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{{Infobox Italian comune
| name                    = Gaeta
| official_name           = Comune di Gaeta
| native_name             = Gaeta
| image_skyline           = Gaeta - Comune di Gaeta - 2023-09-27 14-39-34 001.jpeg
| imagesize               = 
| image_caption           = View of the historic center of Gaeta from the [[Temple of St. Francis]]
| image_alt               = 
| image_flag              = Flag of Gaeta.svg
| image_shield            = Gaeta-Stemma.svg
| shield_size             = 
| shield_alt              = 
| image_map               = 
| mapsize                 = 
| map_alt                 = 
| map_caption             = 
| pushpin_label_position  = 
| pushpin_map_alt         = 
| coordinates             = {{coord|41|13|N|13|34|E|display=inline}}
| coordinates_footnotes   = 
| region                  = [[Lazio]]
| province                = [[Province of Latina|Latina]]
| frazioni                = 
| mayor_party             = 
| mayor                   = Cristian Leccese 
| area_footnotes          = 
| area_total_km2          = 
| population_total        = 19,321 
| population_as_of        = 31/10/2023 
| population_footnotes = 
| population_demonym      = Gaetani (singular: Gaetano)
| elevation_footnotes     = 
| elevation_m             = 
| elevation_min_m         = 
| elevation_max_m         = 
|istat=| saint                   = [[Saint Erasmus]]
| day                     = 2 June
| postal_code             = 04024 
| area_code               = 
| website                 = {{official website| https://www.gaeta.it}}
| footnotes               = 
}}
[[File:Gaeta, resti di mura megalitiche presso Conca nel 1962.jpg|thumb|Megalithic walls]]
[[File:Il Mausoleo Lucio Munazio Planco - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Roman mausoleum of [[Lucius Munatius Plancus]]]]
[[File:Gaeta, mausoleo di Lucio Sempronio Atratino - Veduta esterna da nord.jpg|thumb|Roman mausoleum of Lucius Sempronius Atratinus]]
'''Gaeta''' ({{IPA|it|ɡaˈeːta|lang}}; {{langx|la|Cāiēta}}; [[Southern Latian dialect|Southern Laziale]]: ''Gaieta'') is a [[seaside resort]] in the [[province of Latina]] in [[Lazio]], Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the [[Gulf of Gaeta]], it is {{convert|133|km|0|abbr=on}} from [[Rome]] and {{convert|96.5|km|0|abbr=on}} from [[Naples]].

The city has played a conspicuous part in military history; its walls date to [[Ancient Rome|Roman times]] and were extended and strengthened in the 15th century,{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=385}} especially throughout the history of the [[Kingdom of Naples]] (later the [[Kingdom of the Two Sicilies]]).

Present-day Gaeta is a fishing [[port]] and a seaside resort. [[NATO]] has a naval base here. In 2025, it received the [[Blue Flag beach|blue]] and green flags from [[Foundation for Environmental Education|FEE]] for the twelfth consecutive year. It is one of the ''[[I Borghi più belli d'Italia]]'' ("The most beautiful villages of Italy").<ref>{{cite web|url=https://borghipiubelliditalia.it/lazio/|title=Lazio|access-date=1 August 2023|language=it}}</ref>

==History==

===Ancient times===
{{Main|Caietae Portus}}
Ancient Caieta was situated on the slopes of the Torre di Orlando, a promontory overlooking the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. It was inhabited by the [[Oscan language|Oscan-speaking]] [[Italic tribe]] of the [[Aurunci]] tribe by the 10th-9th century BC. Only in 345 BC did the territory of Gaeta come under Rome's influence.<ref>{{Cite web|last=luigi|title=Gaeta, dal mito alla storia|url=http://www.acasadilidiagaeta.com/index.php/blog/10-gaeta-nella-storia/58-gaeta-dal-mito-alla-storia-2|access-date=2021-12-08|website=B&B a casa di Lidia|language=it-it}}</ref> 

Caieta, with its temperate climate<ref>Quintus Aurelius Symmachus, Epist. 5, 69</ref> like the neighbouring [[Formia]] and [[Sperlonga]], became one of the earliest locations of ''villae maritimae'', seaside [[villa]]s and luxurious retreats for the Roman elite owned, for example, by [[Scipio Africanus]] (236–183 BC) and [[Gaius Laelius]].<ref>Cicero, De Oratore 2.22.</ref> Caieta was also linked to the capital of the [[Roman Empire]] by the [[Appian Way]] and its extension the [[Via Flacca]]. 

