The best city hikes and walks around Parco dei Monti Aurunci

Gaeta is a pretty coastal town on the Tyrrhenian Sea with beautiful beaches and a historic old town worth seeing.

This famous archaeological site is the tomb of Lucius Munatius Planco, a Roman consul and founder of Lyon and Basel. The mausoleum is located on the summit of Monte Orlando, from where you can also admire the entire Gulf of Gaeta, the Aurunci mountain range, Monte Circeo, the Pontine Islands, and Vesuvius. Lucius Munatius Planco, a lover and admirer of these places, fascinated by their beauty but also attracted by the strategic position and natural fortifications of Gaeta, chose Monte Orlando, wanting once again to excel and ensure his protection. Unlike the mausoleum, which is in good condition today, so much so that it is considered one of the most important existing Roman funerary art artifacts, his sumptuous villa has almost completely disappeared. Few remains of it are left in the area of the Sanctuary of the SS Trinità. The construction dates back to 22 BC and is perfectly circular in shape with a tumulus covering. Inside, this monumental tomb consists of four cells accessible from a circular corridor (ambulatory) and arranged according to the 4 cardinal points. The cells house an antiquarium of artifacts from different historical eras found in the area of Gaeta, and in the main one at the entrance, a copy of the original statue of the consul can be admired, which is currently in Rome. The diameter of the structure is 29.54 meters, while the external circumference measures 93.10.

Stunning place with cliffs overlooking the sea....This structure represents an important testimony to the complex military fortification system of Gaeta dating back to the Aragonese and Bourbon periods. It was part of the stronghold's powder magazine triptych along with "Carolina" and "Ferdinando", and was originally used for storing gunpowder.

The powder magazines are an important historical testament to human presence and activity on Monte Orlando in past eras, and they are part of the complex of fortifications and military construction artifacts dating back to the Aragonese and Bourbon dominations (14th-18th centuries). Even in more recent times, as indeed already in Roman times, the extraordinary strategic position of Monte Orlando was appreciated. The powder magazines enclose, within mighty walls, installations where war material (mainly gunpowder) was stored. Today, the Carolina, the Ferdinando, and the Trabacco are preserved in good condition and clearly visible.

It was probably erected in the 6th century during the Gothic War or in the 7th century when the maritime areas of Lazio and Campania were the object of the expansionist ambitions of the Lombards. In the Gaetan documents of that period, Gaeta began to be referred to by the epithet "Kastrum". Certain news of the existence of the Castle of Gaeta dates back to the time of Frederick II of Swabia, who, during the period of struggles with the papacy, stayed in Gaeta on several occasions, and, sensing its strategic position, had the castle fortified there in 1223. The structure we admire today, approximately 14,100 square meters in size, is called the Angevin-Aragonese Castle because it consists of two communicating buildings built at two different historical moments, one lower down called "Angevin", built during the French domination of the Angevins, and one higher up called "Aragonese", commissioned by Emperor Charles V along with all the other military defense works that strengthened the Fortress of Gaeta. Until a few years ago, the Angevin wing was the seat of the Gaeta Military Prison; it is currently owned by the Municipality of Gaeta, closed pending restoration, and there is a memorandum of understanding signed between the City of Gaeta and the University of Cassino (FR) which intends to designate this wing of the castle in the future as the seat of university faculties for maritime disciplines. Until the end of World War II, the Aragonese wing was the seat of a Carabinieri Cadets Battalion; today, however, it houses the Guardia di Finanza's Nautical School. In the dome of the highest tower of the castle is the Royal Chapel, commissioned by King Ferdinand of Bourbon in 1849.

This famous archaeological site is the tomb of Lucius Munatius Planco, a Roman consul and founder of Lyon and Basel. The mausoleum is located on the summit of Monte Orlando, from where you can also admire the entire Gulf of Gaeta, the Aurunci mountain range, Monte Circeo, the Pontine Islands, and Vesuvius. An admirer and connoisseur of these places, fascinated by their beauty but also enticed by the strategic position and natural fortifications of Gaeta, Lucius Munatius Planco, by choosing Monte Orlando, wanted, once again, to excel and ensure his protection. Unlike the mausoleum, which is in good condition today, so much so that it is considered one of the most important existing Roman funerary art artifacts, his sumptuous villa has almost entirely disappeared. Few remains of it are left in the area of the Sanctuary of the SS. Trinità. The construction dates back to 22 BC and is perfectly circular in shape with a tumulus covering. Inside, this monumental tomb consists of four cells accessible from a circular corridor (ambulatory) and arranged according to the 4 cardinal points. The cells house an antiquarium of artifacts from different historical eras found in the area of Gaeta, and in the main one at the entrance, a copy of the original statue of the consul, currently in Rome, can be admired. The diameter of the structure is 29.54 meters, while the external circumference measures 93.10.

The city of Gaeta owes its name to Caieta, Aeneas's nurse, who, according to tradition, is buried right here. According to another interpretation, it derives from the Greek term indicating the “cavity” of the famous gulf. Whatever the truth, what is certain is that the city has a very ancient history, a past that can still be felt in some areas such as the medieval quarter of Sant’Erasmo, attested as early as the era of the Duchy of Gaeta and the maritime republics. A decadent nostalgia can be felt in the streets of the quarter, visibly marked by the bombings of World War II. However, houses dating back to the 12th century are still visible along narrow alleys made of stairs, underpasses, and arches. The medieval quarter has two hearts. The first is the Church of San Giovanni a Mare, a 10th-century Romanesque building with evident Byzantine influence. The second is the Cathedral, consecrated in the 12th century. Inside, a splendid marble Easter candelabrum is kept, while outside stands the imposing Arab-Sicilian bell tower, with interwoven arches, inlays, and majolica tiles. Above all dominates the Aragonese-Angevin castle, which dates back to the 8th century and was later enlarged in the 13th and then in the 16th centuries. Finally, visit the Church of the Annunciation with the Golden Grotto, the Sanctuary of the Split Mountain with the mausoleum of Lucius Munatius Plancus, and the characteristic Via dell'Indipendenza.

Wonderful and Fascinating Place The Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity at Montagna Spaccata is a place of deep spirituality, immersed in the extraordinary natural setting of Monte Orlando, in Gaeta. It stands on the remains of the Roman villa of Lucius Munatius Plancus, and owes its name to three imposing fissures in the rock, two of which are visitable. Founded around 930 AD by Benedictine monks, the sanctuary has always been a center of prayer and meditation. It is a place of attraction for pilgrims and visitors from all over the world, fascinated by the sacredness and history of the place. In addition to the suggestive Chapel of the Crucifix, the Church of the Sanctuary, and the Grotta del Turco, the complex offers visitors a spiritual journey between faith and nature, with breathtaking views of the sea. A point of reference for those seeking a moment of recollection and inner peace, immersed in an environment that combines religion, history, and the wonders of creation.