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are lost in legend: in the myth of Ulysses, who– so Homer narrates – spent more than a yearhere, seduced by the sorceress Circe; but also inthe myth of Aeneas, who, according to Virgil, bur-ied his beloved wet-nurse Caieta here (the town isin fact supposed to be named after her). What iscertain is that in Roman times Gaeta became animportant harbor and a prestigious holidaydestination for emperors, patricians, consuls andsenators. Here they built sumptuous villas withgardens, nymphaea, temples and mausoleums;many of their imposing ruins remain to this day.Located on a rugged peninsula, Gaeta is a natu-ral stronghold; easily defended. At the begin-ning of the Middle Ages it offered sanctuaryfrom pirates. In the middle of the 10th century,freed from the Saracens, the town became an au-tonomous duchy, with its own army, statutes andeven its own currency (the follaro). These factorsallowed Gaeta to develop extensive trade linksacross the Mediterranean, and be regarded asthe fifth Maritime Republic. In 1140 Gaeta wasconquered by Roger II of Sicily and became partof a unitary kingdom, remaining so for the follo-wing seven centuries. Placed in a strategic posi-

tion between the PapalStates and the Kingdomof Naples, Gaeta rein-forced its fortificationthrough the centuries.The castle, towers, bas-tions and walls werereinforced to withstandsiege after siege. At thesame time, new religiousand civic buildings wereconstructed, together with new churches as wellas aristocratic and royal palaces that hosted La-dislaus Anjou-Durazzo, Joan II of Naples and Al-fonso V of Aragon. After the Spanish conquest ofthe Kingdom of Naples, in 1504, Gaeta was fur-ther reinforced with fortifications and an impres-sive military contingent. It was from the port ofGaeta, in fact, that the Papal fleet that in 1571defeated the Ottoman Empire at Lepanto,Greece, first set sail (thestandard of that epicbattle, given to the townby the Captain Marcan-tonio Colonna, is now inthe Diocesan Museum).1734: Gaeta is conqueredby Charles III of Spain, founder of the Nea-politan line of the Bourbon dynasty (I Borbone).In 1848 Pope Pius IX sought refuge from theRoman Republic in Gaeta. Then there was Gari-baldi’s Expedition of the Thousands, the fall of theKingdom of the Two Sicilies, the retreat of FrancisII Borbone to Gaeta with his wife Maria Sophie,sister of the Empress of Austria “Sissi”….and, in1860-61, the siege of the town by the Piedmontarmy. The dramatic and devastating siege cameto an end, after 102 days, with the surrender ofthe King. The 13th February 1861, under the wallsof Gaeta, the Borbone dynasty came to an endand the unification of Italy was complete.

“One more immortal name thy deathbequeathed / Nurse of Aeneas, to Italian shores, Caieta” (Aeneid,VII,1-4)

Above, the 1861siege of Gaeta. To the left, Francis IIof Borbone, last sovereign to reign over the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

Aeneas in a Roman statuefrom the 2 nd century B.C.

A painting from 1850 by F. Vervolet,today at theRoyal Palace ofCaserta: Gaeta,Pius IX blessesthe members ofthe royal family,the people and the troops.

with a population of 22,000, is a town in theProvince of Latina, on the Lazio coast. It offers a key lo-cation amongst the most prestigious sites of Italy, beingclose to Rome, Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum, the Pa-lace of Caserta, the Abbey of Montecassino, Capri andPonza. Gaeta is a town full of economic and social op-portunities, due to its unquestionable tourist appeal, cul-tural liveliness, quality of life and its longstandingvocation as a “window” for products and ideas. Gaetais also a town of many delights: a year-long mild andtemperate climate; delicious food; glorious walks in a53 hectare (141 acres) park in the heart of the town;and old neighborhoods, churches and palaces, whichmake Gaeta an open air museum. First and foremost,the majestic Castle, which was already some centuriesold when the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II expand-ed it in 1227. Further expansions occurred with theAnjou and Aragon rulers. The castle is in fact named

tury as well as many other priceless exhibits. Next to theMuseum, there is the Cathedral of Sant’Erasmo, PatronSaint of Gaeta, with its splendid bell tower, 57 meters(187 ft) tall, in Arab-Norman style from the 12th century.Amongst the Cathedral’s many works of art, two areespecially worthy of mention: the renowned candela-brum of the Paschal candle, with 48 bas-relief represen-tations of the lives of Christ and Saint Erasmus; and the17th century crypt. The crypt is lined with stucco deco-rations, reliefs and multicolored marble intarsia; and

after them (Castello Angioino-Aragonese). Walking on,you find yourself in the medieval quarter, a maze of al-leys offering extraordinary views, with clusters of oldhouses, kitchen gardens, Roman columns and aristocrat-ic palaces (John Cabot, Pope Gelasius II, Thomas Caje-tan and Sebastiano Conca were born here).Descending toward the sea, you pass by the charming15th century Church of San Domenico, until you reachthe Diocesan Museum, which hosts the famous Standardof Lepanto, paintings dating from the 13th to the 19th cen-

