A region of east-central Italy extending from the eastern slopes of the Apennines to the Adriatic Sea. Colonized by Rome in the 3rd century B.C., it was under papal control for much of the period from the 16th to the 19th century.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
