Identity: capital of historic Ciociaria, between the ancient hill and the lower town
Frosinone's historic centre stands on a hill in the middle of the Sacco valley, skirted by the river Cosa. According to the scholars quoted by the Comune, the name comes from the Volscian Frusna, Latinised as Frusino. A provincial capital since 1926, after the war it grew mainly in the lower town, with the industrial zone of the Sacco valley.
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Location
The historic centre stands on a hill in the middle of the Sacco valley, skirted by the river Cosa and surrounded by the Lepini and Ernici mountains and the mountains around Sora. The city is a road hub: the Casilina, successor to the ancient via Latina, links it to Rome and Cassino; the province is crossed by the Autostrada del Sole and the Rome – Frosinone – Cassino – Caserta railway. Its inhabitants are called frusinati.
History in brief
According to the Comune's pages, the name comes from the Volscian Frusna, Latinised as Frusino after the Roman conquest. The motto "Bellator Frusino", taken from Silius Italicus's poem, appears in the municipal coat of arms. In the Papal States Frosinone's fortress was the seat of the rector of the province of Campagna e Marittima. The city was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy on 17 September 1870 and on 6 December 1926 became the capital of a new province formed with municipalities from the provinces of Rome and Caserta, the historic Ciociaria, whose name recalls the ciocia, the traditional footwear. During the Cassino front (1943-1944) the historic centre suffered very severe damage.
Upper and lower town
After the war the city grew with new roads and new districts, mainly in the lower part; in the 1960s and 1970s, with the Asse attrezzato road, the Sacco valley became an industrial zone. In the same years the "Licinio Refice" Conservatory and the Academy of Fine Arts were founded. In 1986 the diocese of Frosinone-Veroli-Ferentino was created, with the bishop's palace in Frosinone.
Data
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-22
Updated: 2026-10-22
Reviewed: 10/23/2026 · by piero.avolio · rev. 1 · Period: → 2027-10-31
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