomous region of the Aosta Valley , a comune is officially called a commune in French. The comune provides essential public services: registry of births and deaths, registry of deeds , and maintenance of local roads and public works. Many comuni have a Polizia Comunale ( lit. ' Communal Police ' ), which is responsible for public order duties. The comune also deal with
1152-527: The bishop's cathedral , from Latin ecclesia cathedralis , meaning the 'church of the cathedra '. The word throne is also used, especially in the Eastern Orthodox Church , both for the chair and for the area of ecclesiastical jurisdiction. The term see is also used of the town where the cathedral or the bishop's residence is located. Within Catholicism, each diocese is considered to be
1200-514: The capital of the province of Reggio Emilia , in the Emilia-Romagna region, and Reggio di Calabria , the capital of the homonymous metropolitan city , in the Calabria region. Many other towns or villages are likewise partial homonyms (e.g. Anzola dell'Emilia and Anzola d'Ossola , or Bagnara Calabra and Bagnara di Romagna ). The title of città ( lit. ' city ' ) in Italy
1248-416: The coalition of the elected mayor (who needs a relative majority or an absolute majority in the first or second round of voting, depending on the population) gains three fifths of the consiglio 's seats. The giunta comunale is chaired by the mayor, who appoints others members, called assessori , one of whom serves as deputy mayor ( vicesindaco ). The offices of the comune are housed in
1296-459: The definition and compliance with the piano regolatore generale ( lit. ' general regulator plan ' ), a document that regulates the building activity within the communal area. All communal structures or schools, sports and cultural structures such as communal libraries, theaters, etc. are managed by the comuni . Comuni must have their own communal statute and have a climatic and seismic classification of their territory for
1344-545: The entire Church. Thus, the Eastern Orthodox oppose the idea of papal supremacy or any similar supremacy by any one bishop. The United Methodist Church is divided into Annual Conferences , each one of which is presided over by a resident bishop, who is bishop of a named Episcopal Area , or See city. This is usually the Annual Conference's largest, or sometimes most centrally located, city. Annual Conferences are
1392-735: The fineness of the brickwork of which they are built is remarkable. Portus was the main port of ancient Rome for more than 500 years and provided a conduit for everything from glass , ceramics , marble and slaves to wild animals caught in Africa and shipped to Rome for spectacles in the Colosseum . In 2010, "one of the biggest canals ever built by the Romans" was discovered in Portus, in an ancient port increasingly being seen as important as Carthage or Alexandria . It connected Portus with Ostia. It connected to
1440-438: The first harbour on the Portus site, 4 km ( 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 mi) north of Ostia, enclosing an area of 250 hectares (617 acres ), with two long curving moles projecting into the sea, and an artificial island , bearing a lighthouse , in the centre of the space between them. The foundation of this lighthouse was provided by filling one of the massive obelisk ships , used to transport an obelisk from Egypt to adorn
1488-410: The geographical significance of the term, making it synonymous with diocese . The word see is derived from Latin sedes , which in its original or proper sense denotes the seat or chair that, in the case of a bishop, is the earliest symbol of the bishop's authority. This symbolic chair is also known as the bishop's cathedra . The church in which it is placed is for that reason called
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1536-424: The harbour of Claudius, with the Tiber directly, and with the sea, the last now forming the navigable arm of the Tiber, reopened for traffic by Gregory XIII and again by Paul V . The new canal bore the name Fossa trajana , though its origin is undoubtedly due to Claudius. The basin itself is still preserved, and is now a reedy lagoon . It was surrounded by extensive warehouses , remains of which may still be seen:
1584-534: The height above sea level of the town hall. List of the first comuni by population in descending order, according to ISTAT data updated to 28 February 2022. The regional capitals are in bold. The data is updated as of 1 January 2021. The data is updated as of 1 January 2021. Episcopal see An episcopal see is, in a practical use of the phrase, the area of a bishop 's ecclesiastical jurisdiction . Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of
1632-421: The most populated. Atrani in the province of Salerno ( Campania ) was the smallest comune by area, with only 0.1206 km (0.0466 sq mi), and Morterone ( Lombardy ) is the smallest by population. Many present-day comuni trace their roots along timescales spanning centuries and at times millennia. The northernmost comune is Predoi , the southernmost one Lampedusa e Linosa ,
1680-472: The north-west side of the harbour. Many other remains of buildings exist. They were more easily traceable in the 16th century when Pirro Ligorio and Antonio Labacco made plans of the harbour. Considerable excavations were carried out in 1868, but with the idea of recovering works of art and antiquities. The plan and description given by Rodolfo Lanciani ( Annali del institute , 1868, 144 sqq.) were made under unfavourable circumstances. The division between
