Sabaudia
A city between sea, lakes and forest
Sabaudia is a city of 19,473 inhabitants in the province of Latina, located in the Agro Pontino area of Lazio. The city is characterized by a flat terrain that extends from sandy dunes along the coast, passing through forested areas and a series of almost marshy protected natural areas, protected by three coastal lakes: Lake Sabaudia (or Lake Paola), Lake of the Monks and Lake Caprolace.
An important part of the municipal territory constitutes the Circeo National Park, which represents an area of great natural and scenic importance.
Winter climate is particularly humid, but temperatures usually do not drop below 0°C, except on some occasions.
The history of Sabaudia's founding
On August 5th, 1933 Benito Mussolini laid the first stone of Sabaudia and the city was inaugurated on April 15th, 1934. Sabaudia was the second city, after Littoria, to be established by the regime in the territory of the reclaimed Pontine Marshes.
The competition for the urban plan for the city's founding was won by the group led by Luigi Piccinato with architects Gino Cancellotti, Eugenio Montuori and Alfredo Scalpelli, who designed it to become an important sports center, especially for hosting nautical competitions on Lake Paola.
Sabaudia is one of the cities that expresses Italian rationalism in architecture (Group 7 and MIAR). It was named after the royal family and placed under the protection of the Annunciation, protector of the House of Savoy.
During World War II, Sabaudia was involved in the military operations that followed the Anzio landing on January 22nd, 1944 and until its liberation in May of the same year, was occupied by German troops.
The city's name
The name Sabaudia remained unchanged, despite the need to remove the fascist toponyms of the cities that had been established, which almost all ended in "-inia". While the capital was renamed Latinia in 1944 and later Latina (on June 7th, 1945 following the publication of the lieutenant decree of April 9th, 1945, n. 270), such a change has not yet occurred for Sabaudia, which should be corrected to Sabauda, and Pontinia, which should be corrected to Pontina.
The city becomes a "City"
On August 5th, 2020, the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella conferred the title of City to Sabaudia. This recognized the importance of the city not only as a place of great historical and architectural significance, but also as a center of great cultural and tourist interest.
Sabaudia, in fact, represents a highly sought-after tourist destination thanks to its geographical location, which makes it a perfect place for summer vacations, as well as outdoor activities such as trekking, cycling, and water sports competitions on the coastal lakes.
Moreover, the city is famous for its rationalist architecture and for the great importance of its territory within the Circeo National Park.
Conclusion
Sabaudia is a city worth visiting to discover its natural beauty, its rationalist architecture, its history, and its cultural significance.
The title of City conferred by the President of the Republic confirmed Sabaudia's position as a place of great tourist and cultural interest, making it an even more interesting destination for those who love to discover the beauties of Italy.
