Sora

Sora, a city of Campania, Italy, in the province of Caserta, 77 M. N. by W. of that town on the railway between Roccasecca and Avezzano, 920 ft. above sea-level. Pop. (1901), 6,050 (town); 16,022 (commune). It is built in a plain on the banks of the Liris. This part of the valley is the seat of some important manufactures, especially of paper-mills. The original cathedral, consecrated by Pope Adrian IV. in 1155, was destroyed by the earthquake of 1634. On the precipitous rock above the town (1768 ft.) which guards the Liris valley and the entrance to the Abruzzi are remains of polygonal walls; here, possibly, was the citadel of the original Volscian town. There are also remains of medieval fortifications. In the town itself there are no remains of antiquity nor buildings of interest. The district around Sora is famous for the costumes of its peasants.

Sora, an ancient Volscian town, was thrice captured by the Romans, in 345, 314 and 305 B.C., before they managed, in 303, by means of a colony 4000 strong, to confirm its annexation. In 209 it was one of the colonies which refused further contributions to the war against Hannibal. By the lex Julia it became a munircipium, but under Augustus it was colonized by soldiers of the legio IV. Sorana, which had been mainly enrolled there. It belonged technically to Latium Adjectum.  The castle of Sorella, built on the rocky height above the town, was in the middle ages a stronghold of some note. Charles I. of Anjou made Sora a duchy for the Cantelmi; it was afterwards seized by Pius II., but, being restored to the Cantelmi by Sixtus IV., it ultimately passed to the Della Rovere of Urbino. Against Caesar Borgia the city was heroically defended by Giovanni di Montefeltro. It was purchased by Gregory XIII. for 11,000 ducats and bestowed on the Buoncompagni, the ancestors of the line of Buoncompagni-Ludovisi. In ancient times Sora was the birthplace of the Decii, Attilius Regulus, and Lucius Mummius; and among its later celebrities is Cardinal Baronius. (T. As.)