Alban Mount Monte Cavo Monte Cavo (on the right of Alban Hills) Elevation 950 m (3,117 ft) Location Location East of Rome, Italy Range Colli Albani Coordinates 41°43′N 12°43′E / 41.717°N 12.717°E / 41.717; 12.717Coordinates: 41°43′N 12°43′E / 41.717°N 12.717°E / 41.717; 12.717 Geology Type Stratovolcano Monte Cavo is the second highest mountain of the complex of the Alban Hills, near Rome, central Italy. An old volcano extinguished around 10,000 years ago, it is about 20 km (12 mi) from the sea, in the communal territory of Rocca di Papa. It is the dominant peak of the Alban Hills. The current name comes from Cabum, an Italic settlement existing on this mountain. Under king Tullus Hostilius there was volcanic activity reported by Livy in his book of Roman history: "...there had been a shower of stones on the Alban Mont...". Contents 1 Jupiter Latiaris 2 Pagan temple, hermitage, hotel, station 3 References 4 Bibliography 5 External links Jupiter Latiaris

Monte Cavo is the sacred Mons Albanus of the Italic people of ancient Italy who lived in Alba Longa (the Albani), and other cities, and therefore a sacred mountain to the Romans; there they gave rise to the temple of Jove (Jupiter) Latiaris, one of the more important destinations of pilgrimage for the Latin people and in the centuries of Roman domination. On the Mons Albanus, between January and March, the "Latin Festivals" were developed. The newly chosen Consuls had to sacrifice to Jupiter Latiaris and to announce the Latin Holidays. When the Consul achieved a victory in war he also had to celebrate the triumph on the Alban Mount. Here in the Latium temple were celebrated every year the Feriae Latinae for four days by the representatives of 47 cities (30 Latin and 17 Federate). In 531 BC, King Tarquinius Superbus built here a temple shared with the Latins, the Hernici and the Volsci, where every year there were celebrations in honor of Jupiter Latiaris. In return, Jupiter Latiaris conferred upon whoever was elected head of the Latin confederation, the power of dictator latinus. A triumphal procession along this sacred way that left the Appian Way at Ariccia and climbed up 450 m to the hillside. More than 5 km of this way is well preserved through the woods. Pagan temple, hermitage, hotel, station Hotel Monte Cavo at the beginning of the 20th century. The same structure used as a telecommunications station at the end of the 20th century.

The history of the Pagan temple of Iuppiter Latiaris was interrupted in the early Middle Ages, when a hermitage was built by a Dalmatian hermit devoted to St. Peter, which replaced the pagan temple. It was visited by Pope Pius II in 1463, and subsequently by Pope Alexander VII. After the Dalmatian hermits the Polish religious order of Edmondo of Buisson was established there, then the Trinitarian Spaniards, and finally the Flemish Missionaries. Then the hermitage was convert to a monastery (1727). The Passionists came in 1758 and restored it in 1783, using the materials of the temple of Jupiter, as found and raised by Henry Benedict Stuart, Duke of York, bishop of Frascati. During this period there were guests in the monastery: the king Francis II of Naples in 1865 and Pope Pius IX in 1867. The "contemplative-missionaries" abandoned the monastery in 1889. In 1890 the structure was converted to an hotel that entertained national and international personalities, among others: Umberto II of Italy, Massimo d'Azeglio, Luigi Pirandello, Armando Diaz (who sojourned in Rocca di Papa and was remembered with a commemorative headstone mail in the residence on De Rossi palace) and the King Edward VIII with his wife Wallis Simpson.

From 1942 the hotel was used as military base for radio communications by the German Wehrmacht. On June 3, 1944, soldiers of 142nd Regiment-36th Infantry Division (United States) ("Texas" Division), attacked and captured the military site1 --with 20 enemy soldiers killed and 30 prisoners taken. In the post-war era the structure became a telecommunications station. Access is prohibited to unauthorized persons. A few blocks of the ancient temple are still visible behind the fenced area. The unsightly presence of the antennae has been a cause of some civil complaint. References ^ National Archives and Records Administrations of College Park, MD, USA (signature:Record Group 407, Entry 427, File 334-INF(142)-0.3) Bibliography Strabo - Geographica (Strabo) book V chapter 3 - Rome 20 BC  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (Eleventh ed.). Cambridge University Press.  Georges Dumézil, Archaic Roman Religion. ISBN 0-8018-5481-4. T.J. Cornell - The beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to Punic War - London 1995 - ISBN 0-415-01596-0 Livy: Ab Urbe Condita Book I cap. 31 - *Ab Urbe Condita (Latin) Dionysius of Halicarnassus: The Roman Antiquities

