 Near the town is the stream Giovenco, identified as the ancient stream known as "Pitonius".The ancient "Marruvium "was the chief city of the Italic tribe of the Marsi; "Marruvii "or "Marrubii " is another form of the name of the Marsi, and was used by Virgil as an ethnic appellation.In accordance with this, Silius Italicus also describes Marruvium as deriving its name from a certain Marrus, who is evidently only an eponymous hero of the Marsi.