The remains of the monumental villa<ref>Villa Irlanda Grand Hotel http://www.villairlanda.it/en/imperial-domus/</ref> of [[Lucius Marcius Philippus (consul 56 BC)|Lucius Marcius Philippus]], stepfather of [[Augustus]], are in Hotel Irlanda in the Arcella area.<ref>Luigi Salemme, Il borgo di Gaeta: contributo alla storia locale, Torino, ITER, 1939</ref> [[Lucius Munatius Plancus]] (consul in 42 BC) had a vast villa located on Monte Orlando overlooking the Gulf of Gaeta. His mausoleum, built at the end of the 1st century BC, is still an impressive monument inside a large clearing within the villa.<ref>CIL X.6087 (Orelli 590) https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Latina/Gaeta/Gaeta/Mausoleo_di_Planco/inscription.html</ref>

[[Lucius Sempronius Atratinus (consul 34 BC)|Lucius Sempronius Atratinus]] probably lived here as indicated by his [[mausoleum]].<ref>Nicola Migliavacca, Il mausoleo di Lucio Atratino, in Gazzetta di Gaeta, vol. 3, 8 (38), Gaeta, La Poligrafica, agosto 1976, pp. 11-14</ref> Atratinus was [[Roman consul|suffect Consul]] in 40 and 34 BC, ''[[Promagistrate|propraetor]]'' in [[Greece]] in 39 BC, and first admiral of [[Mark Antony]]'s fleet from 38–34 BC.<ref>Silvia Bullo, Provincia Africa: le città e il territorio dalla caduta di Cartagine a Nerone, Roma, L'Erma di Bretschneider, 2002, ISBN 978-88-8265-168-8.</ref> 

In the [[Roman Empire|Roman imperial age]], it continued as a popular seaside resort for many important and rich characters of [[Rome]]. Emperor [[Domitian]] (r. 81–96 AD) also had a villa in the area.<ref>Martial Epigrams V 1</ref>

Emperor [[Antoninus Pius]] restored the port, given its strategic relevance.<ref>Historia Augusta Antoninus Pius 8.3</ref>

Remains of an aqueduct that supplied the town from the Conca hill can be seen a few metres from the villa of [[Quintus Hortensius|Hortensius]].<ref>TRATTO DI ACQUEDOTTO ROMANO A CONCA DI GAETA VENUTO ALLA LUCE POCHI MESI FA https://formiaelasuastoria.wordpress.com/2020/01/07/tratto-di-acquedotto-romano-a-conca-di-gaeta-venuto-alla-luce-pochi-mesi-fa/</ref><ref>Gaeta, torna alla luce un tratto di acquedotto romano https://www.ilfaroonline.it/2020/01/08/gaeta-torna-alla-luce-un-tratto-di-acquedotto-romano/312543/</ref>
[[File:Gaeta, sepolcreto marittimo - Esterno 3.jpg|thumb|Roman Tomb: "Sepolcreto Marittimo]]

===Middle Ages===
{{further|Duchy of Gaeta| List of Hypati and Dukes of Gaeta}}
At the beginning of the [[Middle Ages]], after the [[Lombards|Lombard]] invasion, Gaeta remained under the [[suzerainty]] of the [[Byzantine Empire]]. In the following years, like [[Amalfi]], [[Sorrento]] and [[Naples]] did, it would seem to have established itself as a practically independent port and to have carried on a thriving trade with the [[Levant]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=385}}

As Byzantine influence declined in Southern Italy, the town began to grow. For fear of the [[Saracen|Saracens]], in 840, the inhabitants of the neighbouring Formiæ fled to Gaeta. Though under the suzerainty of Byzantium, Gaeta had then, like nearby ports [[Naples]] and [[Amalfi]], a republican form of government with a ''[[dux]]'' ("duke" or commanding lord under the command of the Byzantine [[Exarchate of Ravenna|Exarch of Ravenna]]), as a strong bulwark against Saracen invasion.

Around 830, it became a lordship ruled by hereditary ''[[Hypatos|hypati]]'' or [[consul]]s:{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=385}} The first of these was [[Constantine of Gaeta|Constantine]] (839–866), who in 847 aided [[Pope Leo IV]] in the [[Battle of Ostia|naval fight at Ostia]]. At this same time (846), the episcopal [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gaeta|see of Gaeta]] was founded when Constantine, Bishop of Formiae, fled thither and established his residence. He was associated with his son [[Marinus I of Gaeta|Marinus I]]. They were probably violently overthrown (they disappeared suddenly from history) in 866 or 867 by [[Docibilis I of Gaeta|Docibilis I]], who, looking rather to local safety, entered into treaties with the Saracens and abandoned friendly relations with the [[Pope|papacy]]. Nevertheless, he greatly expanded the duchy and began the construction of the palace. The greatest of the ''hypati'' was possibly [[John I of Gaeta|John I]], who helped crush the Saracens at [[Battle of Garigliano|Garigliano]] in 915 and gained the title of ''[[Patrician (ancient Rome)|patricius]]'' from the Byzantine Emperor [[Constantine VII]].

