Latina is the capital of the southernmost province of Lazio, in the heart of the Pontine Marshes area. It was founded in 1932 under the name of Littoria, in an area once covered by marshland and drained in the 1930s. The plan of the city is octagonal, with straight roads that radiate off the main square of the city, Piazza del Popolo, and the main buildings, including police headquarters, Prefecture, Municipio (City Hall) are arranged around the centre.
S. Marco Square is overlooked by the Cathedral of the same name, completed in 1933 and entrusted to the Salesians, easily recognizable by the façade and its three tall arches supported by pillars. Not far away, there is the M building, of monumental height and form, consisting of 3 blocks in the shape of an “M”, as the initial letter of the surname Mussolini, who wanted to establish here a tribunal.
History, nature and a splendid sea are the ingredients for a holiday in these places, especially in summer. On the coast close to the beaches, we encounter Sperlonga, a charming medieval village with streets and houses overlooking the sea, where, in addition to the deep colour of the sea, one can see the cave of Tiberius, a cavity open to the sea water, where artefacts were found dating back to the first century and now kept in the National Archaeological Museum of San Felice Circeo. This town, a renown tourist resort on the coast, comprises an elevated medieval part on Mount Circeo, and a modern part at the foot of the mount. Formia, a charming town overlooking the Gulf of Gaeta, has beautiful beaches and exhibits visible traces of Roman times.
And then there's Terracina, dominated by the temple of Jupiter Anxur reachable by a scenic road, with its Piazza del Municipio (Town Hall Square) in the old town where is also located the medieval Duomo (Cathedral) dedicated to St. Cesareo, with a wide staircase that leads to a porch with columns. To the side, the fourteenth-century Palazzo Venditti and the Frumentaria Tower where is housed the Museo Civico Archeologico (Archaeological Museum) which keeps finds from local excavations, in particular Roman remains.
Finally there's Gaeta, which is located on a spit of land on which dominates Monte Orlando. The castle is reachable by the narrow streets of the characteristic medieval quarter, and then, located close to the harbour is the Duomo, dedicated to St. Erasmus and embellished with Moorish decorations, easily recognizable from the monumental 57-metre high bell tower. The Chiesa di San Giovanni al mare (Church of St. John By-the-Sea) dates from the tenth century, and is recognizable by the beautiful spherical dome in Arabic style; the floor was built with a slight inclination to allow the flow of water at high tide.
Roman archaeological remains of great value can be seen in Cori, Norma, Sezze, Monte San Biagio and Ninfa with its memorable historic garden, a natural monument that exhibits specimens of flora and fauna from around the world in imitation of English gardens.
Castles, fortresses and medieval churches are located in Cori, Fondi, Maenza, Priverno with the Fossanova Abbey, Minturno and Sermoneta.