Latina is the capital of the province of the same name in the region Latium. The city has about 125,000 inhabitants, despite having been founded only in 1932. Since 1934 it has been the provincial capital.
Latina travel guide
Tourist information
The address of the town hall is Piazza del Popolo, 1 – 04100 (tel. +39 07736521). The ZIP code is 04100 and the area code is 0773. The city has about 20 boroughs. The tourist office (Informazioni ed Assistenza al Turista della Provincia di Latina) is located at Piazza del Popolo, 16 (tel. +39 0773480672).
By Car/Public Transportation
From Rome by car: Take the SS148 (Via Pontina) or the SS7 (Via Appia).
From Frosinone by car: Take the SS156 in southern direction.
Public transportation from Rome: The city is located along the train line between Rome and Formia. The slower trains between Naples and Rome stop at the Latina Scalo stop.
Public transportation from Frosinone: Although the distance between the two provincial capitals is only just over 50 kilometers, there is no direct train connection. Unless you want to change trains in Rome and take two hours to get there, you should take the Cotral bus. This bus, however, only makes 5 trips a day.
A brief history of Latina
Latina was founded in 1932, after the drainage of the swamps in an area called the Agro Pontino. Already in 1934, the new city was declared the capital of the province of Latina, although it was still under the original name of Littoria.
The city center of Latina is called Quadrato. This center developed around the place where the workers who made the territory habitable used to live.
The idea to build a city came from the president of the Opera Nazionale Combattenti. This Valentino Orsolini Cencelli believed that the already existing Cisterna di Latina was too far from the new habitable area.
Cencelli succeeded in convincing Mussolini and the architect Oriolo Frezzotti was commissioned to develop a project for the new city to be built.
The city was built at lightning speed. In 1934, just two years after Mussolini had authorized its construction, Littoria was named the provincial capital.
In 1946, after the war, the name was changed to Latina. The public buildings erected during the fascist dictatorship remained standing and give a good impression of the architectural style of the time.
What to see
Given the period in which the city was built, it is inevitable that most major attractions refer to the fascist era. One of its most striking buildings is therefore built in the shape of the letter “M”. (It is not hard to figure out which dictator this “M” stands for).
The Piazza del Quadrato, decorated with multiple sculpture groups and a fountain, used to be the center of the city.
Day trips province of Latina
One of the biggest attractions of the province is the town of Sperlonga, known for it beautiful beach and small, but extremely picturesque, historical center. Another popular coastal town is Terracina. A very popular day trip from Rome is the Giardino di Ninfa in Cisterna di Latina.