The principle of [[Regent|co-regency]] governed the early dynasties: Docibilis I associated John with him, and John, in turn, associated his son [[Docibilis II of Gaeta|Docibilis II]] with him. In 933, three generations were briefly co-ruling: [[John, King of England|John I]], [[Docibilis II of Gaeta|Docibilis II]], and [[John II of Gaeta|John II]]. On the death of Docibilis II (954), who first took the title ''dux'', the [[duchy]] passed from its golden age and entered a decline marked by a division of territory. John II ruled Gaeta and his brother, Marinus, ruled [[Fondi]] with the equivalent title of duke. Outlying lands and castles were given away to younger sons, and thus the family of the Docibili slowly declined after the mid-century.

Allegedly, but improbably, from the end of the 9th century, the [[principality of Capua]] claimed Gaeta as a courtesy title for the younger son of its ruling prince. In the mid-10th century, the ''[[De Ceremoniis]]'' of [[Constantine VII]] lists the ceremonial title "prince of Gaeta" among the protocols for letters written to foreigners.<ref>[http://homepage.mac.com/paulstephenson/trans/decer2.html ''De ceremoniis''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060619215205/http://homepage.mac.com/paulstephenson/trans/decer2.html |date=2006-06-19 }}</ref>

Prince [[Pandulf IV of Capua]] captured Gaeta in 1032 and deposed Duke [[John V of Gaeta|John V]], assuming the ducal and consular titles. In 1038, Prince [[Guaimar IV of Salerno]] took it from him and, in 1041, established the [[Normans|Norman]] [[List of counts of Aversa|counts of Aversa]], who were afterwards princes of [[Capua]], as [[Puppet state|puppet]] dukes. The native dynasty made a last attempt to wrest the duchy from Guaimar in 1042 under [[Leo I of Gaeta]].

In 1045, the Gaetans elected their Lombard duke, [[Atenulf I of Gaeta|Atenulf I]]. His son, [[Atenulf II of Gaeta|Atenulf II]], was made to submit to the Norman Prince [[Richard I of Capua]] in 1062 when Gaeta was captured by [[Jordan I of Capua]]. In 1064, the city was placed under a line of puppet dukes, appointed by the Capuan princes, who had usurped the ducal and [[consul]]ar titles. These dukes, usually Italianate Normans, ruled Gaeta with some level of independence until the death of [[Richard III of Gaeta]] in 1140. In that year, Gaeta was definitively annexed to the [[Kingdom of Sicily]] by [[Roger II of Sicily|Roger II]], who bestowed on his son [[Roger III, Duke of Apulia|Roger of Apulia]], who was duly elected by the nobles of the city. The town did maintain its [[Coining (mint)|coinage]] until as late as 1229 after the Normans had been superseded by the centralising [[Hohenstaufen]].

Gaeta, owing to its important strategic position, was often attacked and defended bravely in the many wars for possession of the [[Kingdom of the Two Sicilies]]. In 1194, the [[Pisa]]ns, allies of [[Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Henry VI]] in the conquest of the kingdom, took possession of the city and held it as their own.

In 1227, [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]], who was [[King of Sicily]] since 1198, was in the city and strengthened the castle. However, in the struggle between Frederick and the [[Papacy]], in 1228, it rebelled against Frederick II and surrendered to the pope after the Papal forces destroyed the castle in the fray. After the peace of San Germano of 1230, it was returned to the Sicilian kingdom. In 1233, Frederick regained control of the important port and fortress. Following the division between the Kingdom of Sicily, Gaeta became a possession of the new [[Kingdom of Naples]]. In 1279, [[Charles I of Anjou]] rebuilt the castle and enhanced the fortifications. In 1289, King [[James II of Aragon]] besieged the city in vain. From 1378, Gaeta hosted for some years [[antipope Clement VII]]. The future King of [[Naples]] [[Ladislaus of Naples|Ladislaus]] lived in Gaeta from 1387. Here, on 21 September, he married [[Costanza Chiaramonte]], whom he repudiated three years later.

