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Newsletter October 2009
Italy, Tiberius cave and imperial villa in Sperlonga
Topic : Archaeology
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1. Tiberius cave and imperial villa in Sperlonga
Since ancient times the southern Lazio coast has been a geographical and
cultural border
between cultures as well as a place of discovery. From these shores boats of daring sailors departed for the discovery of new lands. In prehistoric times the local harbors and coastlines were used for commercial trade, they were then used to refurbish the tables of ancient Rome, the eternal city.
Spices and products from far territories
landed in the ports
of the ancient towns like Terracina, Gaeta and Formia before being sold in Rome and throughout the rest of the Italian peninsula. This coastal strip between San Felice Circeo and Minturno was notoriously known by the Romans for its natural beauty. For this reason it was a holiday destination for rich and powerful Romans. The entire territory now called South Pontino, is dotted with the ruins of many elegant villas, which historic sources attributed to famous figures of ancient Rome including Emperors such as Tiberius (42 BC – 37 AD) and many others famous characters such as Cicero (106 BC – 43 BC) to Lucius Munatius Plancus (45 BC – 14 AD) and Antoninus Pius (19 September 86 – 7 March 161).
If you are traveling between Rome and Naples, consider driving on the
Via Flacca (SS-213)
to admire the natural beauty of this stretch of coast overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. Pulling off the road south of Sperlonga you can spend a few hours visiting the beach with the incredible Grotto of Tiberius and its adjacent museum. You won't regret it!
This is one of the most interesting archaeological complexes and it is located in Sperlonga on the side of a natural sea cave. In ancient times it had a large nymphaeum populated by colossal ancient statues. This is the location of the
Cave of Tiberius
, the second Roman emperor descending from the gens Claudia, who governed Rome and the Empire from the death of Augustus in 14 AD until his own death in 37 AD. Sperlonga was the place where Emperor Tiberius built one of the most extraordinary summer villas ever.
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Here Tiberius displayed his enigmatic and intriguingly complex character by building the most unusual residence for a Roman Emperor: he transformed a massive natural marine cave into his personal luxury holiday residence; a villa with a private port and all the luxuries typical of an Emperor of ancient Rome. The cave itself was embellished by numerous pieces of art, sculptures that were inspired by the myth of Ulysses and was at times used as a dining room by the Emperor to impress his guests. The historians Suetonius and Tacitus linked the unusual complex to Tiberius. The imperial villa was called ‘Spelunca’ by Suetonius in his biography on Tiberius. In fact, the modern name of the nearby village of Sperlonga comes from natural caves (speluncae in Latin) around its coastline, the most famous of which is the massive cavern of Tiberius.
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A dark and mysterious personality, Tiberius was well known in Rome for his administrative talent but even more for his obstinate reluctance in running the state’s affair. Despite his great intelligence and abilities he showed much reluctance in running the state, he retired entirely from Rome and mostly lived away from the eternal city. He spent much of his time as an absent Emperor escaping to his numerous luxurious residences among which the natural cave in Sperlonga.
One day, a part of the cave collapsed and a large stone fell from the roof, narrowly missing the Emperor. Tiberius noted that among all his men who were meant to protect him, only one man named Sejanus actually did. Ancient historians historically recorded the episode when the Emperor was saved by Sejanus as he was feasting in his summer residence at Spelunca. The site was abandoned in 26 AD, probably as a consequence of the collapse and of the flood which damaged the cave, persuading Tiberius to move to the beautiful Capri Island where he spent his last years in isolation.
After the abandonment, the ruins of the imperial residence were forgotten for 20 centuries and used as a shelter for the small local community of fishermen. The imperial site was lost in the collective memory until 1957, the cave was rediscovered during the excavation of the modern section of the Via Flacca road. It was then that the cave revealed its archaeological treasures hidden for 2000 years.
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2. Tiberius cave back to light in 1957
The discovery of the cave was made by Erno Bellante, a young Italian engineer involved in building a section of the modern Via Flacca road near Sperlonga. Bellante ordered his workmen to dig inside the grotto of Tiberius, a gigantic 90-ft. deep natural cavern next to the site of Tiberius' legendary Villa Spelunca. Beneath six inches of earth, one of the workmen found a marble fragment shaped like the calf, twice the size of a human leg. Later on the excavators dug out more than 400 pieces of polished marble.
