Sperlonga

a Homeric dream suspended between the blue of the sky and the sea

The Name

Comes from the natural caves (speluncae) which look over the sea, the most famous of which is the cavern of Tiberius.

History

• Roman era, Pliny refers to the “place of the cavern”; Strabone adds “here very large caverns open up containing rich, large dwellings”. The natural hollows which had attracted the Roman nobles, who transformed them into luxurious villas (such as the one belonging to Tiberius), will be abandoned towards the 10th cent., when pirate raids will force the population to take shelter on the outcrop of St. Magno.

• 10th cent. AD., the name continues to be documented in a manuscript which speaks of the castrum Speloncae. The castle was surrounded by walls and, like many coastal areas, had a small church dedicated to St. Peter, the fisherman. From the 9th cent. onwards and throughout the Middle Ages, Sperlonga is a fishing village living constantly in terror of raids by the Saracens.

• 1135, the church of Sanctae Mariae de Spelonche is mentioned in the Codex Caietanus.

• 1379, the anti-pope Clemens 7th, whilst fleeing from Agnani after the defeat of his militia, seeks refuge in Sperlonga.

• 1534, the Saracen pirate, Khair al-Din Barbarossa, conquers and destroys the village.

• 1622, Sperlonga once again falls into the hands of the Turks.

Whitewashed plaster to dazzle the pirates

Sperlonga is a seaside village halfway between Naples and Rome, perched on the top of a rocky crag, with whitewashed plaster, with archways, staircases and alleyways which open up and hide, which climb and re-descend to slip finally down to the sea.

The town plan is typically mediaeval: starting from a first central nucleus, the houses wind round the promontory, becoming one with the rock and embracing one another in their defence. Thus, the village started on the crag of St. Magno with pure, spontaneous Mediterranean-styled buildings and narrow alleys and long stairways to make any incursions by sea pirates difficult.

In the 11th cent. Sperlonga was a castle closed within a wall with two gates which are the only witnesses remaining today to tell of the Mediaeval epoch: the Portella (or Porta Carrese) and Porta Marina, the main access road to the village, both bearing the coat of arms with an eagle belonging to the Caetani family.

Only three watch towers remain: Torre Truglia, built on the foundations of a similar Roman construction on a cliff at the tip of the promontory of Sperlonga in 1532, rebuilt in 1611, destroyed once again in 1623, only to reappear in the following century; Torre Capovento, built at the same time as the first on a cliff of Mount Bazzano: Torre del Nibbio, which was included in the baronial castle and dates back to 1500.

After its destruction in 1534, almost a century had to pass before life returned to Sperlonga. The town was was rebuilt in its present turtle shape and enriched with churches and lordly homes.

Among the new architectural forms we should remember the very old church of St. Maria di Spelonca, built at the beginning of the 12th cent. with a bell tower and Latin floor plan with women’s galleries, the church of St. Rocco, built in the 15th cent., Palazzo Sabella, the oldest and most important in the village, temporary residence in 1379 of the anti-pope, Clemens 7th, whose façade was re-built in the 16th century.

Finally, the cavern of Tiberius is a cave in a Roman villa which is said to have belonged to the emperor. The residence extended over 300 m. along the eastern beach and in the Augustan epoch it included a thermal system and a circular swimming pool which was connected to tanks used for breeding fish. Inside, the cavern was decorated with marble and mosaics made of glass tesserae and was furnished with marble statues inspired by the exploits of Ulysses, now kept in the Archaeological Museum.

Local Products

Well-known local vegetables are the white, ribbed celery, the red bunch, cherry and San Marzano tomatoes, rocket and basil.

Local dishes

Local cuisine is based on traditional dishes of simple cooking, such as sardine, Sperlonga fish, bean and marinated soups.

Also worth tasting are the bambolotti made with a cuttlefish ragout, as is any of sea food generally speaking.