The town has an ancient history that begins with the Neanderthals, then the protagonist of the myth of Ulysses and the sorceress Circe, told by Homer in the Odyssey... #tuttitaly
San Felice Circeo is a small town on the Lazio coast located a few kilometers from Rome.
In this place, called the island Eea by Homer, stands the home of Circe, the fascinating sorceress who bewitched Ulysses.
The presence of man in this area dates back to the times of Neanderthal man, whose remains were found in the Guattari Cave in 1939. The cave is an archaeological site, which can be visited via the virtual tour of Grotta Guattari.
Later, in other caves, the remains of the Sapiens man were also found.
In 393 BC, the Romans-Latins transformed the acropolis into a fortress city.
Between the fall of the Roman Empire and the year 1000, San Felice Circeo suffered numerous barbarian invasions. In the second half of the 9th century, the papal fleets defeated the Saracen ships, and the inhabited center took the name of Rocca Circeo. It was entrusted to the Terracinesi, who, around the 12th century, transformed it into a fortified fortress.
In 1239, Pope Gregory IX ordered the Templars to take possession of the fortress, which changed its name to Castrum Sancti Felicis.
In the 1500s, Frederick I of Aragon destroyed the town, which was immediately depopulated, and the Castrum became a possession of the Caetani. The Caetani also built four towers to defend the coast. These are engaged in a work of reconstruction and repopulation, giving the country its current appearance.
The only one that retains its original appearance is Torre Paola, built on the Circeo promontory on the Sabaudia side.
There are so many places to visit in San Felice Circeo. The town boasts two historical centers: a medieval one corresponding to the ancient fortress, and a more recent one, built during the Fascist period in Borgo Montenero, considered, among other things, one of the most beautiful villages in the Agro.
An exciting initiative is the wall of the Nommera: it is a series of decorated tiles depicting the most famous characters in the country's history, with many names and nicknames.
During the summer season, it is possible to make the Periplo del Promontorio a tour around the peninsula to discover the history of the caves of prehistoric importance.
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