King [[Alfonso V of Aragon]] (as Alfonso I of Naples) made Gaeta his beachhead for the conquest of the [[Kingdom of Naples]] in 1435, besieged it, and to his disadvantage, displayed great generosity by aiding those unable to bear arms which had been driven out from the besieged town. After a disastrous naval battle, he captured it and gained control of the kingdom. He enlarged the castle, which became his royal palace, and created a mint. In 1451, the city was home to the [[Treaty of Gaeta]], stipulated between [[Alfonso V of Aragon|Alfonso V]] and the [[Albanians|Albanian]] lord, [[Skanderbeg]]: the treaty ensured protection of the Albanian lands in exchange for political suzerainty of Skanderbeg to Alfonso.<ref name="Frashëri2002pp310-316">{{citation|last=Frashëri|first=Kristo |title=Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu: jeta dhe vepra, 1405–1468|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vwR3PQAACAAJ&q=kristo+frasheri+skenderbeu|year=2002|pages=310–316|publisher=Botimet Toena|language=sq|isbn=99927-1-627-4}}</ref>

===Modern era===
In 1495, King [[Charles VIII of France]] conquered the city and sacked it. The following year, however, [[Frederick of Naples]] regained it with a tremendous siege which lasted from 8 September to 18 November. In 1501, Gaeta was retaken by the French; however, after their [[Battle of Garigliano (1503)|defeat at the Garigliano]] (3 January 1504), they abandoned it to [[Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba]], [[Ferdinand II of Aragon]]'s general.

In 1528, [[Andrea Doria]], admiral of [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]], defeated a French fleet in the waters off Gaeta and gave the city to its emperor. Gaeta was thenceforth protected with a new and more extensive wall encompassing Monte Orlando.

In the [[War of the Spanish Succession]], on 30 September 1707, Gaeta was stormed and taken after a [[Siege of Gaeta (1707)|three-month siege]] by the [[Habsburg monarchy|Austrians]] under [[Wirich Philipp von Daun|General Daun]]. On 6 August 1734, it was [[Siege of Gaeta (1734)|taken]] by French, Spanish and Sardinian troops under the future [[Charles III of Spain|King Charles III of Spain]] after a stubborn defence by the Austrian [[viceroy]] of four months.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=385}} Charles' daughter [[Infanta María Josefa of Spain|Infanta Maria Josefa of Spain]] was born here in 1744. The fortifications were again strengthened; in 1799, the French temporarily occupied it.

On 18 July 1806, the French captured it under [[André Masséna]], after a heroic defence. It was created as a [[Nobility of the First French Empire|duché grand-fief]] in the Napoleonic Kingdom of Naples, but under the French name '''Gaète''', for finance minister [[Martin-Michel-Charles Gaudin, duc de Gaëte|Martin-Michel-Charles Gaudin]], in 1809 (family extinguished in 1841). On 8 August 1815, it capitulated to the Austrians after a three-months siege. It had been attacked and partially reduced by ships of the Royal Navy on 24 July 1815.

After his flight from the [[Roman Republic (1849)|Roman Republic]], [[Pope Pius IX]] took refuge at Gaeta in November 1848. He remained in Gaeta until 4 September 1849.

On 1 August 1849, [[USS Constitution|USS ''Constitution'']] while in port at Gaeta, received onboard [[Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies|King Ferdinand II]] and Pope Pius IX, giving them a 21-gun salute. This was the first time a [[Papal visits to the United States|Pope set foot on American territory or its equivalent]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2001/december/popes-first-american-visit|title= The Pope's First American Visit|first= Tyrone G.|last= Martin|date= December 2001|website= www.usni.org|archiveurl= https://archive.today/20250415213754/https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2001/december/popes-first-american-visit|archivedate= 15 April 2025|url-status= live|df= mdy-all|quote= The occasion was the first time a pope set foot on U.S. territory. (A commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy has the same legal status as a piece of U.S. soil, in the same way any of its embassies around the world does.)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://ussconstitutionmuseum.org/2015/09/23/the-pope-deck/|title= The Pope Deck|first= Matthew|last= Brenckle|date= 23 September 2015|website= ussconstitutionmuseum.org|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20250312185719/https://ussconstitutionmuseum.org/2015/09/23/the-pope-deck/|archivedate= 12 March 2025|url-status= live|df= mdy-all|quote= While Pope Paul VI’s whirlwind trip in 1965 was the first time a pontiff set foot in the United States proper, he was not the first to traipse on American territory. Thanks to a bit of legal contortionism that honor goes to Pope Pius IX in 1849! You see, a nation’s warships are considered sovereign territory, and so to walk the decks of an American naval vessel is to tread on American “soil.”}}</ref>
[[File:Gaeta, Italy - NARA - 68155197 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Gaeta by air, between 1917 and 1964]]
In 1860, Gaeta was the [[Kingdom of the Two Sicilies]]' last Northern outpost. During the [[Siege of Gaeta (1860–1861)|1861 siege]], King [[Francis II of the Two Sicilies]] offered a stubborn defence, shut up in the fortress with 12,000 men and was inspired by the heroic example by his wife Queen [[Maria Sophie of Bavaria|Maria Sophie]] after [[Giuseppe Garibaldi]]'s occupation of [[Naples]]. It was not until 13 February 1861 that Francis II was forced to capitulate when the withdrawal of the French fleet made bombardment from the sea possible,{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=385}} thus sealing the annexation of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies to the Kingdom of Italy. [[Enrico Cialdini]], the Piedmontese general, received the [[victory title]] of ''Duke of Gaeta''. During the functioning of the Government of [[Montenegro]] in exile from 1919 to 1924, that supported the [[Petrović-Njegoš dynasty]] and opposed the rule of the [[house of Karađorđević]] in Yugoslavia ([[Greens (Montenegro)|The Greens]]) were located in Gaeta.

