Rocca di Papa

Sister cities

• Diamante
• Landsberg am Lech
• Alanís

History

The city is built on the location of the Latin city of Cabum. Documents from 12th century name Rocca di Papa as Castrum Rocce de Papa ("Rock of the Pope Castle"), because Pope Eugene III lived there. In 1541, Pier Luigi Farnese and French troops destroyed the castle. In 1855, the town proclaimed the "Rocca di Papa Republic" against prince Colonna and the Papal States. In 1889, the "Royal Geodynamic Observatory" was built on the top of Rocca di Papa, near the little Church of the Crucified. Between 1922 and 1935, the scientist Guglielmo Marconi carried out several experiments from this building in radio-transmission, wireless transmission and broadcasting. In 1944, during World War II, Rocca di Papa was bombed, destroying the town centre. 34 people died in that airstrike, and 35 more died in a second one on 25 May. The city was liberated from the Nazi German occupation on 4 June 1944 by the 85th Infantry Division, of the United States Army. In June 2019, an accidental explosion at the town hall building killed Mayor Emanuele Crestini and another man, while several others were injured.

Most-observed species

• Hooded Crow

  Corvus cornix Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  5,138
• Yellow-legged Gull

  Larus michahellis J.F.Naumann, 1840 · Aves
  4,976
• Rose-ringed Parakeet

  Psittacula krameri (Scopoli, 1769) · Aves
  3,685
• Rock Pigeon

  Columba livia J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  3,405
• Italian Sparrow

  Passer italiae (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  2,911
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,527
• Monk Parakeet

  Myiopsitta monachus (Boddaert, 1783) · Aves
  1,927
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,785

Most recent

• M 2.7 — 2025-05-08
  1 km NNE of Montecompatri, Italy
• M 4.1 — 2024-12-09
  3 km SSE of Formia, Italy
• M 3.1 — 2020-05-11
  7 km NNW of Rome, Italy
• M 4.6 — 2019-11-07
  2 km SW of Villavallelonga, Italy
• M 3.4 — 2019-06-23
  1 km WSW of Gallicano nel Lazio, Italy
• M 4.3 — 2019-01-01
  4 km SSW of Trasacco, Italy