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Statue of the Redeemer in Maranola: sentinel of the Gulf of Gaeta on Mount Altino
Placed at an altitude of 1,252 metres on the summit of Monte Altino, the Statue of the Redeemer of Maranola keeps watch over the Gulf of Gaeta. It is not merely a religious symbol, but the destination of one of the most panoramic trails in the Parco dei Monti Aurunci. Reaching it requires a little walking, but the reward is a view that on clear days stretches as far as Ischia and Vesuvius.
A story of destruction and rebirth
The statue has had a troubled history. Pope Leo XIII had it placed here in 1901, along with nineteen others across Italy to mark the dawn of the new century. But lightning destroyed it shortly afterwards, bringing down the obelisk as well. What we see today is the version rebuilt after the First World War.
Not just a statue: the hermitage in the rock
Just below the summit lies a surprise. Nestled into the rock hides the Eremo di San Michele Arcangelo (Hermitage of Archangel St Michael), a small rupestrian sanctuary far older than the statue itself. For centuries it has been a place of pilgrimage for shepherds — a place of absolute silence, suspended between sky and sea.
It can be reached on foot via a trail from the Rifugio Pornito (Pornito Refuge), in the municipality of Formia (LT). Access is free. Trekking attire is recommended.
