The Piazza XIX Maggio is the main square of Cisterna di Latina. One side of the square is taken up by the majestic Palazzo Caetani, which houses two museums and a library. The Fontana Biondi takes up central position.
Piazza XIX Maggio Cisterna di Latina
History and description
The Piazza XIX Marzo is completely pedestrian. The name refers to March 19th, 1944, when Nazi troops occupied the city.’
Part of what is now the Piazza XIX Marzo used to be used for the storage of grain and as a resting place for horses.
Fontana Biondi
The central fountain is named after the sculptor Ernesto Biondi. it was made between 1885 and 1890. It depicts the Goddess Feronia holding an olive branch. The chained demon at her feet symbolizes malaria. After the formerly marshy area had been drained, this formerly rampant disease disappeared from the city. During the bombings in 1944 the statue lost its head, but was later restored. The sculpture groups (shepherds and their animals) that used to grace the fountain have not been replaced, however.