Bracciano

Geography

Bracciano's territory lies on the western edge of the Sabatine Hills, a low volcanic hills range encircling Lake Bracciano.

History

There is no certain information about the origins of Bracciano, on the Via Cassia overlooking the lake.

In 1494 Charles VIII of France and his troops marching against Rome stopped at Bracciano. This act led to the excommunication of the Orsini, and in 1496 the city was besieged by a papal army headed by Giovanni di Candia, son of Pope Alexander VI Borgia, though it resisted successfully. Cesare Borgia, another of Alexander's natural sons, was unsuccessful in his attempt to take the Orsini stronghold a few years later. The sixteenth century was a period of splendour for Bracciano. The notorious spendthrift and libertine Paolo Giordano I Orsini, having married in 1558 Isabella de' Medici, daughter of Cosimo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany, received the title of duke of Bracciano in 1560. The castle received some modernization for the brief visit of the Medici that year. He hired the most prestigious painter available in Rome, Taddeo Zuccaro, to fresco with allegories and coats-of-arms the fortress's most prestigious room, the Sala Papalinia that had been occupied by Sixtus IV. Isabella spent the remainder of her life avoiding a return to the castle, which a modern tourist tradition would have her haunting.

In the castle, richly frescoed friezes and ceilings now contrast with blank walls, which were hung with richly coloured tapestries when the lords of Bracciano were in residence. The important late-15th century frieze showing the labours of Hercules is still visible.

Climate

The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Csa" (Mediterranean climate).

| Jan record high C = 18.7 | Feb record high C = 19.3 | Mar record high C = 23.8 | Apr record high C = 27.2 | May record high C = 31.4 | Jun record high C = 36.0 | Jul record high C = 37.6 | Aug record high C = 39.8 | Sep record high C = 33.4 | Oct record high C = 28.4 | Nov record high C = 24.4 | Dec record high C = 18.8 | year record high C = 39.8 | Jan record low C = -4.0 | Feb record low C = -5.0 | Mar record low C = -3.6 | Apr record low C = -0.6 | May record low C = 5.1 | Jun record low C = 9.8 | Jul record low C = 11.0 | Aug record low C = 12.4 | Sep record low C = 8.7 | Oct record low C = 4.6 | Nov record low C = 0.0 | Dec record low C = -4.2 | year record low C = -5.0 | Jan dew point C = 3.8 | Feb dew point C = 3.4 | Mar dew point C = 5.4 | Apr dew point C = 8.2 | May dew point C = 12.1 | Jun dew point C = 15.0 | Jul dew point C = 16.4 | Aug dew point C = 17.0 | Sep dew point C = 15.0 | Oct dew point C = 12.5 | Nov dew point C = 8.9 | Dec dew point C = 4.9 | year dew point C = 10.2 |access-date = February 3, 2024}}

Twin towns

Bracciano is twinned with

• GER Neusäß, Germany
• FRA Châtenay-Malabry, France
• ETH Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia

Filmography

• Medici: Masters of Florence TV series (Castle Bracciano).
• Elisa di Rivombrosa

References

References

1. "Resident population on 1st January: Lazio".
2. Bracciano is pronounced in three syllables: "Bra-CHA-no".
3. The modern history is Carla Micheli Giaccone, ''Bracciano e il suo castello'', Rome, 1990.
4. Caroline P. Murphy, ''Murder of a Medici Princess'' 2008:80f.
5. "Given that Isabella could not bear the idea of living in Bracciano when she was alive, it seems unlikely she would choose to haunt the castle dead," observes Caroline P. Murphy, ''Murder of a Medici Princess'' 2008:351.
6. Malcolm Bull, ''The Mirror of the Gods, How Renaissance Artists Rediscovered the Pagan Gods'', Oxford UP, 2005. {{ISBN. 0-19-521923-6.
7. [http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=162240&cityname=Bracciano%2C+Latium%2C+Italy&units= Climate Summary for Bracciano]
8. "Wolaita Sodo establishes sister city network with Bracciano".
9. "I Medici Masters of Florence tv series location: Castle Orsini Odescalchi in Bracciano".