Civitavecchia, Italy - cruising with Roman roots

In 106 CE, the incumbent Roman Emperor Trajan ordered the construction of a port with the ability to handle deep water ships to service Rome. The result was the city of Centumcellae which was renamed centuries later to Civitavecchia, appropriately meaning "Ancient Town" in Italian. Subsequent to Trajan, the port city was controlled by a miscellany of popes and counts who, throughout the middle ages, constructed a series of defensive structures including Forte Michelangelo. The fort was built by Giluano Leno in the 16th century with walls about 20 feet thick and a central tower designed by Renaissance architect and painter Michelangelo.
Today, Civitavecchia, about 50 miles northwest of Rome, is the cruise terminal of choice for numerous shipping companies traveling to Turkey, Greece and the eastern Mediterranean beyond. Additional pictures.