Category: Italy Blog

This is a blog about the historic and panoramic Lazio region of Italy.

Ausonia, Province of Frosinone

Ausonia, Frosinone

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Ausonia is a medieval municipality of Lazio located in the Aurunci Mountains in the province of Frosinone. It includes the villages of Selvacava, Correano, Madonna del Piano, Pastena, Bastia di Selvacava, Case, Cavone, Corevento, Orfanotrofio, Pantana, Pantane, Pantanelle – Renchiuse, Ranella, Rotondoli, and Trifolle.

The name Ausonia comes from the legendary italic people called the Aurunci who inhabited the lands in this area before it was destroyed by the ancient Romans in the 4th century BC.

Places to Visit in Ausonia

The Church of Santa Maria di Correano, located in the village of Correano is an ancient Roman church. According to local stories, it is the first church that was built outside of Rome. It is said that Augustus Caesar himself loved vacationing here and would often visit. It is also believed that the wife of Emperor Nero was buried in the sarcophagus in front of the church.

Church of Santa Maria di Correano, Ausonia, Frosinone

Church of Santa Maria di Correano

The Sanctuary of the Madonna del Piano (Madonna of the Plain) is a Roman Catholic Church built during the 15th century in place of the original structure that existed here. According to tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared to a young shepherd girl and asked her to have an orphanage built here.

The medieval castle of Ausonia was built in 1000 AD by the princes of Capua. It was used as a military fortress to guard the strategic road from Monte Cassino to Gaeta which cut through Ausonia.

The Castle of Ausonia

The Castle of Ausonia with Monte Fammera in the background
Photo Credit: Man In The Maze @Flickr.com

Ausonia and the surrounding area suffered brutal battles during WWII. Many people emigrated from here after the war to the eastern United States.

Ausonia, Frosinone, May 14, 1944, during WWII

Ausonia, May 14, 1944, during WWII

Taking a drive through Ausonia, Frosinone.

Taking a drive through Ausonia.

For travel arrangements, go to Travel and Tourism.

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Gaeta as seen from Formia

Gaeta, Latina

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Gaeta is a picturesque port city on the coastline of Italy in the province of Latina. It is located on a promontory overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea in what is known as the Ulysses Riviera (la riviera di Ulisse), also known as the Gulf of Gaeta, where according to legend, Ulysses, or Odysseus in Greek mythology, came to meet the enchantress Circe on his way back from the Trojan War. It is a popular seaside resort town which dates back to ancient Rome, known for its beautiful beaches such as Sérapo and Sant’Agostino, and where the famous purplish black olives originated from.

Serapo beach, Gaeta

Serapo beach, Gaeta, seen from the top of the sanctuary at Montagna Spaccata.

Gaeta has many wonderful natural and historical attractions one should visit.

Montagna Spaccata

The grotto at Montagna Spaccata

One such place that is not to be missed is the mysterious natural sea grotto, Montagna Spaccata, or Split Mountain, where the Sanctuary of Santissima Trinità is located. According to local stories, God was so distraught at the crucifixion of Christ that He made the earth shake and let out a lightning bolt which split this mountain in two. A chapel was built upon this location to honor this event.

Torre di Sant'Agostino, Gaeta

Torre di Sant’Agostino, Gaeta

The tower at Sant’Agostino beach is one of the many lookout points that were set up so that towns along the coastline could warn each other of invaders.

Castello Angioino Aragonese

The medieval Castello Angioino Aragonese

Castello Angioino Aragonese is a medieval castle that was built around the 6th century to protect against invasions. The lower part was built during the rule of the House of the French Anjou and the upper part by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.  It served as a fortress during the Goth Wars and then during the invasion of the Lombards, and most recently served as a military prison.

Via Flacca is the scenic road that connects Formia to Terracina

Via Flacca

Via Flacca is the scenic coastal road that connects Formia to Terracina, and leads into Via Appia to Rome in the north, and to Naples in the south.

Nato naval base, Gaeta, on the left

Nato naval base (white building on left)

It is also where NATO’s US naval base of operations is located.

Gaeta as seen from Formia

Gaeta as seen from Formia

For travel arrangements go to Travel and Tourism.

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Torre di Mola, Formia, Latina

Formia, Latina

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The charming city of Formia is located at the foot of the Aurunci Mountains in the province of Latina, along the Ulysses Riviera (la riviera di Ulisse), also known as the Gulf of Gaeta, where according to legend, Ulysses, or Odysseus in Greek mythology, came to meet the enchantress Circe on his way back from the Trojan War.

It has historical significance being situated on the famous Via Appia, which was built by the Roman Empire and much travelled by the ancient Romans. It is a resilient town, being destroyed in 842 by the Saracens, then again during World War II, and rebuilt to its current splendor.

The coastline is dotted with many beautiful beaches and resorts. The main street which is packed with people out for a stroll on a warm spring or summer night is filled with little shops and places to grab a pizza or gelato.

Mountains overlooking Formia

Aurunci Mountains overlooking Formia

Some of its popular attractions include the Tomb and Villa of Cicero (also known as Villa Rubino), the Tower of Mola (top photo), the Archeological Museum, and ruins of prehistoric megalithic walls.

Tomb of Cicero

Tomb of Cicero (Photo credit: pietroizzo via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA)

If you like visiting churches, not to be missed are Santa Maria di Castagneto, the oldest church in Formia, the church of San Giovanni Battista e Lorenzo, and of Sant’ Erasmo, one of the patron saints of Formia (along with San Giovanni).

Church of Santa Maria di Castagneto, Formia

Church of Santa Maria di Castagneto (Photo credit: Raffaele Vallefuoco Flickr.com)

Formia, province of Latina

Formia, seen from Gaeta

For travel arrangements go to Travel and Tourism.

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Selvacava

Selvacava, Frosinone, where time stands still

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Selvacava is a small village in central Italy, in the municipality of Ausonia, which is in the province of Frosinone, in the Lazio region. It lies about halfway between Rome and Naples, and is where my father was born. It has a population of 335.

The village of Selvacava in the province of Frosinone, Italy

Selvacava, with Monte Fammera in the background

I love this charming village. It is the type of place where you can go to find tranquility and get lost in your thoughts.

One of the many alleyways in Selvacava

One of the many alleyways in Selvacava

Not much has changed since the first time I went there when I was a child. There have been a few houses constructed, and there are now actually street lights and the streets are no longer dirt roads, but it still has that rustic charm with its fruit orchards, vineyards, and olive groves. Wine, cheese, and olive oil are still made by its residents. There is only one small grocery store within the village where you can get the bare necessities such as milk and bread, but there are larger stores in the surrounding towns and villages where you can get more.

Ancient fountain in Selvacava, Frosinone

Ancient fountain in Selvacava

Selvacava is surrounded by marble quarries which not only drive the economy of the surrounding areas but also make up somewhat of an open air museum where one can find many fossils of ancient sea creatures embedded in the stone from when this area was under water.

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This is the type of place where you need to have a car because even though there is bus service, it does not run frequently, and the nearest train station is in Formia.

The ever watchful Monte Fammera, where local residents hid during WWII

The ever watchful Monte Fammera, where local residents hid during WWII

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