Lo Straccio: A Neighbourhood of History and Legends
At the foot of the Medieval Castle, along the route of the Via Appia, lies one of Itri’s oldest neighbourhoods: Lo Straccio. This settlement, born as a vital stop for travellers passing through the town, tells a story rich in charm and mystery.
Two versions attempt to explain the origin of its name. The first traces back to the Latin term statio, meaning a post station. Indeed, Itri developed as a rest stop for changing horses, exhausted by the climb along the Sant’Andrea gorges. The second version is rooted in local history and the presence of a Jewish community. Initially settled within the second ring of castle walls, the Jews were later moved along the Via Appia, where they engaged in the trade of used fabrics, the so-called “rags” (stracci).
Today, the Lo Straccio neighbourhood preserves traces of an intense and complex past, intertwining traditions, economy, and the unceasing flow of history along the ancient Regina Viarum.
