In the heart of the Ulysses Riviera: discovering Gaeta

Back to the Roots: Living the Past in the Village of Your Ancestors

Welcome to the village of your ancestors, where every stone tells a story and every narrow street hides ancient family memories. Here, you will not only be a tourist, but a member of the community, warmly welcomed by the local authorities and relatives who are waiting for you with joy.

You will explore the symbolic places of the town, from the ancient walls of the Church to the evocative silence of the Cemetery, up to the archives that jealously guard the historical documents of your family. You will be able to immerse yourself in your genealogy, discovering birth, baptism, marriage and death records, thus finding the roots of your history.

Special encounters will enrich your experience: you will hug the distant relative you knew nothing about and listen to anecdotes from old family friends, which will make you feel at home, even if you are miles away.

You will walk along the ancient alleys, breathing the atmosphere of the past, and you will get lost in the small squares illuminated by the lights of the sunset, letting yourself be enchanted by the slow passage of time.

You will participate in the daily life of the village, attending the religious service and strolling through the colorful markets, where you can taste local products and fully experience the traditions of the place.

The lunch organized by your relatives will be a unique opportunity to savor the typical local cuisine, a journey into the authentic flavors of your homeland.

At the end of your visit, you will receive the “TREASURE CHEST OF MEMORIES”, a precious wooden box containing photos and documents that will accompany you on your return journey, custodians of your family history.

You will experience an unforgettable day in the village of your ancestors, where everyone knows each other and every smile is a link with the past. And even if it’s your first time visiting, you’ll feel that the place has always been a part of you, giving you a feeling of nostalgia and familiarity.

Gaeta

Gaeta: Discover its history and traditions

The discovery of Gaeta begins immersed in the lively atmosphere of a typical Neapolitan pastry shop on Via Indipendenza, a pedestrian street dotted with local craft shops, cozy bars and fruit and vegetable stalls run by local women.

After this delicious breakfast, we head towards the evocative Montagna Spaccata, known for its three cracks that make it a very popular place of worship and pilgrimage, especially by Gaetan emigrants who return here during the summer to reconnect with their roots. Descending the 35 steps from the Sanctuary of the Holy Trinity, you will come across the Chapel of the Crucifix, the destination of numerous pilgrimages, where you can admire the imprint of a hand and an inscription in Latin engraved on the rock face, linked to the story of a Turkish sailor skeptical about the sacred origins of the mountain’s cracks.

For lunch, we indulge in the tasting of the typical “tiella”, a savory pie with two sheets filled with octopus, anchovies, escarole, Gaeta olives, cod, onions and zucchini, a typical dish of fishermen that accompanied their long ocean crossings and which still represents a symbol of local gastronomy. Even in Sète, France, “tiella” has become a renowned dish thanks to the emigrants from Gaeta.

Exploring Medieval Gaeta

In the afternoon, we immerse ourselves in the medieval history of Gaeta by visiting the Sanctuary of the S.S. Annunziata and the famous “Golden Chapel”, with its finely worked wooden decorations covered in pure gold. We continue the visit to the Cathedral, one of the many churches of Gaeta, and to the evocative Temple of San Francesco, from which you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the city and the sea.

The route continues with a walk along the seafront named after Giovanni Caboto, a famous navigator born in Gaeta who discovered Canada. Finally, to end this unforgettable day, we head to a restaurant by the sea where a dinner full of unique flavors awaits us, with fish soups prepared with local varieties such as “tracine”, “scorpion fish”, “sconcigli”, “snails”, accompanied by clams, mussels, clams, octopus, cuttlefish, squid, scampi and prawns.