Page 477 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italy

LAZIO  475

u Terracina illuminated at night and offers
vertiginous views of Terracina
Latina. * 44,000. V @ n Viale and its bay.
Europa 204 (0773 70 77 02). ( Thu.
Roman Terracina was an important E Museo Archeologico
commercial centre on the Via Piazza Municipio. Tel 0773 70 73 13.
Appia (the Appian Way). Today it Open daily. Closed Mon pm, some
is a popular seaside resort, with pub hols. &
a fascinating collage of medieval
buildings and Roman ruins in its
historic centre, perched on the i Sperlonga
slopes of the Ausonian Hills. The Latina. * 4,000. @ n Corso San
more modern part of town by Leone 22 (0771 55 70 00). ( Sat.
the sea is full of restaurants, bars
and hotels. Sperlonga is a seaside resort
Bombing during World War II surrounded by sandy beaches.
uncovered many of the town’s The old town sits on a rocky
ancient structures, notably a promontory, a picturesque laby-
stretch of the Appian Way and rinth of whitewashed build ings, 12th-century bell tower at Gaeta
the original paving of the Roman narrow alleyways, piazzettas and
Forum in Piazza del Municipio. balconies offering an occa sional Homer’s Odyssey, are thought to
The 11th-century Duomo was glimpse of the sea below. It is be by the same artists from
built in the shell of now full of bars, restaurants and Rhodes (where the Emperor
a Roman temple, boutiques. The modern part of Tiberius once lived) who were
and is still entered town lies down on the seafront. responsible for the Laocoön
by the temple’s The area around Sperlonga (see p421). They are displayed,
steps. The medieval was a favourite retreat for along with other local finds,
portico is adorned the ancient Romans in the Museo Archeologico
with a lovely during the summer Nazionale, which is part of the
12th-century months. They built Archaeological Zone.
mosaic and the villas along the
interior preserves coast, and converted T Zona Archeologica
the 13th-century the natural caves Via Flacca. Tel 0771 54 80 28.
mosaic pavement. Duomo at Terracina with in the nearby cliffs Open daily. Closed 1 Jan, 25 Dec. &
Next door, the original Roman steps into places to dine
modern town hall and relax. o Gaeta
houses the Museo Archeo­ In 1957, archaeologists
logico, devoted to local Greek excavating the complex of Latina. * 22,000. @ n Piazza XIX
and Roman finds. Tiberius’s luxury villa, 1 km (half a Maggio (0771 46 91). ( Wed.
About 3 km (2 miles) above mile) from the southern outskirts
the town are the podium and of town, found some marvellous According to Virgil, Gaeta was
foundations that once supported 2nd-century-BC Hellenistic named after Aeneas’s wet nurse
the Temple of Jove Anxur, dating sculptures in a large cave open Caieta, who was allegedly
back to the 1st century BC. to the sea. These sculptures, buried here. The town sits on the
This huge arcaded platform is represent ing incidents from southern headland of the gulf
of Gaeta, under Monte Orlando.
The historic centre is dominated
by a mighty Aragonese castle
and the pinnacles of mock-
Gothic San Francesco. To the
north, the modern quarter links
Gaeta to the bay of Serapo,
a picturesque beach resort.
Gaeta’s most beautiful feature
is the Duomo’s elegant late
Romanesque bell tower, its lofty
summit topped by a roof of
coloured ceramic tiles. On the
seafront lies the tiny
10th-century church of San
Giovanni a Mare, with faded
frescoes, a hemispherical dome
and a sloping floor to let the sea
Stretches of sandy beach along the coast between Gaeta and Terracina flow out after flooding.

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