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minturno |
| A few kilometres south of Formia - and the next stop on the train - MINTURNO is the last town before the Campania border, a maze of tiny lanes and vaulted streets oddly reminiscent of an Arab medina . The main square is dominated by a massive crumbling castle , which was owned until the middle of this century by the Carraciolo-Carafa dynasty; a plaque on the west wall recalls a visit by St Thomas Aquinas in 1272. Behind, the town's Duomo is a Norman structure not unlike that of nearby Sessa Arunca or Ravello, with a similar colourfully mosaicked pulpit. About 4km south of town are the ruins of the ancient Roman port of Minturnae (daily 9am-7pm; L4000/¬2.07), a once flourishing town afflicted by depopulation as this low-lying area became malarial. Most striking among the rubble are the remains of a restored amphitheatre (still used for concerts in summer), below which there's a small antiquarium containing finds from around the site and a broken-down aqueduct that runs for 2km southwest. |