According to some historians, Monterotondo is the heir of the ancient
Sabine town of
Eretum, although the modern settlement appeared in the 10th-11th centuries in a different location. The name derives from the medieval corruption (then
Mons Teres, then
Monte Ritondo) of the original
Mons Eretum. . In the Middle Ages, due to its location across the
Via Salaria, Monterotondo was a strategic point for the defense of
Rome. Initially under the Capocci family, it was sold in the 12th century to the
Orsini, who held it until the 18th century. In 1432, it was seized by the
condottiero Niccolò Fortebraccio, and in 1485, it was set on fire by the Orsini. In 1634, the
Barberini acquired the town, restoring or enlarging several edifices, and building the cathedral in 1639. On 28 April 1864, the
Rome and Monterotondo Rail Road was opened for service. In 1943, after the Italian
armistice with the Allies, 800 German paratroopers tried unsuccessfully to reconquer it. ==Main sights==