Deepening :

A postcard of a perfect Mediterranean village

Tiny seaside mediaeval village, Sperlonga lies in the middle of the Land of Aeneas and Ulysses’ coastline and right halfway between Rome and Naples on spectacular stretch of the South Tyrrhenian Sea.

The town becomes visible at the fifteen kilometer along the ancient SS 213 Via Flacca between Terracina and Gaeta along with white, sandy beach and the deep blue waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea laying straight ahead.

Sperlonga was originally the site of an imperial villa built by Emperor Tiberius but after the Roman empire’s decline its rocky spur became a refuge for fishermen, peasants, and maybe a small community of Benedictine monks from the church of S.Maria Assunta.

Whoever visits Sperlonga enjoys the soothing and siren effect that the village gives to the traveler.

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It is not difficult to understand why: two large and marvelous golden sand semi-circulars beaches stretching for miles where to enjoy the strong Mediterranean Sun from April-May to late September with the bare beauty of the Aurunci mountains and hills on the background. The summer in the Land of Aeneas and Ulysses lasts at least six months, long after Italy’s northern resorts have folded their last deck chairs and closed the flashing lights of beachfront discos.

Sperlonga’s waters are regularly awarded with the prestigious environmental rating ‘Bandiera blu d’Europa’ (European blu flag) for its beautiful, clean sea with its particular shade blending sky’s blue and crystal green reflexes from the surrounding hills.

This is due to the distance from large cities and the absence of nearby large-scale industrial developments. The marine flora and fauna has also remained unspoiled; a carpet of Poseidonian algae, evidence of the best biological equilibrium, fringes its rocky promontories.

Two small lakes, nicknamed by the locals ‘the eyes of Sperlonga’, add charm to the surrounding landscape. The Lake Lungo (Lago Lungo) is just separated from the sea only by a narrow line of Mediterranean dunes. The Lago San Puoto or San Potito has fewer fish but boast a rich vegetation, home to many and rare lagoon birds. The lake is named after a small ancient XII century church and monastery built there and dedicated to San Puoto.

The village has its houses in typical white-washed Mediterranean style, many of which with an amazing view from their old balconies and spectacular roof terraces. Every street has a surprise to offer.

The historic centre is completely traffic-free and it is not difficult to understand why. Sperlonga houses are heaped up one on top of the other on the towering limestone promontory with miniature streets where not even a driver with a Smart could fit.