Mount Orlando Regional Park trails
This part of Gaeta's territory is characterized by the particular conformation of the land that has occurred in the different geological eras, which have led to deep splits and favored the development of beautiful Mediterranean scrub, giving rise to authentic spectacles of nature.
The starting point is the Sanctuary of the Holy Trinity, which can be reached from the center of gaeta by walking along Via Munazio Planco and following the signs placed along the road. Another starting point is in the old part of the city of Gaeta (Gaeta Vecchia). The entire route is about four and a half kilometers long and is easily accomplished in about three hours of walking.
Arriving at the Sanctuary of the Holy Trinity, we begin with a visit to the Montagna Spaccata, the spectacular fault that cuts the limestone rock of the promontory in two, reaching all the way to the sea and which tradition says originated from the earthquake that shook the earth when Christ breathed his last on the cross. From the terrace built above the Chapel of St. Philip Neri, suspended halfway up the rift, one can admire beautiful specimens of dwarf palm trees protruding from the sheer cliff walls overhanging the sea. Ascending and turning right before the exit gate, you reach the Grotta del Turco.
After a small series of hairpin bends, the path opens onto an old asphalt road, closed to traffic since the park was established. Proceeding to the right, one immediately glimpses, although partly hidden by vegetation, the entrance to the Carolina powder magazine, one of the many military structures built during Bourbon rule. Fortification works on the promontory were begun by Ferdinand the Catholic and completed in 1530 by Charles V, who had an imposing system of defensive walls, still visible today, built close to the cliffs, making the promontory virtually impregnable from the sea. Ferdinand IV, on the other hand, is credited with the construction in the second half of the 1700s of the Torre d'Orlando, Carolina, Ferdinand and Trabacco powder magazines, with a total capacity of 27 thousand quintals of powder. An immense firepower for the time..
After the ascent, take the path immediately to the left again, passing through a gate that the friars of the convent always keep open, and enter the woods, not without paying attention to the Roman walls, the last remains of a villa attributed to Lucius Munazio Planco (1st century B.C.).
After stopping at the Carolina powder magazine, continue to the right until you reach a fork, and there take the path that climbs to the left reaching the Ferdinand powder magazine. Along the way, remains of Roman constructions incorporated into the L. M. Planco estate are still visible.
Having visited the powder magazine and returned to the bifurcation, take the path that descends and leads to the last of the still visible powder magazines, the Trabacco. One enjoys from here, close to the cliff that falls sheer into the sea, a marvelous view that sweeps from the Ponzian islands to Ischia.
Turn back and continue along the paved road that descends back to the Sanctuary of the Trinity. Along the route, which winds through a dense forest of holm oaks, you can see other remains of Bourbon fortifications and tunnels dug into the mountain for military use. For those who wish to lengthen the walk, one can take one of the many paths up to the mausoleum of L. M. Planco.
