One of the many beaches between Gaeta and Sperlonga
Newsletter November 2007
The South Pontino , undiscovered Italy 60 miles south of Rome.
Topic : Useful Information
Some of Rome's best-hidden history, legacy and secrets are tucked well away in the ancient villages and towns of the surrounding Lazio region.
The countryside and seaside south of Rome in southern Latium is geographically called South Pontino (Sud Pontino in Italian). Italy's magical combination of sun, sea, cuisine and culture has long attracted travelers to its beautiful shores. Surprisingly, in Italy there are still some undiscovered corners and the South Pontino is one of them. This territory, once known traditionally as the ‘Campagna Romana’ (means the Roman countryside), graces the canvases of most 18th and 19th
century Italian landscape artists. Visiting this landscape is what the Romans call a ‘scampagnata’, literally meaning, an escape into the countryside and the sea.
Either by driving or train travellers will enjoy the view of landscapes which are beautiful and tranquil, ancient and mysterious. Travelers going south of Rome by train will experience a quiet and peaceful journey in the middle of rural South Italy. For fans of driving nothing better than following that stylish retro’ Alfa Romeo leaving Rome’s suburbia and heading south on the old SS 148 Via Pontina road.
This ancient Roman road was built more than 2000 years ago’ by the Romans and will take travellers up to the enchanting Gulf of Gaeta right in the hearth of Sud Pontino. The Sud Pontino lies in the province of Latina little more than an hour and half driving south of Rome. About one hour driving south out of Rome, starting from the Circeo Promontory, travellers will be in a sunny corner of Italy with landscapes blending magically the nearness of the Ausoni and Aurunci mountains to the South Tyrrhenian Sea.
Click on Photos to see the photografies of the Newsletter
The Sud Pontino is still unspoilt and plenty of traditions, an old land with many ancient hidden treasures. It is a world away from the polluted, noisy and tourists-packed streets of Rome. A land of sea and mountains, with scents of the sea blending with the wild Mediterranean herbs and flowers of rosemarine, jasmine and many others. Historically a land of passage, this is the door to the South of Italy, to a deeply Latin and Mediterranean Italy, with its people, cultures and sunny landscapes.
Mediaeval towns on the sea and on the hills with a diversity of beautiful natural environments: from large extensions of cultivated fields of olive groves and vineyards among rolling hills and lakes, to the breathtaking view of the Aurunci and Ausoni Mountains with their landscapes over hanged on the sea. Medieval hilltop villages amid verdant fields. Along the coast many miles of white, sandy beaches with green-turquoise waters with the sight of ancient Roman ruins and villas.
The natural beauty of Fondi’s Lake
The Sud Pontino has all the typical treasures whose appeal pushes holiday-makers flocking to Italy, yet remains a jewel largely undiscovered by foreign travellers. Large crowds are in search of the big names: Rome, Naples, Capri Island, Sorrento , Amalfi, Positano and so on.
Driving on the coastal roads will disclose a corner of Italy with enchanting places on the sea. The towns on the sea like Gaeta, Sperlonga, Terracina, Formia, San Felice display to travellers their amazing historic medieval districts. Here, the towns on the hills of South Pontino blend in their beauty their long medieval heritage with archeological treasures of ancient Rome’s history. The sea between the Pontine Islands and the cost offer enchanting marine sceneries to the travelers reaching the South Pontino by sailing in its sea.
Click on Photos to see the photografies of the Newsletter
The northern Ausoni Mountains
By choosing the internal provincial roads travelers will discover hidden villages among hills, valleys and mountains which have been unchanged for centuries. The local natural parks preserve areas of Mediterranean wilderness of outstanding natural beauty. Up there on the mountains, the air is clean and fresh, and on a clear day the panoramic sights are simply spectacular.
