LOCATION

Cori’s roots date back to very ancient times. The legend attributes its foundation in turn to the figures of Dardano, Enea and Corace (who gave it the current name), but its pre-Roman origins appear also in numerous historical sources where it plays a leading role in many events which occurred during the period of the Roman monarchy (7th and 6th century B.C.).
Cori showed an urban structure with walls and terracing in polygonal form and important sacred areas as early as the end of the 6th century B.C. Since the period of the Latin War (496 B.C.) until the eventual annexation to the Roman State (after the social war of 90-88 B.C.) Cori retained a large political and administrative independence because of its alliance with Rome. For this reason it acquired the acronym S.P.Q.C. (Senatus Popolusque Coranus).
During this long period the city was enriched with those buildings and monuments (walls, temples and the bridge “Ponte della Catena”) that charmed artists, literates and scholars since the Renaissance period and that can still be visited.
The information about the late Ancient Age and the early Middle Age is fragmentary, but the poor information dating back to the Middle Age (due to the apparent sack of the city by Federico Barbarossa’s troops in 1167) is offset by architectonic evidences (medieval quarters and the Saint Olive church) which still today characterize the place.
In medieval chronicles Cori is allied with the neighbouring city of Velletri: in fact they defended each other from the nearby Segniories’ attempts to interfere. Cori maintained a large autonomy as a feud belonging to the Roman Senate also in the Renaissance period. It was released from this condition in 1847. The buildings and monuments of this period (among them the remarkable “Cappella dell’Annunziata” i.e. the “Annunciation Chapel” and the monastic complex of Saint Olive) are very numerous.
With the Italian unification and the end of the Papal State, Cori was first annexed to the province of Rome and then to the one of Latina (1934).