===Contemporary age===
[[File:Map of comune of Gaeta (province of Latina, region Lazio, Italy).svg|thumb|left|Gaeta within the [[province of Latina]]]]
After the [[Unification of Italy|Risorgimento]] and until [[World War II]], Gaeta grew in importance and wealth as a harbour. The nearby town of Elena, separated after the Risorgimento and named after the queen of Italy, was reunited with Gaeta following [[World War I]]. [[Benito Mussolini]] transferred Gaeta from the southern region known today as [[Campania]] (formerly Terra di Lavoro, to which it is historically and culturally attached) to the central region of [[Lazio]].

After the king dismissed Mussolini in the summer of 1943, the latter was initially taken via Gaeta to the island prison of [[Ponza]]. After Italy surrendered to the Allies, however, the town's fortunes began to decline. Recognising its strategic importance and fearing an Allied landing in the area, German troops occupied the city and expelled most of the population. The exclusion zone extended five kilometres from the historical city centre. Soon after, however, the population was expelled even beyond this point. The Gaetani were finally ordered to leave the area completely. Those who could not be placed in a [[Internment|concentration camp]] and a few were taken to [[Germany]].

Following the Allied advance across the [[Garigliano|Garigliano River]] and the Allied occupation of [[Rome]], the Gaetani were allowed to return to their city and begin the process of rebuilding. In subsequent decades the city has boomed as a beach resort, and it has seen some success marketing its agricultural products, primarily its tomatoes and olives. Many of its families count seamen among their number. However, the decades since [[World War II]] have been as difficult for Gaeta as they have been for most of Italy's ''[[Southern Italy|Mezzogiorno]]''. In particular, its importance as a passenger seaport has nearly vanished: ferries to Ponza and elsewhere now leave from the nearby town of [[Formia]]. All attempts to build a permanent industry as a source of employment and economic well-being for the town have failed. Notable losses include the Littorina rail line (now used as a parking lot and a marketplace), the [[Agip|AGIP]] refinery (nowadays a simple depot), and the once-thriving glass factory, which has become an unused industrial relic.

Gaeta does have a viable tourism industry as it is a popular seaside resort. Its warm, rain-free summers attract people to its numerous beaches along the coastline, such as Serapo and Sant'Agostino's beaches. Nearly equidistant to [[Naples]] and [[Rome]], Gaeta is a popular summer tourist destination for people from both cities' metropolitan areas.
[[File:CastelloAngioinoAragonese Wiki.jpg|thumb|Angevine-Aragonese Castle]]
[[File:Gaeta07.jpg|thumb|The [[Bell tower of the Gaeta Cathedral|bell tower]] of the [[Gaeta Cathedral|Cathedral]]]]
[[File:GaetaSGiovanniAMareCupola.jpg|thumb|Dome of ''San Giovanni a Mare'' church]]

==Main sights==
{{See also|Churches of Gaeta}}
[[File:Gaeta11.jpg|thumb|150px|The natural sea [[grotto]] of La Grotta Del Turco (the Turk's grotto)]]
The main attractions of the city include:

