Riviera di Ulisse Park: History, archaeology and nature

The Park has been named after Ulisse (Italian version for Ulysses) the Homeric hero who, according to mythology and legends sailed all over the moored his ships in the Gulf of Gaeta and supplied with water, he left for other adventures along the coast of South Pontino in southern Latium. The Greek hero reached also the area where now there is Sperlonga before being seduced by Circe, the famous sorceress living in a cave on Mt Circeo promontory.

Since the late Republican Age (2nd-1st century BC), the whole area around the Gulf of Gaeta (the ancient sinus Amyclanus) have been used by wealthy Roman families who built their residential quarters , funerary buildings, small private ports and fishing places. All of them belonged to the Roman aristocracy and were important characters of Rome who had chosen this area as a privileged place of holiday residence. The Sud Pontino heritage and cultural ruts are deeply connected with Rome’s history.

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The three areas included in the Riviera D’Ulisse Park display remarkable signs of the past such as the mausoleum of Munatius Plancus, the largest and best preserved ancient Roman tomb in the world, the amazing and unusual villa of Emperor Tiberius with its open-air museum near Sperlonga and the imposing rests of a wealthy Roman knight, Mamurra at Gianola’s promontory. Several mediaeval sea watchtowers were also built all along the coast in order to hold off the raids by pirates. In the ancient Rome’s age these three areas and the entire remaining coast in between were chosen as holiday territory for the wealthy and noble in ancient Rome

The natural beauty, excellent climate, and the richness offered by South Tyrrhenian Sea and by the land attracted here naturally rich and important characters of Rome. Romans were great engineers and water was brought from in the area from the mountains by a large aqueduct only few miles inland from Mt Scauri towards the mountains. The aqueduct ruins are still visible now in the countryside close to the Roman Museum of ancient Minturnae, 3 to 4 miles away from the small Ancient Roman Port at Gianola. The first important ancient Roman road, the Appian Way (or Via Appia) was passing through this and other areas of the Sud Pontino and was connecting Rome to the south of the peninsula up to the south eastern region of Apulia.

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A mild and sunny climate was in favor of agriculture and from the sea to the closest southern Aurunci Mountains slopes it was discovered that the soil was perfect for grape vines and olive trees which could readily nourish themselves even in the dry and mineral-rich tufa and soil. These are though and resistant plants whose ruts grow strong to find their nourishment where grain fails in the struggle. From that time to till our days the vineyards and olive groves have never disappeared from gardens and fields from the coast to hills and valleys around the park. Obviously these particular crops were developed by the wealthy men who could afford to wait five years for the first vintage and fifteen years for the first returns on their investment in the olive groves.

Many built their summer villas and spent their retirement age on these traits of coast. In fact, the park, although small is home to truly outstanding archaeological treasures among which the holiday home of Roman Emperors, statesmen, knights and tombs of world-wide characters such as Cicero and general Munatius Plancus . There are also the rests of several small old Roman harbors at Gianola, Formia, Gaeta and Sperlonga . In ancient times these were most likely small, private ports for important and rich Romans citizens.

This remarkable archaeological patrimony unveils within the space of no more than 20 miles along the coast. The calcareous nature of the territory is characterized in some points by characteristic and fascinating places and the park itineraries offer the opportunity to observe formations like rocky bays, secluded beaches, fossils, faults, imposing cliffs, and marine caves. The cliffs of Mt. Orlando and Sperlonga are a natural and spectacular southern section of the Aurunci mountains slopes, ending directly into the sea. These landscapes seem to materialize a perfect symbiosis of scenery, history and art; once in the park, it comes almost natural imagining an ancient Roman ship approaching the little ancient harbours in these enchanted landscapes. The combination of archaeology, sea and nature is very enjoyable and the traveller may often find his thoughts and imagination between legend and history.

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