Itri : The Landscape of Itri

The village still conserves the unchanged romantic atmosphere of its historical events. Itri was already well known in the medieval age as Gaeta’s defensive inland stronghold. In olden times it was also main door for travellers and pilgrims coming from or travelling to the mountains from the shores of southern Lazio. In fact, Itri is the crossway of roads leading to Gaeta and to the beautiful village of Sperlonga known for the beauties of its beaches and the crystalline sea.

            The Castle of Itri

The nearest corner of sea to Itri is Punta Cetarola, a scenic side of coastline with rocks and natural terraces on the sea along the ancient Via Flacca SS 213. This beautiful part of the coast is now protected as Natural Monument together with the amazing emperor Tiberius’ villa and it is still considered to be among one of the clearer corners of sea in Italy, rewarded the “Blue flag” by the Foundation of Environmental Education (FEE). From Punta Cetarola to Sperlonga it is also possible to see the three ancient sighting towers, built at the time of the Saracens’ raids; here we can enjoy the beauty of the sea from Truglia tower, Capovento Tower and Nibbio tower.

Both Sperlonga and Punta Cetarola are within easy reach from Itri in less than 15 minutes driving on secondary roads from the village among a beautiful Mediterranean landscape of mountains, hills, and valleys with vineyards and olive groves. Exiting the village it is possible to drive along roads crossing narrow valleys among hills with olive groves and vineyards in offering charming terraces with view on Sperlonga or Gaeta’s Gulf according to the chosen direction. Coming from Gaeta’s travellers arrive in one of the main squares (Piazza Diaz) of Itri.

From here the castle dominates the village and the houses around which make an interesting and scenic atmosphere, from typical shops, bars and small typical restaurants with tables open al fresco, which, in the eventful summer evenings, fill with occasional tourists. Until the very end of 1800s impenetrable forest woodland covered this area the whole territory gave secure shelter to numerous gangs of bandits of all sorts. Some of them were only robbers and adventurers while other were patriots fighting for justice against the many invaders of this land.

Today many internal valleys are peaceful and green Mediterranean pastures alternate with hilly land farmed and covered by typical terracing where olive groves are reigning.On the southern slopes where the Aurunci mountains face the sea the vegetation is scarce with drier, sunny slopes with a fantastic view on either Gaeta’s bay or Sperlonga’s sea; here the mountains southern side has typical Mediterranean woods, with a the charming Mediterranean Pine, cork tree, beech and holm oak.

The sea winds gave the seaward slopes a barren appearance, with landscape of low scrub or garrigue. Aromatic shrubs such as lavender, rosemary, wild thyme and Artemisia are common garrigue plants. Here the Mediterranean bush is the symbol of nature’s strength and determination that resists to everything: hot sun (up to temperature over 40 c* in the summer hottest days), winds, rain, and fire.

Mastic and strawberry trees, daphne, cistus, rosemary and heather and many other plants varieties cover the sunny hills and mountains in every season. Not far away from these southern slopes, one or two miles inland on the slopes facing the northern and internal mountains and hills, the vegetation is more luxuriant especially on the higher and cooler hills; this side presents a greener landscape ranging gradually from a low bush area with shrubs, terebinth, broom and heather to a scrub of holm oak, cork-trees, hornbeam, durmast, manna-has and field maple.