Sora, an ancient Volscian town, was thrice captured by the Romans, in 345, 314 and 305 BC, 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 municipium[?], 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 of Anjou made Sora a duchy for the Cantelmi[?]; it was afterwards seized by Pope Pius II, but, being restored to the Cantelmi by Pope 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 Pope 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[?], Atilius Regulus, and Lucius Mummius; and among its later celebrities is Cardinal Baronius.
This text is from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
Sora city home page (http://www.comune.sora.fr.it)
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