The Samnites, after the battle of Aquilonia in 293 BC, took refuge in the territory of the ancient Villa Latina
In 1832, the municipality of Villa Latina became autonomous from Atina and was called Agnone at the time. In 1862, the town adopted its current name, “Villa Latina”, to emphasise the presence of important Roman archaeological artefacts, such as a villa, remains of thermal baths and an aqueduct.
The Middle Ages at Villa Latina
During medieval times, two small Benedictine monastic settlements existed in the area, of which two buildings are still standing today. These include an ancient ruined hermitage with the remains of frescoes and a church rebuilt in the 18th century with a beautiful Baroque portal. Around the end of the 12th century, Agnone and Malacucchiara were under the control of the Cassinese monks and two castles stood in the area, one in the village and the other, the Malacucchiara Fortress, on a hill that was part of the territory and municipality of Atina.
During the reign of Frederick II, Agnone and Malacucchiara became fiefs of the lords of Aquino, later belonging to the Cantelmo family and the lords of the fief of Sora and Alvito. In 1439, Riccio di Montechiaro destroyed the Malacucchiara fortress.
The anti-French rebellion at Villa Latina
In the 18th and early 19th century, the French arrived in the area and the inhabitants of Agnone rebelled, led by Benedetto Panetta, in an anti-French guerrilla war.
In the 19th century, Agnone-Villa Latina became an autonomous municipality and followed the events of national unification and the formation of the new state.
The Second World War at Villa Latina
During the Second World War, Villa Latina was occupied by the Germans and the population was forced to flee because of the bombing and the Allied advance.
Emigration from Villa Latina was very high, with a loss of over 6% of the population in just one year.
Villa Latina does not have a historical centre but consists of a main town and several hamlets. The settlement along the state road is the centre of the town, but the town hall and main church are located in the interior.