The church of San Giovanni a Mare, built between the end of the eleventh and the beginning of the twelfth century outside the city walls, is a rare and precious example of Romanesque construction in the shape of a basilica. The building, of Byzantine style with a Latin cross, has three naves with eight Roman columns. The side aisles are covered by cross vaults in Romanesque style while in the central square emerges a rare spherical dome of Byzantine manufacture. The presbytery is raised above the floor of the assembly and the floor is inclined to ensure a better perspective to the place of worship: with regard to this last characteristic of the church, it is suggestive to remember the popular tradition that attributed the construction of the inclined floor to the outflow of sea waters that usually entered the Church during the tide. The church miraculously escaped the bombings of 1943 and continued to be officiated until 1998, when it was closed again for urgent restoration work. Today the church is again open to worship and the public thanks to the restoration work completed in 2015.
Via Bausan, 26, 04024 Gaeta LT
