The chasms of the Montagna Spaccata are popular with climbers. The coastline between Gaeta and Sperlonga is called The Coast of the Seven Beaches, so be sure to spend a day at the beach and enjoy the clear water and golden sand. Local foods to try are the Tiella Gaetana, a sort of savory pie that combines pizza dough with whatever is at hand, a useful and ingenious way to use leftovers or, as the say, a peasant's way to use what they had!
Gaeta olives are violet-colored olives that are prized all around Italy. Alici sotto sale are fresh-caught anchovies that are preserved in salt no resemblance to the canned variety you buy. Fiordilatte is a rich mozzarella type cheese. The giant red-tinged Romanesco artichokes and Latina kiwi are locally grown. Try the Moscato di Terracina, a fruity highly aromatic wine that comes in a dry as well as sweet variety. A beautiful coastal town on a hill above the sea near Gaeta, the old town is a charming warren of lanes.
A planned beach resort that deliberately left the waterfront mostly undeveloped provides plenty of sandy stretches and a natural feel. Straddling the border between Lazio and Campania, the city of Sessa Aurunca has found itself at strategic crossroads throughout its very long history. Toggle navigation Rent your vacation villa in Italy with us!
Search Villas Italian villas by region Amalfi Coast. Sorrento Coast. Cilento National Park. Lake Como. Rome and Latium. The oldest part of town is clustered on the promontory around the castle like a hill town, while below the newer center is more level.
A train station at next-door Formia gets you to Rome or Naples in about an hour. Boaters will be happy here with the marinas and the varied coastline you can cruise or sail to, including the pretty island of Ponza. This is a friendly town and one where English is spoken—thanks to the small navy presence. It is on a pretty piece of coastline, but there are mountains just beyond for a variety of hikes or horse rides.
Situated between Rome and Naples gives you access to the culture and events in both cities. A dusting of snow may happen occasionally, but generally winter temperatures average 45 F to 52 F, cooling down 10 degrees or so at night. Summers are warm, averaging 82 F by day but cooling down to 69 F or 70 F at night, though July and August may see temperatures up to 90 F or so. He left behind a handprint in the stone, which remains as as a record of this miracle.
As these tales suggest, there is an unusual and bizarre combination of attractions at the Sanctuary. Modern visitors who make their way to this spot can descend a staircase to admire the the Grotta del Turco closed lunchtimes, access via turnstile, offerings expected , visit the church, file through the Split Mountain and marvel at the miraculous handprint, making it a very varied and novel tourist attraction.
The Grotta del Turco is dramatic, but although older flights of steps descend to sea level, at the time of writing the natural phenomenon can only be admired from a viewing platform above.
Visitors can get more up-close with the other big attraction here, the 'Split Mountain' which contains the miraculous hand print. Accessed down a lane to the right of the church, this cracked mountainside is really very impressive. Visitors can follow steps which pass through the narrow fissure in the rocks, also the route of a Via Crucis. The path leads to a small chapel perched upon a boulder which fell and became wedged in the crack in the 15th century, near a rocky alcove said to be the 'bed' of 16th-century saint Filippo Neri, who came here to pray.
Visitors can stand upon the roof of this chapel and marvel at the remarkable surroundings. The miraculous 'handprint of the Turk' - La Mano del Turco - is preserved in a rock face by the path, commemorated with a Latin inscription.
There is a choice of routes to reach the Santuario from the historic centre, circling the base of Monte Orlando. The most straightforward walking route is to follow the coastal road back out of the centre, towards modern Gaeta. Part of this walk is a little dull, so non-drivers could consider taking a bus as far as the junction where the road for the Santuario, Via L.
Planco, heads uphill, or hiring a taxi for the whole journey. There is a car park here, at the base of Monte Orlando, and additional parking close to the Santuario. From here the access road rises through woodland and past a belvedere to the Sanctuary on the cliffs.
Little souvenir stalls cluster outside. There are toilets and a drinking-water tap at the sanctuary offerings suggested. To continue with a walk over Monte Orlando, take a signposted path leading up from the buildings on the uphill side of the complex. Look out for the ruins of Roman cisterns, part of a villa complex, by the path. A Roman senator and consul, Lucius Munatius Plancus was an ally of Julius Caesar and later switched his allegiance from Mark Anthony to the future emperor Octavian, shifting successfully with the times.
He owned a grand villa in Gaeta, and the mausoleum was probably built in its grounds. It is open to the public, but with limited and seasonal opening hours small entrance charge.
The mausoleum is signposted from most of the footpaths and access points on Monte Orlando as 'Mausoleo L. From either the historic centre or the Montagna Spaccata, the ascent is likely to take around minutes. Starting from the Montagna Spaccata, where the track begins with gentle zig-zags in a well-laid but bumpy stone surface, allows for a varied and scenic ramble which will lead you over the hill and back down into the historic centre of Gaeta.
Other paths lead off, some with signposts. It's helpful if you have a map, or photograph one of the information sign maps, as the footpath layout is somewhat confusing. If you have time to roam and explore, there is plenty to enjoy and discover in these picturesque natural surroundings, including the military ruins dotted around the slopes, many dating from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Although the hill is mostly wooded, there are moments when the view opens up to reveal the sea, or Gaeta's beaches, and among ruined fortifications and olive trees the visitor will occasionally find wooden benches for resting and enjoying the surroundings.
The mausoleum is situated on a bare, woodland-fringed plateau at the summit of Monte Orlando. A cylindrical construction, like the more famous monuments still surviving in Rome such as Castel Sant' Angelo and the Mausoleum of Augustus, it is decorated around the top with a frieze of carved religious and military emblems. Although the low trees around the hilltop, and the fact you can't access the roof, make it hard to get a full impression of the mausoleum's commanding location when you're standing next to it, this huge construction would have dominated the neighbouring area and must have been a striking landmark when seen from ships for two thousand years.
A mound would originally have topped the cylindrical building, crowned with a statue or trophy. More recently the tomb was used as a watchtower and then a telegraph station. The grandeur of this ancient monument can be appreciated without entering, but if you visit during opening hours it is extremely interesting to tour the interior. In spite of this, it's an extremely popular summertime destination because of its seven fabulous beaches.
Locals and Italians from all over the country flock to these beaches to soak up the sun and watch surfing events. Whenever you visit, you'll find plenty to do, from hiking Monte Orlando to seeing ancient ruins to wandering the old, narrow streets to shop and eat.
Plus, because it's in the southern end of Lazio, visiting Gaeta is a great way to get a taste of southern Italy — great food, friendly residents, tons of ambiance and a sense of history that ties everything together.
Gaeta is one of the southernmost cities in the Lazio region, the region surrounding Rome see Southern Lazio map. Situated on a peninsula that juts into the Tyrrhenian Sea, it occupies a strategic location on Italy's west coast.
The closest train station is in Formia, reached by train from Rome or Naples. Driving is a good alternative except during August, when beachgoers traveling from Rome and Naples bring traffic to a standstill. The closest airports are in Naples and Rome see Italy airports map. Gaeta has a good bus system, but if you stay downtown you probably won't need it except to visit one of the famous beaches outside of town.
You can also take a taxi — perhaps from your hotel to the old city or to Monte Orlando. If you arrive by car, be sure to pay attention to parking regulations. Gaeta's tourist information office is in Piazza Traniello , also the local bus terminus.
It's just a few blocks' walk from the old city, on the tip of the peninsula. You'll probably find at least one English-speaking person at the tourist office because Gaeta is home to the U. Navy's Sixth Fleet flagship. If you're arriving by car, Villa Irlanda Grand Hotel , in a former convent, is a luxurious option.
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