San Giovanni di Posada (Latin: Portus Luguidonis or Portus Liquidonis [1] ) is a frazione and small village in Sardinia, Italy, on the Tyrrhenian coast of the island, in the territory of the comune of Posada.
Formerly known as Marina di Posada, it underwent rebuilding in the 1970s as an residential village for tourism.
Its history goes back to the Roman harbour (named "Portus Luguidonis" - presumably located in the little bay in front of the ancient church of St. John), from where the Romans entered inner Sardinia. Through this harbour passed all the goods to or from Rome, but all the cargo was carried by small and light ships directed to Olbia (some 50km north), where bigger ships would have trafficked with Ostia. Traffic was supposedly intense, Sardinia bearing the sobriquet "the granary of Rome".
In the immediate surroundings, it is supposed there was a temple in honour of Feronia, an Etruscan deity, goddess of the waters; this would prove the presence of Etruscans in this area at the time of Nuragici people. A similar cult of Feronia is reported on the Italian mainland at least in two places: in Fiano Romano (near Rome), and in Terracina, some 120km south of Rome.
It is one of the main tourist destinations of Sardinia, has a long beach (more than 15km of white sand) and a system of rivers of biological importance. A part of this territory is going to be formally protected in the near future with the creation of a nature park (Parco Fluviale).
Pisa is a city and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the city contains more than twenty other historic churches, several medieval palaces, and bridges across the Arno. Much of the city's architecture was financed from its history as one of the Italian maritime republics.
Posada, also previously known as Feronia or Pausata, is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Nuoro in the Italian region Sardinia. The city sits on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,394 and an area of 33.52 square kilometres (12.94 sq mi).
The Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy. It is named for the Tyrrhenian people identified with the Etruscans of Italy.
Cagliari is an Italian municipality and the capital of the island of Sardinia, an autonomous region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name Casteddu means castle. It has about 155,000 inhabitants, while its metropolitan city has about 420,000 inhabitants. According to Eurostat, the population of the Functional urban area, the commuting zone of Cagliari, rises to 476,975. Cagliari is the 26th largest city in Italy and the largest city on the island of Sardinia.
La Caletta is a small town, a harbour and a tourist destination in Sardinia, Italy. Caletta means a small bay or little harbour.
Perugia is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber, and of the province of Perugia. The city is located about 164 km (102 mi) north of Rome and 148 km (92 mi) southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area. The region of Umbria is bordered by Tuscany, Lazio, and Marche.
Liguria is a region of north-western Italy; its capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennines mountain range and is roughly coextensive with the former territory of the Republic of Genoa. Liguria is bordered by France to the west, Piedmont to the north, and Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany to the east. It rests on the Ligurian Sea, and has a population of 1,557,533. The region is part of the Alps–Mediterranean Euroregion.
In ancient Roman religion, Feronia was a goddess associated with wildlife, fertility, health, and abundance. As the goddess who granted freedom to slaves or civil rights to the most humble part of society, she was especially honored among plebeians and freedmen. Her festival, the Feroniae, was November 13 during the Ludi Plebeii, in conjunction with Fortuna Primigenia; both were goddesses of Praeneste.
Feronia is the name of a mysterious ancient site near the town of Posada, which was in Ptolemy's maps and following until the Middle Ages.
Civitavecchia is a city and comune of the Metropolitan City of Rome in the central Italian region of Lazio. A sea port on the Tyrrhenian Sea, it is located 60 kilometres west-north-west of Rome. The harbour is formed by two piers and a breakwater, on which stands a lighthouse.
The Province of Terni is the smaller of the two provinces in the Umbria region of Italy, comprising one-third of both the area and population of the region. Its capital is the city of Terni. The province came into being in 1927, when it was carved out of the original unitary province of Umbria.
Vetralla is a town and comune in the province of Viterbo, in central Italy, 11 kilometres (7 mi) south of that city, located on a shoulder of Monte Fogliano.
Portus was a large artificial harbour of Ancient Rome. Sited on the north bank of the north mouth of the Tiber, on the Tyrrhenian coast, it was established by Claudius and enlarged by Trajan to supplement the nearby port of Ostia.
The Aqua Augusta, or Serino Aqueduct was one of the largest, most complex and costliest aqueduct systems in the Roman world; it supplied water to at least eight ancient cities in the Bay of Naples including Pompeii and Herculaneum. This aqueduct was unlike any other of its time, being a regional network rather than being focused on one urban centre.
Aléria is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica, former bishopric and present Latin Catholic titular see. It includes the easternmost point in Metropolitan France.
Poggio Mirteto is a comune (municipality) and former Catholic bishopric in Sabina in the Central Italian region of Latium. Administratively Poggio Mirteto is in the province of Rieti and geographically this municipality is about 45 kilometres (28 mi) northeast of Rome and about 20 kilometres (12 mi) southwest of Rieti.
Sacrofano is a comune (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Rome in the Italian region of Latium, located about 25 kilometres (16 mi) north of Rome. Located near the Monti Sabatini, at the feet of an extinct volcano, it is included in the Regional Park of Veii.
Luni is a comune (municipality) in the province of La Spezia, in the easternmost end of the Liguria region of northern Italy. It was founded by the Romans as Luna. It gives its name to Lunigiana, a region spanning eastern Liguria and northern Tuscany.
A rocca is a type of Italian fortified stronghold or fortress, typically located on a hilltop, beneath or on which the inhabitants of a historically clustered village or town might take refuge at times of trouble. Generally under its owners' patronage, the settlement might hope to find prosperity in better times. A rocca might in reality be no grander than a fortified farmhouse. A more extensive rocca would be referred to as a castello.