*The Angevine-Aragonese Castle. Its origins are uncertain: most likely it was built in the 6th century, in the course of the [[Gothic War (535–554)|Gothic War]], or during the 7th century to defend the town from the [[Lombards]]' advance. The first documents mentioning it date to the age of Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, who strengthened it in 1233. The current structure is made of two different edifices: the "[[Capetian House of Anjou|Angevine]]" one, in the lower sector, dating to the House of Anjou's rule in the Kingdom of Naples; and the "Aragonese", at the top, built by emperor Charles V, together with the other fortifications that made Gaeta one of the strongest fortresses in southern Italy. The Angevine wing housed a military jail until the 1980s (German war criminal officers [[Walter Reder]] and [[Herbert Kappler]] were imprisoned here). Now it is a property of Gaeta's municipality, which uses it for conferences and exhibitions. In the dome of the tallest tower is the Royal Chapel, built by King [[Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies]] in 1849.
*The Mausoleum of [[Lucius Munatius Plancus]] (22 BCE) is a cylindrical [[travertine]] monument at the top of Monte Orlando ({{Convert|168|m|ft|abbr=on}}). It stands at {{Convert|13.20|m|ft|abbr=on}} and has a diameter of {{Convert|29.50|m|ft|abbr=on}}.  Another important [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] public man, [[Lucius Sempronius Atratinus]], [[Mark Antony]]'s fleet commander, has a mausoleum sited in the more recent district of Gaeta: of similar diameter; it is, however not as well preserved.
*The Sanctuary of ''SS. Trinità'' was mentioned as early as the 11th century and visited, among the others, by [[Francis of Assisi|St. Francis]] and Saint [[Philip Neri]]. The Crucifix Chapel was built in 1434 over a rock which had fallen from the nearby cliffs. From the sanctuary, the ''Grotta del Turco'' can be visited: it is a grotto which ends directly in the sea and where the waves create atmospheric effects of light.
*[[Santissima Annunziata, Gaeta|''Sanctuary of Santissima Annunziata'']] - A church and adjacent hospital were built at the site in the 14th century but rebuilt at the beginning of the 17th century in [[Baroque architecture|Baroque]] style by Andrea Lazzari. It houses works by Renaissance painters including [[Andrea Sabbatini]] and [[Giovanni Filippo Criscuolo|GF Criscuolo]]; as well as late-Baroque artists such as [[Luca Giordano]], [[Sebastiano Conca]] and [[Giacinto Brandi]]. The church has a [[Gothic art|Gothic]]-style sarcophagus of Enrico Caracciolo. Also notable is the ''Golden Chapel or Grotto'', a [[Renaissance art|Renaissance]]-style chapel where [[Pope Pius IX]] meditated before issuing the [[dogma]] of [[Immaculate Conception|the Immaculate Conception]].<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100423113035/http://www.yachtmedfestival.com/ymf2/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&layout=item&id=44&Itemid=327&lang=it Yachtmedfestival.com]}}</ref> The ceiling is gilded, and the walls contain 19 canvases (1531) by [[Giovanni Filippo Criscuolo|Criscuolo]]. The main altarpiece is an ''Immacolata'' by [[Scipione Pulzone]].
*[[San Giovanni a Mare, Gaeta|''San Giovanni a Mare'']] - The church was initially built outside the old sea walls by the hypate Giovanni IV in the 10th century. It combines the [[basilica]] form with the [[Byzantine architecture|Byzantine]] one. The simple façade has a Gothic portal and a dome, while the interior has a nave with two aisles. The inner pavement is slightly inclined to allow waters to flow away in the case of maritime floods.
*The [[Gaeta Cathedral|''Cathedral of Saints Erasmus and Marcian and St. Mary of the Assumption'']] was erected over a more ancient church, Santa Maria del Parco, and consecrated by [[Pope Paschal II]] in 1106: it had a nave with six aisles separated by columns with Gothic capitals. In 1778, however, two of the aisles were suppressed, and the Gothic lines were hidden. In the 13th century, Moorish arches were added over the capitals. In 1663 the crypt was decorated in Baroque style. The interior houses a banner from the [[Battle of Lepanto]], donated by [[Pope Pius V]] to [[John of Austria|Don John of Austria]], who used it as his admiral's flag. The main sight of the church is, however, the marble Paschal candelabrum, standing {{Convert|3.50|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall, from the late 13th century: it is in [[Romanesque art|Romanesque]] style, decorated with 48 reliefs in 4 vertical rows, telling the ''Stories of the Life of Jesus''. There are also paintings by [[Giacinto Brandi]] and [[Giovanni Filippo Criscuolo]]. The cathedral contains the relics of [[Erasmus of Formia|St. Erasmus]], transferred from [[Formia]]; the remarkable campanile, in Arab-Norman style, dates from the 12th century. At the base are slabs and parts of columns from ancient Roman edifices. The Cathedral has a great [[Bell tower of the Gaeta Cathedral|bell tower]], standing at {{Convert|57|m|ft|abbr=on}}, which is considered the city's finest piece of art. The base has two marble lions, and the whole construction largely reused ancient Roman architectural elements. The upper part, octagonal in plan, with small Romanesque arches with majolica decoration, was completed in 1279.
*The ''Chapel of the Crucifix'' is a curiosity: built on a huge mass of rock that hangs like a wedge between two adjoining walls of rock. Legend tells how the rock was thus split at Christ's death.
*''[[Temple of St. Francis]]'' - According to the legend, the church was constructed by the saint himself in 1222. In reality, Frederick II ordered the construction. The church features a fine Gothic-Italian style and hosts paintings and sculptures by many of the most famous Neapolitan artists.{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}}
*The ''parish [[Former Church of Santa Lucia (Gaeta)|church of Santa Luci]]''[[Former Church of Santa Lucia (Gaeta)|a]], the former ''St. Maria in Pensulis'',<!--not Peninsulis? REPLY BY ATTILIOS: NO...--> was once a Royal chapel and here prayed [[Margaret of Durazzo]] and King [[Ladislaus of Naples|Ladislaus]]. It originally had Romanesque and [[Muslim conquest of Sicily|Sicilian-Arab]] lines, but in 1456 it was rebuilt in Renaissance style and 1648 adapted to a Baroque one. The site has a Mediaeval ''[[Portico|pronaos]]'' with ancient fragments and figures of animals.
*The Mediaeval Ward of Gaeta is itself of interest. It lies on the steep sides of Mount Orlando and has characteristic houses from the 11th-13th centuries.

