Latina, Lazio

The inauguration of Littoria in 1932.

Although the area was first settled by the Latins, the modern city was founded by Benito Mussolini on 30 June 1932 as Littoria, named for the fascio littorio. The city was inaugurated on 18 December of the same year. Littoria was populated with settlers coming mainly from Friuli and Veneto, who formed the so-called Venetian-Pontine community (today surviving only in some peripheral boroughs). The edifices and the monuments, mainly in rationalist style, were designed by famous architects and artists such as Marcello Piacentini, Angiolo Mazzoni and Duilio Cambellotti.

In 1934 it became a provincial capital and, after World War II, renamed Latina in 1946. With the arrival of other people mostly from Lazio itself, the original Venetian-like dialect was increasingly substituted by a form of Romanesco dialect.

The city coat of arms is a blue shield with a stylized drawing of the City Hall Clock Tower in the middle, standing on a field of green, and flanked by two stalks of wheat tied at the base with a red ribbon engraved with the motto "LATINA OLIM PALUS" ("Latina, once a swamp") in Latin. The shield is surmounted by a mural crown.

The city has some pharmaceutical, chemical industry and a strong service sector. Latina is also an important centre for agriculture (vegetables, flowers, sugar, fruit, cheese and derivates).

The former Latina nuclear power plant has been shut down and is currently undergoing decommissioning.

The frazioni of Latina are: Latina Lido, Latina Scalo, Borgo Bainsizza, Borgo Carso, Borgo Faiti, Borgo Grappa, Borgo Isonzo, Borgo Montello, Borgo Piave, Borgo Podgora, Borgo Sabotino, Borgo Santa Maria, Borgo San Michele, Chiesuola, and Tor Tre Ponti.

Latina is located in the Province of Latina, part of the southern section of the region of Lazio. The city is about 62 kilometres (39 miles) south of Rome The municipality borders on Aprilia, Cisterna di Latina, Nettuno, Pontinia, Sabaudia, Sermoneta and Sezze.

The Italian film My Brother Is an Only Child is set in Latina.[4]

• Manuela Arcuri, actress
• Tiziano Ferro, pop singer
• Antonio Pennacchi, writer
• Karin Proia, actress
• Ilaria Spada, actress
• Sara Zanier, actress, model
• Elena Santarelli, actress, model, TV presenter
• Debora Salvalaggio, actress, model, showgirl
• Eugenio Cappuccio, film director
• Mattia Perin, football goalkeeper
• it:Calcutta (cantante), Edoardo d'Erme, musician, composer

• 
  St. Mark's Cathedral
• 
  The fountain in Piazza Libertà
• 
  The church of Borgo Sabotino
• 
  Torre Pontina, the tallest building in the city and the 8th tallest in Italy

• Latina railway station
• Latina Calcio 1932, a football club

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Latina.

• Official website
• Ofteland, Hanne Storm (2002). "Littoria" (PDF). Institute for Art History, University of Oslo. Archived from the original (pdf) on 7 September 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2010.