The best MTB trails around Gaeta

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.

Descending from Monte Orlando on a beautiful winding road, we suddenly find ourselves in front of a beautiful view of medieval Gaeta and the Angevin-Aragonese Castle in the foreground.

If you don't want to push the bike, you can go back and, as we did, take another trail, although we find other stairs there too, but there are fewer.

Splendid panorama of Serapo beach.

The Park of Monte Orlando covers an area of 89 hectares, of which 59 are land area and 30 are marine area. Located within the territory of Gaeta, the Park represents the terminal part of the Aurunci mountain system. This protected area is managed by the Riviera di Ulisse Regional Park Authority together with the areas of the Gianola and Monte di Scauri Suburban Regional Park and the Natural Monument of Sperlonga. With a typically rounded shape, Monte Orlando is connected to the mainland to the north by a thin strip of land and ends in the south with a high rocky coast characterized by spectacular cliffs. The territory is affected by the corrosive action of water; in fact, rain penetrating the rocks dissolves the calcium carbonate contained within them, giving rise to numerous and typical erosive forms. The sea has also contributed to shaping the promontory and, over the centuries, through wave motion, has modeled and etched the rocks, leaving fossil traces, recognizable signs of the ancient sea level. Human intervention, in different historical eras, has left its mark on Monte Orlando. Particular attention should be paid to the military fortifications, built both outside and inside the current Park, which made Gaeta a fortress of strategic importance for the Kingdom of Naples. At the summit, we find the Mausoleum of Lucius Munatius Plancus.

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.

After the dirt road immersed in a beautiful beech forest, you reach a picnic area where you turn right towards Christ the Redeemer.

Once at the top of the climb, a wonderful panorama opens up over the valley with a view of Christ the Redeemer.