History Buffs Must See: Terracina’s Sea-View Temples

Terracina is the perfect seaside town with a rich Italian history, including many sea-view temples.

Named after the mythological God Jupiter, or in Greek Mythology, Zeus, you may still visit a temple made in his honor, built in the 3rd century B.C. If you are looking for a quaint getaway surrounded by historical structures then this is your place.
The easiest way to travel to Terracina is to rent a car in Rome and drive. The drive will take about an hour and a half on Via Pontina. You may also take a train and a bus, but that will take you two and a half hours from Roma Termini. You can take the Napoli Centrale train line, get off at Monte San Biagio- Terracina Mare, and then take the Lenola- Terracina bus line. 

Although this is mainly a place to relax on the beach and sip an excellent Aperol Spritz, there are still a few wonderful things to see. At the very top of a mountain in Terracina, there is the sea-view temple of Jupiter Anxur.

“A Roman temple perched over an Italian town, forgotten several times over.”

Take the time to go up there and enjoy the ancient ruins with a gorgeous view. Next, you can head over to Appia Antica a Villa Salvini, and explore a massive garden with archeological ruins connected to a beautiful Villa. This has only recently opened to the public since it is privately owned. Plan to spend a couple of hours there and take your time wandering around the grounds. 

If you are in need of a break from the outdoors try going to the Museo Civico Archeologico Pio Capponi (an archeology museum) where you can see many ancient relics found in Terracina’s sea-view temples, hundreds of years ago. Lastly, head over to the Cattedrale di Terracina in the city center and wander around the Piazza. This Cathedral started construction in the year 700 and is the resting place of Saint Nicholas.

If you are a history buff who enjoys the beach, sea-view temples and exploring Archeological ruins then it seems that Terracina is your ideal destination. Many Italians from Rome and Naples go on weekend vacations here so it’s not very popular for out-of-country tourists. Relax on the beach and then take the walk up to Jupiter’s temple. Enjoy your visit and make sure to tag us on social media! We’d love to keep up with your travel adventures.