Gaeta is also the centre of the Regional Park of ''Riviera di Ulisse'', which includes Mount Orlando, [[Formia|Gianola]] and [[Minturno|Scauri]]'s Mounts, and the two promontories of Torre Capovento and [[Tiberius]]' Villa in [[Sperlonga]].

==NATO naval base==
[[File:Panorama of Gaeta, Italy.jpg|thumb|left|View of Monte Orlando from a former anti-aircraft position on Serapo's seaside. The ''Montagna Spaccata'' is the sharply vertical cliff on the right side of the promontory. The bastions of [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] can be seen just in the lower left corner of the convent in the woods.]]
In 1967, the homeport of the U.S. Sixth Fleet flagship relocated from [[Villefranche-sur-Mer]] to Gaeta.<ref>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/gaeta.htm Globalsecurity.org]</ref> Support facilities were established in Mount Orlando. This was done following the transfer of the responsibilities of Lead Nation for [[NATO]] Naval Forces in the Mediterranean from the [[United Kingdom]] to the [[United States]]. The [[Mediterranean Fleet|British Mediterranean Fleet]] was abolished - its former base in [[Malta]] was no longer exclusively under British control due to that nation having achieved independence from the UK.

It is currently used as the home port for the flagship of the United States [[United States Sixth Fleet|Sixth Fleet]]. The Sixth Fleet commander, typically a 3-Star US Navy Vice-Admiral, has operational control of Naval task forces, battle groups, amphibious forces, support ships, land-based surveillance aircraft, and submarines in the Mediterranean Sea. Gaeta's role has been important since the early 19th century to the US Navy's commitment to forward presence. [[Pope Pius IX]] and [[Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies|King Ferdinand II]] of the [[Kingdom of Two Sicilies]], paid visits to the {{USS|Constitution}} while in Gaeta in 1849. Nine ships have been stationed in Gaeta, with the primary mission of serving as the flagship for the [[United States Sixth Fleet|Sixth Fleet]] commander. The first was the {{USS|Little Rock|CG-4}}. Other Sixth Fleet flagships included {{USS|Springfield|CLG-7}}, {{USS|Albany|CG-10}}, {{USS|Puget Sound|AD-38}}, {{USS|Coronado|AGF-11}}, {{USS|Belknap|CG-26}} and {{USS|La Salle|AGF-3}}. The current flagship is the {{USS|Mount Whitney|LCC-20}}.

The town is host to the families of the crews who work on the ship. There was a [[Department of Defense Dependents Schools|DOD school]] for [[United States|American]] children and the US Naval Support Activity, Gaeta, which provided health care and other services until it was closed down in 2005. The NATO base itself was located on Monte Orlando, which overlooks the Gulf of Gaeta. It has recently been transferred to a shore-based facility where the Commander Sixth Fleet also operates.

==Culture==
Gaeta has erected a monument to [[John Cabot]], who discovered [[Canada]] in 1500. Other people associated with the town include the painters [[Giovanni da Gaeta]] and [[Giovanni Filippo Criscuolo]]. For a full list, see [[:Category:People from Gaeta|People from Gaeta]].

Gaetani speak a dialect of Italian that, while similar to the nearby [[Neapolitan language|Neapolitan]], is one of the few Italian dialects to preserve Latin's [[Grammatical gender|neuter gender]].

