ausonia

Ausonia is a toponym with more than one geographic sense. In classical and medieval literature, Ausonia referred to parts of southern Italy, especially the Italic lands south of Latium. The name is etymologically linked to the Ausones, an ancient Italic people, and was used by Latin authors to designate the southern portion of the Italian peninsula. Over time the term appeared in travel writings and geographic descriptions as a historical or poetic designation for southern Italy.

In contemporary use, Ausonia is the name of a comune in the Lazio region of central Italy, situated in the province of Frosinone. As a municipality, it represents a small rural community within southern Lazio and has its own local government and administration.

Etymology and usage notes: Ausonia gave rise to the adjectival and demonym forms Ausonian/Ausonians, used historically to describe things related to southern Italy or its inhabitants. The term is related to the name of the ancient people Ausones and has appeared in various literary and geographic contexts throughout Italian and Latin literature.

See also: Ausones, Ausonian.