1728-558: The only harbour in the time of the Gothic wars . Its abandonment dates from the partial silting up of the right arm of the Tiber in the Middle Ages , which restored to Ostia what little traffic was left. To the west of the harbour is the cathedral of Saint Rufina , 10th century, but modernized except for the campanile , and the episcopal palace, fortified in the Middle Ages, and containing
1776-466: The purposes of hazard mitigation and civil protection . Comuni also deal with the waste management . It is headed by a mayor ( sindaco or sindaca ) assisted by a legislative body, the consiglio comunale ( lit. ' communal council ' ), and an executive body, the giunta comunale ( lit. ' communal committee ' ). The mayor and members of the consiglio comunale are elected together by resident citizens:
1824-798: The regional bodies which are the fundamental basic bodies of which the United Methodist Global Connection is composed. Annual Conferences are responsible for many matters, including the approval, election and ordination of clergy, who then become members of the Annual Conference in which they are elected and ordained and – with some exceptions – serve within the bounds of for the tenure of their ministries. United Methodist Bishops are elected in larger regional conclaves every four years which are known as Jurisdictional Conferences . These super-regional Jurisdictional Conferences comprise an equal number of lay and clergy delegates from each Annual Conference, each delegation determined by
1872-401: The remains of Porto are open every Thursday, the first and the third Sunday of the month from 9:30 to 13:30, and upon request and advance booking at other times. Comune A comune ( Italian: [koˈmuːne] ; pl. : comuni , Italian: [koˈmuːni] ) is an administrative division of Italy , roughly equivalent to a township or municipality . It is
1920-443: The running of schools, social services and waste collection; the delegated functions vary from comune to comune . These bodies are headed by an elected president and a local council. Smaller comuni usually comprise: Sometimes a frazione might be more populated than the capoluogo ; and rarely, owing to unusual circumstances (like depopulation), the town hall and its administrative functions can be moved to one of
1968-476: The seven suburbicarian dioceses , which are still in existence, and reserved for the members of the highest order of Catholic Cardinals , the Cardinal Bishops , so the prelates of these otherwise insignificant Roman suburbs outrank all archbishops , even the patriarchs . The remains of Porto are today included administratively in the municipality of Fiumicino. As part of Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica
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2016-488: The size of the Annual Conference, within the Jurisdiction, and new bishops are elected and consecrated from among the clergy of the Jurisdiction's Annual Conferences. These bishops who are elected for life, are then sent to lead the various Annual Conferences of the Jurisdiction. Episcopal candidates are usually – although not always – the first clergy delegate elected from a particular Annual Conference. Each bishop
2064-504: The third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ( regioni ) and provinces ( province ). The comune can also have the title of città ( lit. ' city ' ). Formed praeter legem according to the principles consolidated in medieval municipalities , the comune is provided for by article 114 of the Constitution of Italy . It can be divided into frazioni , which in turn may have limited power due to special elective assemblies. In
2112-429: The title of città usually carry the golden crown above their coat of arms, except with different provisions in the decree approving the coat of arms or in the presence). "The crown of the city ([...]) is formed by a golden circle opened by eight city gates (five visible) with two cordoned walls on the margins, supporting eight towers (five visible) joined by curtain walls, all in gold and black walled." The following
2160-400: The two moles by a channel 135 m wide. The existence of two entrances is in accordance with the evidence of coins and literary tradition, although the position of that on the left is not certain, and it may have been closed in later times. The whole course of the left-hand mole has not yet been traced, but it seems to have protected not only the south-west but also a considerable portion of
2208-522: The westernmost Bardonecchia and the easternmost Otranto . The comune with the longest name is San Valentino in Abruzzo Citeriore , while the comuni with the shortest name are Lu , Ro , Ne , Re and Vo' . The population density of the comuni varies widely by province and region . The province of Barletta-Andria-Trani , for example, has 381,091 inhabitants in 10 comuni , or over 39,000 inhabitants per comune ; whereas
2256-427: The word is occasionally found: the comune of Leonessa , for example, is divided into sesti or sixths. There are not many perfect homonymous comuni . There are only six cases in 12 comuni : This is mostly due to the fact the name of the province or region was appended to the name of the comune in order to avoid the confusion. Two provincial capitals share the name Reggio : Reggio nell'Emilia ,
2304-537: Was only partially successful: in AD 62 Tacitus speaks of a number of grain ships sinking within the harbour during a violent storm. Nero gave the harbour the name of "Portus Augusti". It was probably Claudius who constructed the new direct road from Rome to Portus, the Via Portuensis , which was 24 km (15 mi) long. The Via Portuensis ran over the hills as far as the modern Ponte Galeria , and then straight across
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