Anzio

**Anzio** () is a ceety an *[[comune]]* on the coast o the Lazio region o Italy, aboot  sooth o Roum.

Weel kent for its seaside harbour settin, it is a fishin port an a depairtur point for ferries an hydroplanes tae the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola an Ventotene. The ceety bears great historical significance as the steid o Operation Shingle, a crucial Allied landin durin Warld War II.

## History

### Ancient era
Cried **Antium** in ancient times, it wis the caipital o the Volsci fowk till it wis conquered bi the Romans.

In 493 BC the Roman consul Postumus Cominius Auruncus focht an defeatit twa airmies frae Antium, an as a result captured the Volscian touns o Longula, Pollusca an Corioli (tae the north o Antium).

Wi the latter expansion o Roum it was just far enough awa tae be insulatit frae the riots an tumults o Roum. When Cicero returned frae exile, it wis at Antium that he reassembled the battered remains o his librars, whaur the scrolls wad be secur. Leadin Romans built magnificent seaside villas at Antium. The Julian an Claudian emperors frequently visitit it: Gaius Maecenas haed a villa at Antium; baith Emperor Caligula an Nero wur born in Antium; the latter foondit a colony o veterans an built a new harbour, the projectin moles o which still exist.

Remains o Roman villas are conspicuous aw alang the shore, baith tae the east an tae the north-wast o the toun.  Mony auncient wirks o airt hae been foond thare: the *[[Fanciulla d'Anzio]]*, the *[[Borghese Gladiator]]* (in the Louvre) an the *[[Apollo Belvedere]]* (in the Vatican) wur aw discovered in the ruins o villas at Antium.

O the villas, the maist famous wis the Villa o Nero at Antium which cannot be certainly identifee'd, but is generally placit at the so-cried Arco Muto, whaur remains o a theatre (discovered in 1712 an covered up again) exist an aw. It extendit alang the coast o the Capo d'Anzio some 800 metres o seafront.  Nero razit the umwhile villa on the steid, whaur Augustus haed receivit a delegation frae Roum tae acclaim him *Pater patriae* ("Faither o his Kintra") tae rebuild on its foondations a villa on a mair imperial scale, which wis uised bi each Emperor in turn, up tae the Severans.  O the famous temple o Fortune (Horace, *Od*. i. 35) nae remains are kent.

### Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages Antium wis desertit in favour o Nettuno: at the end o the 17t century Innocent XII an Clement XI restored the harbour, no on the auld steid but tae the east o it, wi the openin tae the east, a mistak which leads tae its bein frequently siltit up; it haes a deth o aboot 5&nbsp;m.  The sea is encroachin slichtly at Anzio, but some kilometres farther north-wast the auld Roman coast-line nou lees slichtly inland (see Tiber). The Volscian ceety stuid on heicher grund an somewha awa frae the shore, tho it extendit doun tae it. This wis defendit bi a deep ditch, which can still be tracit, an bi waws, a portion o which, on the eastren side, constructit o rectangular blocks o tufa, wis brocht tae licht in 1897.

### Warld War II

Anzio an Nettuno are notable as steids o a Alleed forces laundin an aw an the ensuin Battle o Anzio durin Warld War II. The Commonweel Anzio War Cemetery an Beach Head War Cemetery are locatit here.

American forces (5t Airmy) wur surroondit bi Germans in the caves o Pozzoli in Februar 1944 for a week, sufferin hivy casualties. A movie based on the events cawed ''Anzio'' (1968, directit bi Edward Dmytryk) wis made, starrin Robert Mitchum an based on a beuk bi Wynford Vaughan-Thomas.
 On 18 Februar 1944, the Breetish licht cruiser  wis struck bi twa torpedoes aff the coast o Anzio an sunk wi a loss o 417 crew.

In the same region Eric Fletcher Waters lost his life in battle. His son, Roger Waters, become the lead sangster o progressive rock baund Pink Floyd. In his honour an remembrance Roger Waters recordit the sang "The Fletcher Memorial Home", which is the maiden name o Eric Waters' mither. (An aw see "When the Tigers Broke Free".)

## Main sichts
Alang the coast are numerous remains o Roman villas. Ane, the *Domus Neroniana*, haes been identifee'd as a residence o Nero.

In Anzio can be foond the Anzio Beachhead British Military Cemetery an a Beachhead Museum.
The Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial is in nearbi Nettuno.

Aboot  north o the toun thare is a WWF pairk wi sulphur springs an a medieval touer, Tor Caldara.

Aw alang the coast a lairge nummer o beaches an sea resorts can be foond, includin hotels an the famous fish restaurants o the port o Anzio. The ceety ance hostit a Casino that is nae langer active an nou hosts cultural events. In the soothren pairt o the toun, close tae the border wi Nettuno, are mony Italian art nouveau style hooses.

## Further readin
* P. Brandizzi Vitucci, *Antium: Anzio e Nettuno in epoca romana* (2000)
* Antonio Nibby, *Dintorni di Roma*, i. 181; *Notizie degli scavi, passim*.
*

## References

## Freemit airtins

* Offeecial wabsteid  
* Illustrated reconstruction of Nero's Villa 
* Memorials and cemetery from the World War Two battles at Anzio at the ''Sites of Memory'' webpage
* Illustrated article on the Battle of Anzio at Battlefields Europe 
* Anzio in the history