A Maritime Republic and holiday destination already known at the time of the ancient Romans, Gaeta, about 140 km from Rome and 70 from Latina, is located on the spur of Monte Orlando. This seaside resort has a temperate climate and a wealth of historical, monumental and religious testimonials.
Its coastline has a series of beautiful beaches bordered by rocky spurs, on which stand coastal towers, bays and little coves.
The most ancient part winds around the majestic Angevin-Aragonese Castle. There are numerous important religious buildings, including the Cathedral of Sant’Erasmo with the cosmatesque mid to late 12th-century bell tower, and the church of Santissima Annunziata with the chapel, Cappella d’oro, entirely decorated in wood and pure gold.
Definitely not to be missed near the district of Sant’Erasmo, is the Sanctuary of the Santissima Trinità on Monte Orlando, a protected area in the Regional Park of Riviera di Ulisse. In the Sanctuary area is the must see cave, Grotta del Turco and the cleft in the rock, called split mountain, Montagna Spaccata.
A typical Gaeta expression of folklore is Gliu Sciuscio on the night of December 31st: numerous orchestras of young Gaetans play in the streets and houses of Gaeta, intoning typical well-wishing songs.
The cuisine of this town of the Pontine riviera is rich and tasty. The olives are considered a heritage of Gaeta’s gastronomy, the tiella is a famous typical seafood dish, whose name probably derives from the pan in which it was prepared, a rustic circular pizza whose filling may contain fish (anchovies, sardines, octopus and squid) and vegetables, ricotta, tomato and onion.
