The lunar arch of Lake Fondi characterises Fondi, a wonderful town in the Pontine Plain, at the foothills of the Aurunci and Ausoni mountains. According to legend, the town was founded by Hercules and the urban core still retains traces of its history.
Fondane oranges
“…nothing is more delightful than this small plage of fertile land, […], almost everywhere, oranges hang from the trees; the sown fields, all of wheat, are green, in the fields the olive trees…”
This is how J. W. Goethe described it, praising its low, sandy coastline, delightfully bordered by a littoral dune full of vegetation, and rich in natural wonders as well as the famous blond fondane oranges.
Baronial Castle or Caetani
The true symbol of Fondi is the imposing Baronale or Caetani Castle. It houses the ‘8 Ottobre’ Archaeological Civic Museum. Don’t forget to visit Palazzo del Principe, the megalithic walls, and the La Giudea quarter with the Jewish Museum.
Monastery of San Magno
Also not to be missed are the churches of San Pietro, Santa Maria Assunta, San Francesco and San Domenico with the adjoining convent. The neighbouring Monastery of San Magno has only a few years ago been restored to its original vocation as a land port where every traveller can find an answer to questions of life and faith.
Lake Fondi
Fondi is located in the Regional Natural Park of Monti Aurunci and the Regional Natural Park of Monti Ausoni and Lake Fondi, which can be visited on walking, mountain biking, and horseback riding along the lake’s many paths and shorelines. Lake Fondi has fresh and marine waters that make it a transitional coastal model where different ecosystems blend into one another, creating natural habitats for various plant and animal species, and for the stopover of many migratory birds.
Its wonderful beaches of Ponente, Torre Canneto and Rio Claro, have earned it the Blue Flag for several years now, the prestigious award given by the international organisation Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) to unspoilt, sustainable resorts and marinas with clean waters and better safety for swimmers.
It was in these southern Pontine locations that director Giuseppe de Santis, who was born in Fondi, shot the film ‘Giorni d’amore’ (Days of Love), starring Marcello Mastroianni as a young man from Fondi. Unforgettable stories occurred in Fondi and narrated by Alberto Moravia in ‘La Ciociara‘, the dramatic events in the spring of 1944 that form the backdrop to the personal and social vicissitudes of a mother and daughter.
In addition to seafood specialities, the traditional cuisine of Fondano offers tasty dishes such as pasta with olives and pumpkin, mozzarella and ricotta di bufala Campana, both PDO, and the famous ‘Fondano tomato’.
Not to be missed among the festivals is the Latium World Folkloric Festival – Musics, Dances and Folk Arts of the World, the intercultural and itinerant festival in Lazio between July and August. Another event not to be missed is the FONDIfilmFESTIVAL – Riviera d’Ulisse between September and November, a dialogue between cinema and locations in the province of Latina often featured in films.