Ardea, Lazio

**Ardea** is a auncient toun an *[[comune]] *in the province o Roum,  sooth o Roum an aboot  frae the day's Mediterranean coast.

The economy is maistly based on agricultur, awtho, stairtin frae the 1970s, industry haes haed a increasingly important role.

## History
Ardea is ane o the maist auncient touns in wastren Europe, foondit aboot in the 8t century BC wis the caipital o the Rutuli, mentioned in the *[[Aeneid]]*. 
Efter the Roman conquest, Ardea wis maist aften mentioned in connection wi the Via Ardeatina, ane o the consular roads, tae which it gae its name. Columella awned a ferm thare.

In 509 BC Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the keeng o Roum socht unsuccessfully tae tak the toun bi storm, an then commencit a siege o the toun.  Housomeivver the siege wis interrupted bi the revolution which resultit in the owerthrow o the king an the establishment o the Roman Republic.  Ane o the leaders o the revolution, Lucius Junius Brutus, came tae the camp of the Roman airmy at Ardea an wan the airmy's support for the revolution.

In 443 BC the Volscians laid siege tae Ardea. The siege wis suin breuken bi Roman troops unner the leadership o Marcus Geganius Macerinus.

Durin the Seicont Punic War, it wis ane o the few ceeties that refused militar support tae Roum, an, efter the Roman victory, wis deprivit o its autonomy. In the 3rd-2nt centuries BC it decayed till, in the Imperial Age, it wis scarcely populatit at aw. The 1st century agricultural writer Columella possessed estates thare.

Efter the faw o the Roman Empire, in the Medieval age, Ardea wis abandoned. It returned tae growthe anerly efter the 9t century AD. Its castle in 1118 hoosit Pape Gelasius II an wis later contendit amang various feudal barons o the aurie. In 1419 Pape Martin V assigned it tae his kinsmen, the Colonna faimily, who sauld it in 1564 tae the Cesarini.

In 1816 it became a *[[frazione]]* o Genzano. Stairtin frae 1932, the surroondin aurie wis drained an Ardea began tae flourish again, becomin a *[[frazione]]* o Pomezia stairtin frae its foondation aroond 1948 an a unthirlt municipality in 1970.

## Main sichts
Remains o the auncient ceety include the auld defensive *[[Agger (auncient Roum)|agger]]*, datin tae the 7t century BC an later (4t century BC) updatit tae lairger waws. Airchaeological excavations hae brocht tae licht fower temples, o unkent dedication. Pairt o the pavement o a basilica (c. 100 BC) hae been foond in the aurie o the auncient Forum an aw.
Ither sichts include:
*The Kirk o Santa Marina, erectit in 1191 bi Cencio Savelli, the futur Pape Honorius II. The interior, on a single nave, wis oreeginally entirely frescoed.
*Romanesque Kirk o San Pietro Apostolo (12t century), which wis a possession o the monks o San Paolo Fuori le Mura o Roum. It incorporates a umwhile watchtouer uised tae coonter Saracen attacks, nou turned intae a bell touer. It haes 15t-century frescoes an a 16t-century firthen crucifix.
*The Giardini della Landriana, designed bi Russell Page.
*Giacomo Manzù Museum, hoosin some 400 wirks o the airtist.
*Tor San Lorenzo, a touer in the eponymous seaside *[[frazione]]*. It wis rebuilt in 1570 efter a design bi Michelangelo, in the aurie o a umwhile Palaeo-Christian kirk devotit tae St. Lawrence.

## Internaitional relations

### Twin touns — Sister ceeties
Ardea is twinned wi:
* Argos, Greece
* Rielasingen-Worblingen, Germany

## References

*Livy,* [[Ab Urbe Condita]]* 4.9

## External links
*http://www.comune.ardea.rm.it/  (offeecial steid)
*