Borgo Santa Rita: Rural Architecture and Ancient History

Borgo Santa Rita is a rural complex on the grounds of the former Campo Selva estate. This gives you the opportunity to discover a place where former agricultural activity, distinctive architecture, a special landscape and archaeological history come together. Depending on your personal interests, you can therefore get to know Borgo Santa Rita from different perspectives.

Rural landscape between Campo Selva and the coast

The landscape in the Campo Selva–Borgo Santa Rita area features gentle elevations running parallel to the coast, formed by dunes. This relief shapes the character of the landscape and offers an illustrative perspective on the geological formations of the area. The cork oak (Quercus suber) is an evergreen oak typical of the coastal ecosystems of the western Mediterranean. The vegetation therefore also forms part of a broader Mediterranean context.

Architecture with an agricultural past

Borgo Santa Rita was an agricultural complex based on mixed cultivation, intensive land use and livestock farming. This former use explains the rural character of the complex without reducing it to a mere historical date. Anyone interested in the development of rural areas will find here a concrete example of how agriculture and built structures were connected.

The central farmhouse of Borgo Santa Rita has a rectangular floor plan and consists of masonry bays. The central openings on the ground floor feature segmental arches. Its walls are made of tuff blocks with brick courses, plaster, a stone base and rusticated corner quoins. The buildings in the complex also have pitched roofs with wooden roof trusses; ceilings with an iron structure and brick infill are likewise among the architectural features.

During the restoration of Borgo Santa Rita, wood, iron, terracotta, pantiles and roof tiles, plaster and painted finishes were used to preserve the rural character of the architecture. It is precisely the combination of different materials that makes the complex interesting to visitors who want to understand regional architectural history not only through major monuments, but also through details and craft solutions.

Ancient traces around Pomezia

The history of the Sanctuary of the Tredici Are begins in the middle of the 6th century BC. In the 5th and 4th centuries BC, additional altars were built and some existing ones were restored. When the nearby ancient city of Lavinium was rediscovered, the sacred complex of the Tredici Are and the heroon traditionally associated with Aeneas were excavated.

For cultural orientation, Pomezia also provides QR code information for mapped sites and attractions, allowing visitors to access the relevant information. Pomezia’s official QR code itinerary includes the Museo Civico Archeologico Lavinium. This makes it possible to complement your stay with historical themes that extend beyond the architecture of Borgo Santa Rita.

Exploring by bicycle and according to your own interests

A completed cycle path runs along Via Danimarca from Borgo Santa Rita to Via Dalla Chiesa. If you like to structure your days around cycling, this specific route is one of the available reference points for planning. Together with the landscape, the rural complex and the archaeological connections, it creates a varied setting for a trip in which you can combine nature, architectural history and culture.

When choosing your accommodation, you can give these priorities different weight. Perhaps you are particularly interested in the former agricultural complex with its tuff walls, segmental arches and pitched roofs. The landscape of Campo Selva–Borgo Santa Rita may likewise be decisive, as may the proximity of the topics discussed to Lavinium and the Museo Civico Archeologico Lavinium. Making the right decision begins with defining the character of your stay and comparing your own interests with the distinctive features of the place.

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