| Città di Gaeta | |
|---|---|
| [image] | |
| Area | 28 km² |
| Altitude | 2m |
| Location | 41°13′ N 13°34′ E |
| Population | 21,135 |
| Population density | 755 /km² |
| Province | Latina |
| Region | Lazio |
| Patron saint | Saint Erasmus (feast: June 2) |
| Mayor | Massimo Magliozzi (since May, 2002) |
| Official Site | www.gaeta.it |
Gaeta (ancient Latin name Caieta) is a city in Province of Latina, in Lazio, Italy. In military history the town has played a conspicuous part. Its fortifications date back to Roman times, and a first-century mausoleum of the Roman general Lucius Munatius Plancus stands atop the Montagna Spaccata («Split Mountain»). These fortifications were extended and strengthened in the 15th century, and indeed throughout the history of the Kingdom of Naples (later the Two Sicilies). Nowadays Gaeta it is a fishing and oil seaport, and a renowned turistic resort. Today NATO maintains a base of operations at Gaeta.
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Alfons I of Naples made Gaeta its beachhead to the conquest of the Kingdom of Naples in 1435, enlarging the castle, which became his royal palace, and creating a mint. In 1495 French king Charles VIII conquered the city, sacking it. The following year, however, Frederick I of Aragon regained it with a tremendous siege which lasted from September 8 to November 18.
In 1528 Andrea Doria, admiral of Charles V, won a French fleet in the waters facing Gaeta and gave the city to its emperor. Gaeta was thenceforth protected with a new and more extensive wall, encompassing also Monte Orlando.
On September 30, 1707 it was stormed, after a three months siege, by the Austrians under Daun; and on 6 August, 1734 it was taken, after a siege of four months, by French, Spanish and Sardinian troops under the future King Charles of Naples. The fortifications were again strengthened; and in 1799 it was temporarily occupied by the French. On July 18, 1806 it was captured, after an heroic defence, by the French under Masséna; and on July 18, 1815 it capitulated, after a three months siege, to the Austrians. In November 1848 Pope Pius IX, after his flight in disguise from Rome, found a refuge at Gaeta, where he remained until September 4, 1849. Finally, in 1860, it was the scene of the last stand of Francis II of the Two Sicilies against the forces of United Italy. Shut up in the fortress with 12,000 men, after Garibaldi's occupation of Naples, the king, inspired by the heroic example of Queen Maria, offered a stubborn resistance, and it was not till February 13, 1861 that, the withdrawal of the French fleet having made bombardment from the sea possible, he was forced to capitulate.
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After the Risorgimento and until World War II, Gaeta grew in importance and wealth as a seaport. The nearby town of Elena, separated after the Risorgimento and named after the queen of Italy, was reunited to Gaeta following World War I. 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. During World War II, the city retained its strategic importance for Mussolini and later for his Nazi allies. After the king dismissed Mussolini, the latter was initially taken via Gaeta to the island prison of Ponza (where Mussolini had previously locked up many of his political enemies). To keep the population ignorant of the massive convoy, a false air-raid siren sounded. Mussolini would later be transferred to Gran Sasso, from where the Germans rescued him.
After Italy surrendered to the Allies, however, the town's fortunes began to decline. Recognizing the city's strategic importance, and fearful of an Allied landing in the area, German troops occupied the city and expelled most of the population. The zone of exclusion began with a five-kilometer border from the historical city center; 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 were placed in a concentration camp, and a few were taken to Germany.
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Following the Allied advance across the Garigliano 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 has seen some success at 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 regions (the so-called Mezzogiorno). In particular, its importance as a seaport has nearly vanished, and 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 included the Littorina rail line (now used as a parking lot and a marketplace), the Agip refinery (nowadays a simple depot), and the once-thriving glass factory, which has transformed into an unused industrial relic.
Main monuments of the city include: the massive castle, the Mausoleum of Lucius Munatius Plancus, and the old churches of Annunziata, San Giovanni a Mare, San Francesco and Sant'Erasmo. The latter's great belfry (finished in 1279) is considered the city's finest piece of art.
Gaeta has erected a monument to Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot), who according to many sources was born there (although other sources give Genoa). Other important people which was born in Gaeta include: Pope Gelasius II, writer and Papal diplomatic Tommaso De Vio, and the painters Giovanni da Gaeta, Giovan FIlippo Criscuolo (c. 1500-1584), Scipione Pulzone (1550-1597) and Sebastiano Conca (1680-1764).