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They found amazing gargantuan marble sculptures hidden for 2000 years under the mud in this dark cave, recounting many beautiful tales from the legend of Ulysses. This was one part of the incredible archaeological treasure discovered.
Tiberius commissioned the masterpieces, clearly he loved the legend of Ulysses, the Greek hero who wandered for many years around the Mediterranean after the end of the Trojan War. The beachfront villa includes a dining room, defined as triclinium" in Latin, with a view of the natural cave. Inside the cave, colossal statues reminds guests of Ulysses' adventures, including Scylla tossing the hero's ship and Ulysses and his companions blinding the Cyclops Polyphemus.
The director of Rome's Museo del Terme, Giulio Jacopi, a top archaeological authority, examined the findings and made an exciting discovery about the statues: on some of them he found the Greek inscription with the name of the artists: "Done by Agesander, Polydorus and Athenodorus,", a father and his two sons accredited with the original and amazing Laocoön group. This is the monumental marble sculpture kept in the Vatican Museums in Rome and attributed by the Roman author Pliny the Elder to the above three artists from the island of Rhodes.
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In archaeology this discovery was incredible. Later on Mr Jacopi said: "That violently twisted neck . . . that great marble foot . . . the veins on that huge hand . . . the serpent is monstrous ... I believe it is Laocoön." Laocoön was already a famous masterpiece in ancient times; it was rediscovered in 1506 among the ruins of the palace of Titus in Rome. Later on the theory of the Laocoon was then abandoned in favor of a new, more attractive hypothesis. The large, muscular limbs did not actually belong to the unfortunate Trojan priest but to the mythical monster Polyphemus, and all the figures around him were nothing but the characters of Ulysses and his companions attempting to fight and blind the monster.
The remains of the colossal sculptures were discovered in 1957; they brought fame to Sperlonga, but also gave rise to one of the first and most popular protests organized by the local community.
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They were proud of their heritage. They protested against transferring the findings to Rome to be analysed and restored. The people of Sperlonga formed a barricade to stop the trucks; their firm stance led the authorities to construct a local museum to store the amazing archeological treasures found in Tiberius’ cave. In 1963 the National Archaeological Museum of Sperlonga opened, Giorgio Zama designed this building and its surrounding area.
Other excavations revealed the details of Tiberius villa, 10,000 more marble fragments of grandiose sculptures in Hellenistic style were also discovered. These date back to the age of Tiberius representing Homeric characters, particularly those referring to the myth of Ulysses. Emperor Tiberius built the luxurious mansion, which embraces the large natural marine cave where he placed the valuable marble artworks.
Tiberius was in exile in Rhodes shortly before he became emperor and he may have been influenced by his stay in Greece. Perhaps there in Greece he must have commissioned and then bought the sculptures that adorned his villa in Sperlonga.
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3. Sperlonga National Archeological Museum today
Today you can visit the ruins of the villa, walk inside the grotto and see the amazing statues found in front of the grotto. Thirty minutes spent walking along the beach of Sperlonga; you are immersed in an enchanting place. Here you sense a culmination of history and legends blending with the beauty of the South Tyrrhenian Sea. The Cave of Tiberius is formed by a wide and deep natural hollow at the foot of Mount Ciannito, in the east end of the “Spiaggia dell’Angolo” (‘Corner beach’) in Sperlonga.
Here lies the National Archaeological Museum, opened in 1963, containing a large number of findings and the reconstructions of groups of statues originally placed in the cave. Formerly the imperial residence was more than three hundred meters long spread across the beach.
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It includes housing for the troops and amenities, the imperial manor, the spa compound and a private dock. Before Tiberius, during Emperor Augustus time, the cave was being restored.
A large internal circular pool was built; it was connected to other external pools used for fish farming. At the center of the outdoor rectangular pool therein lay the imperial triclinium, the formal dining room of the Emperor. The cave’s interior was decorated with an abundance of marble and elegant mosaics of glass tiles accompanied by the monumental sculptures inspired to the myth of Ulysses.
