Along the ancient Via Appia, between Itri and Fondi, stands the Fortino di Sant’Andrea, a strategic outpost that deeply influenced the history of the Kingdom of Naples. Dominating the consular road, it served as a natural sentinel at the border with the Papal States, leveraging the rugged terrain of the Sant’Andrea gorges to control the only direct access to the south.
The fort, built during Gioacchino Murat’s reign, has its roots in an earlier Roman structure: a temple dedicated to Apollo, whose terraces remain visible. This architectural layering attests to the site’s strategic importance since antiquity, further underscored by the many battles fought there.
From the 16th century, the pass was the site of clashes between Neapolitan, papal, and foreign armies, including French, Spanish, and Austrian forces. Not only soldiers but also brigands left their mark here: notably, the brigand Sciarra, who long blocked the Via Appia with his army, and Fra Diavolo, who in 1798 led a fierce defence against Napoleon’s troops, slowing the French advance into southern Italy.
During the Bourbon reign, the fort became a bulwark against foreign incursions, playing a key role in the 1814 battles against the Austrians and later in Bourbon defences supporting Gaeta in 1860. The military structures, designed for maximum defence, included artillery bastions, artificial moats, and walls with loopholes for musket fire.
Beyond its strategic function, the Fortino di Sant’Andrea is wrapped in fascinating legends, such as the story of brigand Sciarra honourably allowing the poet Torquato Tasso to pass through.
Today, the fort is not only a symbol of resistance and military ingenuity but also a place preserving memories of distant eras, where history and nature intertwine to recount tales of men, wars, and courage.
