Olim Palus: Once a swamp at Latina Calcio 1932.

Words: Damiano Benzoni

Images: Damiano Benzoni

One century ago, nothing was here. Just swamp and malarial mosquitoes. You could say the swamp still lives in the hearts of people from Latina. In their minds, as if they know that one day an apocalypse is going to bring it back.

It was founded in 1932 when the Mussolini regime reclaimed the swamp and built a handful of cities and villages. “Foundation cities”, they are called. They were settled by labourers of the poor North-East regions and the old folks in the suburbs still speak the Veneto dialect.

Latina is a city that many people don’t take much pride in. It’s a provincial city overshadowed by the closeness to Rome and it is more famous for its corruption scandals than for its history or its sea.

Sometimes it seems nothing moves, as if the swamp still dominates life here. “Olim Palus”, once a swamp, is the Latin motto of the city. But the swamp has a beating heart too.

Local pride had a surge thanks to the books of Antonio Pennacchi, an author who managed to tell his family history and to create a foundation epic for such a “young” city. A pride which is kept alive also by the Leone Alato (Winged Lion) ultras of Latina.

Things are not rosy with the management said by some supporters to not promote the connection between the club and the city enough.

This summer, the football club made waves with a crest rebrand and a swanky new kit inspired by the legend of Circe, the sorceress who enchanted Ulysses on these shores. The Circeo promontory is very well visible from the city’s coast, and it’s been dubbed “Circe’s nose”.

©Damiano Benzoni/ Terrace Edition. Latina Calcio 1932 vs Casertana FC.

The rebranding has attracted international attention, but has received thorough criticism from fans: “The crest has been mutilated from the unmistakable town hall tower of our city, born from the great reclamations of the XX century and off the sweat of the pioneers who left their home lands to fight malaria and render this historically inhospitable place a flourishing land”, they say in the club fanzine, criticising a perceived marketing focus and for a lack of visibility for the cllub in town.

The main indicators of their being a football club here seem to be the banners hung by the Curva to invite people to go to the match. The Serie C season starts against Casertana, a newly promoted rival and also the team from the Latina president’s hometown.

The chanting never stops, and is mostly aimed against the president. You can sense the tension. Banners are unfurled: “New logo and changed kits, but when are you building a squad?”.

When Casertana get a very late equaliser the Curva speaker tells everyone to have a round of applause: “To ourselves, we will never give up”. Then at the final whistle he tells the crowd to give a round of applause to the players, despite the disappointing result. “They gave everything they could, the fault is not theirs, it’s the management’”.

The players are coming to applaud the Curva but a staff member appears to hold them back and sends them back to the changing room. The Curva protest, as a wave of bitterness dampens this late summer evening.

A swamp is always sticky.

You can find Damiano on X and Instagram: @dinamobabel

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