South Pontine - Sud pontino

South Pontine

State	Italy
Region	Lazio

South Pontine is an Italian tourist area of Southern Lazio.

To know

Geographical notes

The Sud Pontino is the coastal area of Southern Lazio that borders Campania, an area narrow between the Aurunci and Ausoni mountains, the Tyrrhenian sea and the Garigliano river. The main centers are Formia, Gaeta is Funds.

When to go

Being a well-equipped bathing area, the summer periods are recommended for a visit.

Background

Sud Pontino is also known as Riviera of Ulysses. According to tradition, in fact, it was in this area that Ulysses made a stop on his return journey from the Trojan war. Formia it was the land of the Lestrigoni, a people of giants who, according to the Odyssey, destroyed the entire fleet of Ulysses, with the exception of the hero's ship. Beyond the legends, it is believed that the area was occupied by the Aurunci in pre-Roman times. With the conquest of the territory by the Romans, in the 4th century BC. became part of the Latium adjectum. Following the fall of the Roman Empire, for centuries the South Pontino was the border territory between the Papal State and the Kingdom of Sicily, of which it was part until the unification of Italy. Subsequently, the territory was administratively part of the district of Gaeta in the Terra di Lavoro, until the establishment of the Province of Frosinone in 1927. In 1934, the territory passed to the newborn Provicia di Littoria, today's Latina, of which the South Pontino is still part.

Spoken languages

The dialect of the South Pontino, given the almost millennial belonging of the town to the ancient Kingdom of Naples and the Two Sicilies and to the Terra di Lavoro until 1927, feels the strong influence of the Neapolitan language.

Territories and tourist destinations

Urban centers

Funds - With almost 40,000 inhabitants, Fondi is the most populous municipality in the South Pontino.
Formia - It is the main tourist port of the South Pontino, from which ferries leave for the Pontine Islands.
Gaeta - Characterized by a splendid medieval historic center, Gaeta is also famous for the beauty of its beaches, whose waters have been awarded for years with the Blue Flag.

Other destinations

Minturno
Sperlonga

How to get

By car

From the North: A1 towards Naples, Cassino exit, then SS630
From the South: A1 towards Caserta / Rome, Capua exit, then SS7 (Via Appia).

On the train

Rome-Formia-Naples line, Fondi-Sperlonga, Itri, Formia-Gaeta, Minturno-Scauri stations.

How to get around

What see

Historic center of Gaeta. The historic center of Gaeta is divided into two parts: the village Elena, an ancient fishing village once an autonomous municipality, characterized by gut (via Indipendenza) with its typical alleys and alleys, small windows and balconies, arches and doors, shops and stalls of products directly grown or packaged by local farmers. Surmounted by the Angevin Castle, there is the medieval village, in which we find the cathedral of S. Erasmo with its wonderful bell tower and the Sanctuary of the Annunziata.
Sperlonga historic center. Located on a spur of rock overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, the historic center of Sperlonga, an ancient fishing village, is a perfectly preserved jewel. Of historical importance we find the remains of the Villa di Tiberio and the Torre Truglia.
Split Mountain, Gaeta. The "Montagna Spaccata" complex is set in the context of three cracks in the rock. Along the stairway that leads into the bowels of the mountain, along the narrow crack in the rock, it is possible to see on the right wall a Latin couplet with the so-called "Hand of the Turk", the shape of a hand (the five fingers in the rock). which, according to legend, was formed when an unbelieving Turkish sailor leaned against the rock which miraculously became soft under his pressure, forming the imprint of his hand. On the same site it is also possible to visit the Grotta del Turco and the Sanctuary of the Holy Trinity.

Beaches

Serapo beach, Gaeta. It is the largest beach in Gaeta, characterized by very fine sand.
Arenauta beach, Gaeta. Spectacular beach below a cliff of particular beauty, it is known for the bathroom "of the 300 steps" as it is accessed via a long staircase. Of importance is the presence of a cave and a rocky wall used for medium-high grade mountaineering training.
Corner beach, Sperlonga. It is a beautiful beach of golden sand with some rocks, with a unique and wild charm as it is the only stretch of the long coastline of Sperlonga not occupied by establishments and restaurants. There is the cave of Tiberius.