Distinctive local cuisine includes the [[tiella]], which resembles both a [[pizza]] and a salty [[crostata]]. Tiella can be made with several stuffings. Typical stuffings include diced [[Squid as food|squids]], [[parsley]] and [[Chili pepper|chilli pepper]], [[Octopus|octopuses]] and just enough [[Tomato|tomatoes]]. Other stuffings include [[Endive|escaroles]] and [[Dried and salted cod|baccalà]] (dried and salted cods), [[Zucchini|courgettes/zucchini]], [[Spinach|spinaches]], [[rapini]] and [[Sausage|sausages]], olives, onions, and sardines. The town is also known for its distinctive brand of olives, marketed throughout the world (the main production, however, takes place in neighbouring [[Itri]]), and its beaches (Serapo, Fontania, Ariana, Sant'Agostino). Sciuscielle, mostaccioli, susamelli, and roccocò are also local desserts most often made during Christmas time. A Latin text found in Gaeta dating from 997 AD contains the earliest known usage of the word "pizza".<ref>{{cite book|last=Ceccarini|first=Rossella|title=Pizza and Pizza Chefs in Japan: A Case of Culinary Globalization|year=2011|publisher=Brill|location=Leiden|isbn=978-90-04-19466-3|page=19|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MhSQEz1GkuwC&q=pizza%20997&pg=PA19}}</ref>

The most famous [[folklore]] event of Gaeta is ''Glie Sciusce'' of 31 December, in which bands of young Gaetani in traditional costumes head to the city's streets, playing mainly self-built instruments.

==International relations==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Italy}}
Gaeta is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:
 
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]], [[United States]], since 1982<ref name="dept">[http://www.cambridgema.gov/deptann.cfm?story_id=1597 "A Message from the Peace Commission: Information on Cambridge's Sister Cities,"] February 15, 2008. Retrieved 12 October 2008.</ref><ref name="thompson">Richard Thompson. [http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/10/12/looking_to_strengthen_family_ties_with_sister_cities/?page=full "Looking to strengthen family ties with 'sister cities'"], ''[[The Boston Globe]]'', October 12, 2008. Retrieved 12 October 2008.</ref>
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Frontignan]], [[France]]
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile]], United States<ref name="sister-cities">{{cite web |title=Online Directory: Alabama, USA |publisher=SisterCities.org |url=http://www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/usa/AL |access-date=2007-11-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071218233201/http://www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/USA/AL |archive-date=2007-12-18 }}</ref>
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Somerville, Massachusetts|Somerville]], United States
*{{flagicon|MNE}} [[Cetinje]], [[Montenegro]], since 2012
*{{flagicon|IRI}} [[Babolsar]], [[Iran]], since 2016

==See also==
*[[Diocese of Gaeta]]
*[[List of Hypati and Dukes of Gaeta]]
*[[Siege of Gaeta (1860–1861)|Siege of Gaeta]]
*[[Maritime republics]]
*[[:Category:People from Gaeta]]
*[[Duchy of Gaeta]]
*[[List of dukes of Gaeta]]
*[[Battle of Ponza (1435)|Battle of Ponza]]
*[[Gulf of Gaeta]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
*{{EB1911|wstitle=Gaeta|volume=11|pages=384–385}}
*{{Catholic Encyclopedia|wstitle=Archdiocese of Gaeta}}

==External links==
{{EB1911 poster|Caietae Portus}}
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.scoprigaeta.it ScopriGaeta.it], Online Tourist Guide
* [http://www.gaetanet.it Gaetanet.it], all on Gaeta
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090517023236/http://www.kaieta.it/ All on medieval Gaeta] {{in lang|it}}
* [http://www.gaeta.it Gaeta.it]
* [http://www.heraldica.org/topics/france/napoleon.htm#duches Heraldica.org - Napoleonic heraldry]
* [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Latina/Gaeta/Gaeta/home.html#navbar Links for further development]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070314071738/http://www.huepertexte.de/reisen/gaeta06.html Photos 2006]

{{Province of Latina}}
{{Repubbliche Marinare}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Gaeta| ]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Lazio]]
[[Category:Coastal towns in Lazio]]
[[Category:Municipalities of the Province of Latina]]
[[Category:Baroque architecture in Lazio]]
[[Category:Castles in Italy]]
[[Category:Gothic sites in Lazio]]
[[Category:Norman architecture in Italy]]
[[Category:Pope Pius IX]]
[[Category:Roman sites in Lazio]]
[[Category:Roman towns and cities in Italy]]
[[Category:Samian colonies]]
[[Category:Borghi più belli d'Italia]]