Uploaded February 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Medieval Templar Tower - Sant’Egidio in Civitavecchia, Italy

Along the road that connects Tolfa to Civitavecchia, was the Templar settlement of San Giulio. Of it, only the tower from the original settlement survived. Initially built with a defensive function, the tower was later used as a bell tower. San Giulio, also indicated as Tituuls of Sant Edigio and San Giovanni alle Terme, belonged to the Templar Order.

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Learn More about Templars in Italy:

E. VALENTINI, I Templari a Civitavecchia e nel territorio fra Tarquinia a Cerveteri, Tuscania 2008.
https://www.penneepapiri.it/catalogo/templari-a-Civitavecchia-e-nel-territorio-fra-Tarquinia-e-Cerveteri-I-p80786637

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The Servant Vivolo del Villa Sancti Justini mentioned San Giulio among the Templar Preceptories where he offered his services and that charity donations of food and hospitality to the poor used to take place here. Remains of the church and other buildings are most likely underground buried by time.

According to a local tradition, there was a small church mentioned by Pope Gregory I (Gregory the Great, Gregorio Magno) that should be identified with the Templar church of San Giulio which, until a few decades ago, was known as San Giovanni alle Terme.
The currently visible ruins can be attributed to a church which, over the centuries, has been indicated with three different dedications: San Giulio, Sant'Egidio, and San Giovanni alle Terme.

The belonging of San Giulio to the Order of the Temple is documented in the acts of the trial of the Templars, which began in 1309, in Rome, in Lazio, in the Duchy of Spoleto and in the Abruzzi.

In an apostolic visit of 1573 it was specified that "only the ruined walls remained" of the church Sant'Egidio. It is not known when the name of the church changed from one saint to another took place, but from the seventeenth century onwards has been referred to as Sant'Egidio.