On the left side of the building there is a gothic portaldating back to the Church’s initial construction (1321).The exquisite baroque façade by Andrea Lazzaridates from the 17th century, when the Church was com-pletely rebuilt. The bell-gable with the majolica-tiledclock, from the early 18th century, has the effect ofelongating the façade. Inside the elegant single nave,you can admire the fine paintings by Luca Giordanoand Sebastiano Conca; the impressive wood choirstalls; and, behind the altar, the large 16th century po-lyptych by Giovan Filippo Criscuolo. The Church is anintegral part of an oldcharitable organizationcreated by the people ofGaeta in 1320-21.Through a small door youenter the vestry, whichleads on to the beautiful“Golden Chapel”. In thesame street you can alsofind the Public Library“Salvatore Mignano” withthe Historical Archive; andthe Museum of the Center of Historical and Cultural Stud-ies “Gaeta”. Together, they contain one of the largestcollections of books and historical documents in the La-tina Province, as well as an archaeological section withseveral findings from the Roman era; and a gallery withseveral Medieval, Late Gothic, Renaissance and Ba-roque paintings. Continuing along the promenade,you reach the Gate of Charles V, built in the 16th cen-tury, and shortly after, is the Gate of Charles III, whichwas part of the fortifications the king built in the 13thcentury. And so you arrive to the vibrant heart of thetown, around Piazza della Libertà and the picturesquevia Indipendenza: almost 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) ofpedestrian street and colorful alleys, with small housesin pastel tones, flowery windows, cast iron balconiesand hanging laundry, as well as stalls, artisan shopsand boutiques.

closed by a bronze gate (1692) similar to the one found atthe Chapel of San Gennaro in Naples Cathedral. Goinguphill from the Cathedral you pass by the public con-temporary art gallery (Pinacoteca Comunale) “Giovannida Gaeta”, which hosts a large art collection; until youreach the magnificent Church of San Francesco, over-looking a long flight of steps. It was originally built as asmall church with a convent, by Francis of Assisi, livinghere around 1222. Later on, it was rebuilt by FerdinandII to commemorate Pius IX’s stay in Gaeta. From the Cas-tle, walking downhill toward the small harbour (portic-ciolo) of Santa Maria, there is the austere and charmingChurch of San Giovanni a Mare. Built in the 11th century,the Church has an Arab-style dome; the façade includes agothic portal and a small bell-gable, while the floor is slight-ly inclined. From here, walking along the promenade, youreach Piazza Traniello, with the Gran Guardia, a clois-tered neoclassical building dating from 1786. Facing theGran Guardia, is the old Town Hall (1475), which wasrestored in the 19th century by Ferdinand II Borbone.Walking along the promenade you then reach the splen-did Church of the Santissima Annunziata.

The Santissima Annunziata’s jewel: aRenaissance chapel lined with a boise-rie gilded in fine gold and 19 panelsby Criscuolo representing the youngJesus Christ. This is a clear reference tothe fact that in the 14th century the chap-el belonged to a children’s charitableorganization. Above the altar is the Im-macolata by Scipione Pulzone: it waswhile praying here that Pius IX wasinspired to proclaim the dogma of theImmaculate Conception.

THE GOLDEN CHAPEL

L’oeuvre ultime by Hans Hartung at the Caserma Cosenz

The Church of San Francesco

The Castle

The Cathedral’s bell tower

An alley in the medieval quarter

The Church ofSan Giovanni a Mare

The Gate of Charles III

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Gaeta’s history, nature andclimate created the conditionsfor an exceptional culinary tra-dition: it should suffice to saythat the first written documentwhere the word “pizza” ap-pears is the Codex Diplomati-cus Caietanus, 997 A.D. Oneof Gaeta’s many specialties isthe Tiella, an old recipe that indays gone by provided a com-plete meal for peasants and fish-ermen: two sheets of pastryfilled with Mediterranean veg-etables or fish, like octopus,anchovies, onions or endive.The Spagnoletta is a tomato

typical of this area, with a distinctive segmentedshape and a unique Mediterranean flavor. Gae-ta’s olives in brine are famous all around theworld: you can find them in any supermarket, fromNew York to Hong Kong! Other specialties includesalt anchovies, mussels and other sea food, as wellas a large variety of Christmas’s sweets.