[*] Students of the Pontifical Scots College, Rome, used to spend the long vacation at the villa in Marino which the College then owned (up until about 1965 or so). Monte Cavo was clearly visible from the villa, and it became a custom for students at least once in their student days to walk to the summit to see the sunrise.To time this right meant rising at about 1.30 a.m. and undertaking a sometimes very rough walk in near total darkness.But catching the first hint of the sun's orb was a breathtaking experience."Scots College, Rome,magazine,1961/62" External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Monte Cavo Cassius Dio, Roman History (English translation on LacusCurtius) English translation of the Roman Antiquities - Dionysius of Halicarnassus (at LacusCurtius) v · d · e Lazio Provinces Frosinone • Latina • Rieti • Rome • Viterbo Lakes Lake Albano • Lake Bolsena • Lake Bracciano • Lago di Canterno • Lago di Caprolace • Lago di Fondi • Lago di Giulianello • Lake Mezzano • Lago dei Monaci • Lake Nemi • Lago di Posta Fibreno • Lago di Rascino • Lago di Sabaudia • Lago del Salto • Lago del Turano • Lake Vico Mountains Seven hills of Rome • Alban Hills • Aurunci Mountains • Monti Ausoni • Monte Cavo • Cimini Hills • Monti Ernici • Monte Gorzano • Monti della Laga • Monti Lepini • Monti della Meta • Monte Petrella • Monti Prenestini • Monti Sabatini • Monte Soratte • Monte Terminillo • Monti della Tolfa • Monti Volsini • Monte Cassino  · Monte Abate · Monte Altino · Monte Appiolo · Maschio dell'Ariano · Maschio di Lariano · Monte Artemisio · Monte Autore · Monte Carbonaro · Monte Cefalo · Cima del Redentore (monti Aurunci) · Circeo · Monte Crispi · Monte Dragone · Monte Faggeto · Monte Fammera · Mont Fogliano · Monte Fusco · Monte Guadagnolo · Monte Lauro in Gaeta · Monte Lauzo · Le Rave Fosche · Monte Livata · Mainarde · Maschio delle Faete · Meta (monte) · Monna · Monte Caira · Monte Cervello · Monte Revole · Monte Sorgenze · Monte Trina · Monte Val de' Varri - Monte Faito - Monte San Nicola · Monte di Cambio · Monte le Pezze · Parco regionale urbano Monte Orlando · Monte Orso ·  · Monte Pizzuto · Monte Ruazzo Geographic areas Castelli Romani • Ciociaria • Pontine marshes• Pastena Caves • Roman Campagna • Sabina • Tiber River • Tuscia Politics and government Elections in Lazio • List of Presidents of Lazio Ancient Lazio Latium • Latium adiectum • Latial culture • Latins (Italic tribe) • Sabines • Volsci • Aequi v · d · e Mountains of the Lazio Monte Abate · Monte Altino · Monte Appiolo · Maschio dell'Ariano · Maschio di Lariano · Monte Artemisio · Monte Autore · Monte Carbonaro · Monte Cavo · Monte Cefalo · Cima del Redentore (monti Aurunci) · Circeo · Monte Crispi · Monte Dragone · Monte Faggeto · Monte Fammera · Mont Fogliano · Monte Fusco · Monte Gorzano · Monte Guadagnolo · Monte Lauro in Gaeta · Monte Lauzo · Le Rave Fosche · Monte Livata · Mainarde · Maschio delle Faete · Meta (monte) · Monna · Monte Caira · Monte Cervello · Monte Revole · Monte Sorgenze · Monte Trina · Monte Val de' Varri - Monte Faito - Monte San Nicola · Monte di Cambio · Monte le Pezze · Parco regionale urbano Monte Orlando · Monte Orso · Monte Petrella · Monte Pizzuto · Monte Ruazzo