Gaeta

Gaeta sits on a headland with an Angevin-Aragonese castle above the old quarter and a long beach curving east. At the tip, Monte Orlando is split by three deep fissures running from summit to sea, and local tradition connects them to the crucifixion; the Montagna Spaccata sanctuary was built across the largest, with a chapel and a stair descending between the rock walls to the Grotta del Turco, where the sea churns at the bottom. A boulder is jammed between the cliff faces above the stairs. The Angevin tower of the mausoleum of Lucius Munatius Plancus crowns the hill.

History

Gaeta, Roman Caieta, has played a conspicuous part in military history: its walls date from Roman times and were extended and strengthened in the 15th century, through the history of the Kingdom of Naples (Wikipedia, Gaeta).

What you'll find

• The Montagna Spaccata - three fissures splitting the mountain to the sea.
• The Grotta del Turco - a stair down between rock walls to the churning sea.
• The castle - Angevin and Aragonese halves above the old town.
• The Roman mausoleum - Plancus' circular tomb on the summit.

When to go

May to September; the sanctuary closes for a long midday break and in bad weather when the sea is high. Summer weekends are busy with Neapolitan visitors.

What to expect

The grotto stair is steep, wet and closed in rough seas. The castle is largely closed to visitors. Summer parking near the sanctuary is very limited.

Nearby

Sperlonga lies north; the Pontine islands are offshore.