From the Aurunci Mountains, in one direction there are views of breathtaking mountain scenery, in another the beautiful sight of Ischia and the Pontine Islands, the panoramic coastline sweeping round and culminating in the rocky promontory of San Felice di Circeo. The natural border of the South Pontino finally terminate in the south with a splendid view of the Gulf of Gaeta. The secret to discover the South of Lazio is to use all the small secondary and off-the-beaten track routes in your driving journey by either following the coastal roads or the internal ones crossing
landscapes of hills and mountains. Either way, the use of these secondary roads will disclose a territory of undiscovered Italy to foreigners.
The roads among hills and mountains will reveal the medieval images of small villages like Itri, Campodimele, Pico, Lenola, Spigno Saturnio, Ausonia, Castelnuovo Parano, Maranola, Castellonorato, a historic group of little villages nestling in the foothills of or within the Aurunci Mountains, part of the Aurunci National Park.
The enchanting ancient mediaeval squares, churches, abbeys and alleys of these small hillside and mountain villages seem to recount the millennia of history behind. The villagers, especially the elders, keep many of their old traditions, including producing their own food and ingredients, a common habit in traditional old-style families of rural southern Italy.
Click on Photos to see the photografies of the Newsletter
Just half an hour inland from the coast lies the village of Campodimele, which is considered as one of the most beautiful and interesting in Italy. Perched on a hilltop amid a hill surrounded by the Aurunci Mountains, Campodimele's twisting streets are encircled by medieval walls with towers. The village church dates from the 11th century. The unique aspect of this tiny village of South Italy lies in its people. The villagers enjoy one of the highest levels of longevity in the world. A visit and a stop for a taste of the local mountain cuisine followed by a coffee at the café on the main piazza, is highly recommended.For those who will choose to drive along the coast instead, the village of Sperlonga offers its golden sandy beaches, a real paradise for sea lovers with crystal-clear waters recently awarded with the prestigious European Blue Flag for several consecutive years.
The beautiful ‘Campagna Romana of South Pontino’ starts just south of Latina
The village is nestled on the peak of a rocky spur with an ancient Spanish Tower, Torre Truglia, at its feet. Sperlonga preserves unchanged that picturesque and romantic look of an ancient village of medieval times. Walking in the village tiny alley brings that special feeling of traveling in medieval times, the same felt in many other places in Italy like Siena, Rome or Venice.
History recounts that the ancient Greeks and Romans appreciated the beauty of this land and created many tales between history and legends around this part of Italy.
According to the great Roman writer Virgil, the Greek hero Aeneas landed in the area of Gaeta’s Gulf at Serapo during his ten years-long voyage following the Trojan war. Surprisingly, this land was mentioned even before ancient Rome, 3000 years ago’ when Homer describes Mount Circeo it in The Odyssey, during Ulysses’ long journey hence its name as Ulysses Riviera.
Every visitor and lover of Rome with few days of spare time, should not miss the opportunity to venture south outside the eternal city walls to discover some of Italy’s finest traditional landscapes.
The South Pontino, or ‘Sud Pontino’ , how they say over there, is less than 100 kilometers south of Rome. Here every village, road or archaeological ruin seems to recall a timeless land of passage.
Travelers will discover ancient itineraries, most of which are off the beaten track, in places where history, sea, and traditions reveal some of the most precious archeological treasures in the world. It’s just another corner of beautiful Italy, with magic landscapes with authentic heritage and culture framed by blue waves, rolling hills and fields into hidden valleys too often overshadowed by the magnificence of Rome and Naples.
In this video we show you the road between Terracina
going to Gaeta ( about 20 miles, while the distance between Rome and Gaeta
is about 90 miles ) . In this video are also featured the 'Lungomare Caboto'
( a main street of Gaeta along the sea and the gulf) , the beautiful
mediaeval area of Gaeta with its bell-tower 'Campanile Angioino' built in
the year 1.100 AD and the long and beautiful urban beach of Serapo with its
amazing scenery and clear water. We hope that you enjoy the scenery.
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