Sperlonga: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
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EUR 55 - 160 Hotel Mayor
 Located in Sperlonga, just 50 metres from its own beach, Hotel Mayor offers free parking and air-conditioned rooms, most with a balcony.
The hotel of… MoreEUR 89 - 243 Moresco Park Hotel
EUR 50 - 340 Virgilio Grand Hotel
 Virgilio Grand Hotel is a modern structure offering stylish accommodation and a range of great services. Sunbathe by the pool or head to the Blue Flag… MoreEUR 75 - 330 Hotel Grotta Di Tiberio
 The Hotel Grotta di Tiberio, is a 4-star hotel in Sperlonga offering splendid panoramic views, a wide garden, a swimming pool with hydromassage, and a… MoreEUR 75 - 330 Hotel Ganimede
 Hotel Ganimede is a modern hotel with its own outdoor pool set 3 minutes´ walk from the beach. Sperlonga´s pretty historic centre is aroun… MoreEUR 65 - 160 Grand Hotel La Playa
 Grand Hotel La Playa is set directly on the seaside, with views on the Ponziane Islands and Monte Circeo. The private beach is equipped with parasols,… MoreEUR 55 - 280 Grazia Hotel
 Hotel Grazia was completely renewed in 2005. The hotel is located just a few meters from the splendid sea of Sperlonga, a town half way between Rome a… MoreEUR 77 - 350 Elaia Garden Hotel
 This eco-friendly hotel is just 250 metres from the beach in the seaside town of Sperlonga. Surrounded by olive groves, Elaia Garden Hotel offers air-… More | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sperlonga: Guide
Sperlonga is a coastal town in the province of Latina, Italy, about half way between Rome and Naples.
Surrounding towns include Terracina to the West, Fondi to the North, Itri to the North-East, and Gaeta to the East.
History
Sperlonga was an ancient Ancient Rome|Roman resort: Emperor Tiberius built here a famous villa, including one of the grottoes (Latin: speluncae) which gave the name to the town.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire|Western Empire, in the 6th century, the ruins of the Imperial residence served as refuge for local people. Later the population began to move to the nearby promontory of St. Magnus, in order to escape the unhealthful marshes and the Saracen attacks. The danger posed by the Saracens is made clear by the presence of many watchtowers all along the coast to Gaeta. In 1534 the small centre was destroyed by Barbarossa (Ottoman admiral)|Barbarossa.
In the 18th and 19th centuries Sperlonga recovered and acquired some noble residences, and agriculture flourished. However, the touristic expansion occurred only after the opening of the coastal road Terracina-Gaeta (the via Flacca) in 1957.
Main sights
Sperlonga's main cultural attraction is the museum erected on the ground of the former Villa of Rhodian sculptors Hegesandros, Athenedoros, and Polydoros, also authors of the famous group of Laocoön and his Sons.
The most ancient church is that of Santa Maria (early 12th century), currently closed for restorations which have disclosed the presence of precious mediaeval mosaics.
Sperlonga is mostly a tourist town thanks to it beaches, a long beach on its west side going all the way to Terracina, and a series of short beaches and rocky cliffs on its east side towards Gaeta.
Transportation
The main connection is that by road from Terracina and Gaeta. The nearest railways station is that of Fondi-Sperlonga, on one of the two Rome-Naples mainline (the one going via Formia).
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikipedia article "Sperlonga". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.