Arpino

Arpino

Arpino, ancient (Latin) Arpinum, town, Lazio (Latium) regione, central Italy, on two hills 1,476 feet (450 m) above sea level, just east of the city of Frosinone.

Arpino originated as a stronghold of the Volsci, who entered the area during the 5th century bc. During the 4th century bc it was held for a time by the Samnites, and it was finally conquered by the Romans in 305 bc, and the Roman general Gaius Marius was born there. In the Middle Ages it was sacked by the Lombards, the Saracens, and the Hungarians; it passed to the papacy in 1215.

The remains of the imposing cyclopean walls of the Volscian period, restored and added to in Samnite, Roman, and medieval times, surround the town. The 15th-century churches of San Michele and Sant’Andrea contain paintings by the Mannerist Giuseppe Cesari, commonly known as the Cavalier d’Arpino. Agriculture, woolen manufacturing, and the quarrying of coloured marbles are the chief occupations. Pop. (2006 est.) mun., 7,697.