▁the ▁most ▁ancient ▁in ▁the ▁West , ▁where ▁in ▁ 5 2 8 ▁St . ▁Bened ict ▁so j ourn ed ▁briefly . ▁In ▁ 5 4 3 , ▁during ▁the ▁Goth ic ▁Wars , ▁Al atri ▁was ▁s ack ed ▁and ▁destroyed ▁by ▁Tot ila ' s ▁troops . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁century ▁the ▁city ▁became ▁an ▁important ▁strong hold ▁of ▁the ▁pop es ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁obliged ▁to ▁leave ▁the ▁then ▁unsafe ▁Rome . ▁In ▁the ▁following ▁century ▁it ▁became ▁a ▁free ▁commune , ▁although ▁under ▁the ▁authority ▁of ▁the ▁b ish ops ▁and ▁the ▁po pe , ▁govern ed ▁by ▁cons uls ▁until ▁ 1 2 4 1 , ▁when ▁a ▁pod est à ▁was ▁introduced . ▁In ▁the ▁following ▁centuries ▁it ▁fl our ished ▁econom ically ▁and ▁expanded , ▁conqu ering ▁Col le p ardo , ▁Gu arc ino , ▁T riv igli ano , ▁V ico ▁and ▁F ros in one , ▁though ▁often ▁ham per ed ▁by ▁inner ▁str if es . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century ▁Al atri ▁started ▁to ▁lose ▁its ▁freedom , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁invol v ements ▁of ▁Lad is laus ▁of ▁Nap les ▁and ▁Pope ▁Martin ▁V . ▁After ▁the ▁short ▁se ign i ory ▁of ▁Fil ipp o ▁Maria ▁Vis cont i ▁in ▁ 1 4 3 4 , ▁the ▁city ▁had ▁to ▁accept ▁the ▁Pap al ▁su zer ain ty . ▁ ▁Str ugg les ▁with ▁the ▁neighbour ing ▁communes ▁continued , ▁and ▁in