In 419 the prefect of the town of Atina was the son of the Eastern Roman Emperor Arcadius. During a wedding feast the young man is said to have fallen in love with a beautiful and noble maiden named Minola. However Minola refused his advances and feeling rejected he went on to rape her. The people of Atina were outraged by this attrocious act and wanted justice for the crime he had committed, and so they killed him.
When the news of his demise arrived at the court of the emperor, Arcadius immediately sent his army to Atina. His troops made multiple unsuccessful attacks the town over a period of seven years. The emperor finally decided to set a trap, and he invited some representatives of Atina to sign a peace treaty. However when they arrived he had them stripped and murdered. Then, dressed as people of Atina, soldiers were able to penetrate Atina via the Porta Aurea.
Meanwhile the emperor arrived with his special troops, who conquered the hill and set fire to the town and murdered all of its inhabitants. From this terrible siege 200 children survived by being hidden underground. Surprised by the soldiers the children were captured and taken away to be sold as slaves. However when they reached the town of Veroli, the children were bought for ransome by the kind inhabitants who felt compassion for the children. They founded an area for these children to live in within Veroli, this still exists today and is known as Piagge Atinate.
The children grew and became strong and when they became adults they returned to their home of Atina and rebuilt the town together with the citizens of Veroli. Thus there developed a fraternal friendship linking the two towns. This was sanctioned by the Verolani Pacts which were public acts ratified in 1615, 1753, 1888 and 1981 to unite past and present citizens of the two towns and their descendants.
Thanks to Louise Shapcott