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00 Gaeta
Stemma di Gaeta

Lazio · Latina

Gaeta

The promontory port where a Bourbon kingdom fell in February 1861 and the south of Italy stopped existing as a state.

Best time
May–Sep
By car
1 h 44 min from Naples
By train
Station in the comune
Population
19,423

Known for

  • BOURBON LAST STAND

    Francis II of the Two Sicilies held out here from November 1860 until 13 February 1861; the surrender ended the Bourbon kingdom.

  • MONTAGNA SPACCATA

    Sanctuary built across a vertical cleft in the cliff of Monte Orlando, pilgrimage site since the 11th century.

  • TIELLA

    Double-crust savory pie of octopus, escarole or anchovies; the dish associated with the Bourbon siege rations.

  • OLIVA DI GAETA

    The commune lies inside the Oliva di Gaeta DOP production zone.

When to visit

Best · May–Sep

  • J13°
  • F15°
  • M15°
  • A18°
  • M23°
  • J27°
  • J31°
  • A31°
  • S27°
  • O22°
  • N18°
  • D15°
  • Best
  • Hot or crowded
  • Quiet
  • Mostly closed

Daytime averages, 2020–2024. The sea is warmest in August at 27° and coldest in February at 15°. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.

Why come

Gaeta sits on a promontory on the Tyrrhenian coast halfway between Rome and Naples, a shape that made it a port and a fortress before it was anything else. The wooded headland above the harbor is the hinge: it rises straight from the water, carries a Roman consul's tomb on its summit and a cliffside sanctuary on its flank, with the medieval quarter of Sant'Erasmo occupying the flatter ground at its base where the cathedral and the old churches stand behind the Bourbon-era walls. The last chapter belongs to the Two Sicilies.

Francis II and Maria Sofia held the town from November 1860 against the Sardinian army of Cialdini, and when the siege ended in February 1861 it ended the Bourbon kingdom in the south. The tiella, the stuffed double-crust pie the town still makes, is what the defenders ate while it lasted. A fortified headland guarding a harbor, worn down by a Roman tomb, a medieval pilgrimage site, and a modern siege in turn: Gaeta's layers read less as separate monuments than as one defensible piece of coastline put to the same use again and again.

The Sunday letter

Gaeta is on our list. Its letter is still to come.

We are writing about all 1,000 of these towns, one at a time, in a free letter every Sunday: the photo, the food, the festa. That is our mission. Sign up and you will be there when Gaeta comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.

Read on

Gaeta in our articles

How to get there

From Naples / Salerno (NAP), about 1h 40m by car.

Rome (FCO) is about 2h 52m away.

By car from the centre of Naples 1h 44m or Salerno 2h 8m.

There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.

Coming from Naples or Rome?

Coming by train into Latina? Gaeta is about 1h 25m away by road.

Every town within reach of Naples / Salerno airport.

Gaeta, photo 1
Gaeta, photo 2

What to see

  • Santuario della Montagna Spaccata

    The sanctuary of the Santissima Trinità is wedged into the fissure itself, the rock walls closing overhead on the walk up to it. Pope Pius IX retreated here in 1848.

  • Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta

    Cathedral in Sant'Erasmo with a 57-meter Norman-Gothic campanile, decorated with marble fragments from earlier Roman buildings.

  • Mausoleo di Lucio Munazio Planco

    Roman circular tomb of the consul who founded Lyon, on the summit of Monte Orlando, dating to the late 1st century BC. The climb through the headland's woods to reach it is part of the point.

  • Castello Angioino-Aragonese

    Layered fortress above the old town, lower Angevin section from the 12th century and upper Aragonese from the 15th.

  • Borgo di Sant'Erasmo

    Medieval quarter on the headland with the cathedral, churches of San Giovanni a Mare, San Domenico, and the Bourbon-era walls.

  • Spiaggia di Serapo

    Main town beach below the headland, blue-flag, two kilometers of fine sand backed by hotels and the old town wall.

The slow-trip planner

Building a trip? Find where Gaeta fits in a slow Italy circuit.

Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.

Plan your trip

We recommend

Where to eat

Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.

Signature dish

Tiella di GaetaSavory pie

A double-crust savory pie filled with octopus, escarole or salt cod, sold by the slice in the old port.

See every town in our catalogue with a dish of its own.

Living here

  • Population 19,423
  • Commuter belti
  • Pharmacy in town
  • High school within a 30-minute drive
  • Train station in the comune
  • Nearest airport Naples / Salerno, 1 h 40 min drive
  • Regional capital Roma, 2 h 26 min drive

Common questions

What is Gaeta known for?
Gaeta is the promontory port where a Bourbon kingdom fell in February 1861 and the south of Italy stopped existing as a state.
Where is Gaeta?
Gaeta is a comune in the province of Latina, in Lazio, at 2 meters above sea level.
What is the nearest airport to Gaeta?
Naples / Salerno (NAP), about 1h 40m by car.
Can you get to Gaeta without a car?
Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
How long is the drive from Naples to Gaeta?
About 1h 44m by car.
When is the best time to visit Gaeta?
Best in May–Sep. July is the warmest month, averaging 31 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 16 rain days.
Which other towns are like Gaeta?
Minturno, Fondi and Pompei.
How many people live in Gaeta?
19,423 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

The numbers

  • Elevation: 2 m
  • Population: 19,423
  • Surface area: 29.2 km²

These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

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