The area around the cave and the museum is very beautiful. It was named ‘Marine Blue Oasis’, a natural monument. The
Blue Oasis
is now an area of sea and coastline spanning 11 hectares which are protected and managed by the WWF Italia. The protected area is formed by a number of promontories with high cliffs with numerous coves and marine hollows. The natural vegetation is a forest of oaks, Mediterranean pines with formations of garrigue and rare dwarf palms Chaemerops humilis.
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4. Don't Miss: Sperlonga village and its surroundings
The
village of Sperlonga
is only a mile and a half away from the museum and the cave. It was awarded as one of the 8 most beautiful villages in Italy. It is a beautiful seaside village with plenty of history. It is perched on top of a hill 65 meters above sea level overlooking the South Tyrrhenian Sea south of Rome. When here it is easy to understand why it was chosen as a leisure resort for the powerful and the wealthy during the days of the ancient Rome.
The village dominates the sea with its old medieval tower,
Torre Truglia
, built under the Spanish domination of south Italy. Perhaps the most scenic area is the old historic village centre with its Mediterranean look that has remained unchanged for centuries.
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The old village centre is fascinating and charming, and a real pleasure to explore with its small arches and narrow alleyways, ancient doors, iron railing, labyrinths of little staircases and flights of stairs that bring you to the public terraces above the sea with breathtaking views.
Whitewashed houses with blue shutters are clustered together, built up against one another among narrow alleys where no more than two people can walk side by side. The small streets are full of nice old style handicrafts shops, small restaurants and pizzerias. On the top of the historic centre a small piazzetta (small square) leads downwards to the Riviera di Levante (East Coast).
Sperlonga is blessed with two large stretches of white sandy beaches set against a backdrop of gorgeous Aurunci mountains boasting one of the cleanest seas in Italy. For several years it has gained the European blue flag for the pureness of its water.
Also Worth Seeing:
A visit to The nearby
town of Itri
(distance Km 17,9) and its medieval hamlet and castle. Driving on the picturesque SP 105 (provincial road 105) which reaches the small town across the gorgeous South Pontino’s countryside with a scenic green panorama of valleys and hills covered with olive groves and vineyards near the sea.
Two small local lakes, called the eyes of Sperlonga, add charm to the landscape. The Lago Lungo is separated from the sea by only a narrow line of dunes. The Lago San Puoto or San Potito has rich vegetation, and is home to several rare lake birds and certainly deserves a visit. The lake is named after a small church and monastery built there at the end of the XII century and dedicated to San Puoto.
If you have more days to spend in the area, don’t miss the historic centre of the nearby
town of Terracina
(distance Km 17,9) and the beautiful medieval village of Monte San Biagio (distance Km 18,8) on the Ausoni hills. From Terracina’s harbour it is possible to reach the beautiful Pontine islands of Ponza and Ventontene.
Don't Leave Without:
- Swim and spend at least one day swimming and sunbathing on Tiberius Cave beach
- Try the real
buffalo mozzarella
- Try the local
mountain gastronomy
in the small town of Itri
- Have a seaside dinner based on the local
South Pontino cuisine
DESTINATION:
Museo Archeologico Nazionale of Sperlonga
Via Flacca km 16.250
I-04029 Sperlonga
Italy
Open every day from 9:00 am to sunset.
Ticket cost: 2 euro
Sperlonga can be reached by road.
From Gaeta (distance Km 17,9) take the SS213 Via Flacca direction north.
From Rome, take the Via Appia (SS7) or the Via Pontina (SS148) past Terracina, then follow the signs to Sperlonga along the Via Flacca (SS213). From Naples, go to Formia, Gaeta, and the Via Flacca to Sperlonga. An alternative way is to go along the Appian Way (via Appia) between Terracina and Formia, and take the smaller road to Sperlonga from Itri. Sperlonga can be reached by train. One of two major train lines between Rome and Naples (Roma-Napoli via Formia) stops in Fondi. The station is called Fondi-Sperlonga, and local trains stop there. When going from North to South, the last station before Fondi is called Monte San Biagio. When going South to North, the last station before Fondi is Formia.
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