and rugged cliffs make this one of the most stunningcoastlines of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Gaeta has seven fan-tastic beaches: finest sand, crystal clear water, smallcoves and hidden caves that can be explored either onfoot, or by snorkeling or scuba-diving. Some of the cliffsrise vertically from the sea, offering an extraordinary set-ting for free-climbing. The locations are sensational andthe names evocative. Sant’Agostino, the longest beach,is sheltered by the red buttress of the Mount Moneta,which is favored by rock-climbers. San Vito is accessibleeither by sea or via exclusive hotels: a quaint little beach

Gaeta is an ideal location for sport andrecreational boating. As well as havinga number of sport facilities, Gaeta is per-fect for sailing, thanks to the strongGulf’s breezes; and for swimming andsnorkeling around the many islet andmarine caves. The large natural park inthe heart of the town is great for moun-tain biking. But Gaeta also offers the ex-clusive chance to engage in excitingsport-climbing on Monte Moneta or onthe sheer cliff face of Monte Orlando.

of Holm Oak, Cork Oak, Aleppo Pine, the rareMediterranean Fan Palm and a shrubland of the fragrantMediterranean macchia. In the heart of town, the 53 hect-ares of Monte Orlando form a stunning natural park withdramatic cliffs which drop sharply into the sea. The parkhas many hidden treasures, such as the majestic Mauso-leum of the Roman consul Lucius Munatius Plancus, builtaround 20 B.C. and amongst the best-preserved of theantiquity; or the powder magazines of the Borbone era,now transformed into museums. Amongst breathtakingscenery lies the split mountain: according to legend itsthree deep clefts were causedby an earthquake broughtabout by the death of Christ.Near the entrance is the so-cal-led “Turk’s hand”. This is an im-pression of a hand left by asailor who refused to believe thestory of the mountain; on touch-ing the rock it became soft aswax, therefore forever leavinghis handprint in the rock. Thesemiraculous events were com-memorated by the building ofthe Sanctuary of the Santissima Trinità, its Way of theCross and a chapel where Saint Francis, Saint Bernardinoof Siena, Saint Filippo Neri and numerous popes havecome to pray. Next to the Sanctuary, a steep flight ofstairs leads down to the Grotta del Turco (Turk’s Grotto).

FLAVOURS OF THE SEA

MADE FOR SPORTSerapo beach

Ariana beach

Arenauta beach

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A path in the Park of Monte Orlando

Turk’s Grotto

The Sanctuary of the Santissima Trinità

(old neighborhood) still pre-serves its rural and maritime hi-story and traditions; like that ofthe shipbuilding industry, still val-ued today. Amongst the most in-teresting sites to visit, there is theChurch degli Scalzi (literally: ofthe barefooted), dating back tothe 15th century. It is dedicatedto the Madonna di Porto Salvo,celebrated on the second Sun-day of August with a processionof dozens of boats across thesea. Also of interest is the oldquarter “Castello”, Gaeta’s firstsettlement of peasants and fish-ermen, dating back to the DarkAges. Another ancient traditionis “glie Sciusce”: local carolers,playing traditional instruments,sing season’s greetings in thestreet and door to door on NewYear’s Eve.

surrounded by rocks full of caves and gorges. The Are-nauta, a naturist’s haven, is wild and secluded. TheAriana, whose name comes from the union of the twowords “aria sana” (salubrious air), is a beach surround-ed by the typical Mediterranean flora (macchia), andis characterized by the “rock of the three dogs”. Thesmall and secluded Beach Quaranta Remi (literally: 40oars), only accessible by swimming or by boat, gets itsname from an old shipwreck. The Pozzo del Diavolo (Dev-il’s well) lies nearby: it is a large hole in the rock whichdescends 50 meters (164 ft) to the sea and is accessiblefrom above or by sea. Fontania draws its name from theRoman consul Gneo Fonteo, who discovered this naturalparadise where he built his summer villa, the remains ofwhich are still visible today. Opposing the beach is asmall islet coveted by divers for its waters teeming withmulticolored fish. Last, but not least, there is Serapo, along-time favorite with the people of Gaeta. Serapo is inthe heart of the town and boasts 1.5 km (1 mile) of sandand clear blue sea. It is a spectacular crescent beachclose to the medieval quarter, surrounded by the marinereserve “Oasi blu” and sheltered by the Natural Park ofMonte Orlando with its signature Montagna Spaccata(literally: split mountain), and the Sanctuary of the San-tissima Trinità (Holy Trinity).

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