Spotlight Travels - Lazio Region, Italy

The military has their members and family moving around, worldwide, in many places that most people have never been to.  Our Homefront Team would love to share their experiences with you, in the many different bases that they military took them too.  We hope to encourage all to take the opportunity to visit many destinations (especially those that are featured on this blog),  or even if it's just your very own neighborhood!


Welcome to Lazio Region, Italy!


Italy is a beautiful and historical European country, rich in art, fashion, culture and food.   We are currently stationed to Gaeta, which is located in the the Lazio Region.  Gaeta is an amazing coastal town located about halfway between Naples and Italy, on the Tyrrhenian Sea.  My husband's commute every day is along a road where the sea is on his left bordered by sandy beaches and palm trees, while the old, even gothic buildings are on his right.  Gaeta was known to be a hot resort spots as far back as the Roman times, but then during the gothic and medieval ages it was walled off to keep the undesirable population out.  The wall is still up in most parts of Old Gaeta, however it is no longer a fortress; it is know a popular destination for the summer months.

Although Gaeta doesn't have the same pull as the larger, more famous towns like Florence, Rome, Venice, or Naples, there is a certain appeal to it.  The environment is very relaxed, so you can always take a nice stroll down by the coast or up through the hillside part of the town.  There are always vendors on the streets selling their fresh produces at super low prices.  Historical meet modern when you walk down the alleyways throughout the town and see the old world homes people live in.

Also in the area, there are several charming towns as well, like Itri, Fondi, Sperlonga, and Formia.  We actually live in another town (Scauri), about 15 minutes away from Gaeta, which is one of the most popular beach towns south of Gaeta.  Sperlonga is the town just north of Gaeta and is the other hot beach spot with it's beautiful mountains dispersed  between the sandy and rocky shorelines.  Itri features a wonderfully eerie gothic castle and Fondi reminds me of a sleepy "college"-type town.  While Scauri has many festivals during the summer months, with firework shows going on many nights all the way into October!

So next time you're considering a visit to Italy, look into visiting this beautiful and often forgotten area!

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