Gaeta

Gaeta occupies a rocky promontory on the Tyrrhenian coast, guarding a harbour between Rome and Naples. Its castle and walls rise above the sea, making the town a formidable fortress as well as a port. Successive rulers strengthened the defences, which protected an important approach to the Kingdom of Naples. The Angevin king Charles I rebuilt the castle after taking the town in 1266.

During the War of the Spanish Succession, Austrian forces took Gaeta in 1707 after a long siege. Another siege ended in 1734 with its capture by forces supporting Charles of Bourbon. In 1806 the fortress again resisted a French army under Masséna before surrendering. Each struggle demonstrated the military value of the headland and its harbour to armies contesting southern Italy.