Monumento Naturale Tempio di Giove Anxur

Tempio di Giove Anxur Natural Monument

The habitat is mainly characterized by Mediterranean maquis formed by shrubby species, with foliage reaching the 2-3 meters of height. The maquis is formed by mastic tree, tree heath, strawberry tree, myrtle, tree spurge, brooms, and other shrubby formations like the cistus and the rosemary. At the moment, the maquis surrounding the area is poor in animals because of the long history of the human activities in the area. It is possible to find foxes, small rodents, lizards, and many bird species. The fauna also includes snails, insects, and earthworms.

Monte S. Angelo or "Tempio di Giove Anxur" protected area includes a group of archaeological and monumental buildings and a naturalistic area characterized by Mediterranean maquis. The archaeological complex, probably a sanctuary originally dedicated to an archaic worship and then to a Roman worship, was built on the rocky spur of Ausoni Mountains sloping down to the sea. It is situated in the north-east of the town of Terracina, at the summit of a mountain dominating it.

The archaeological area, with the variety of settlements characterizing it, belongs to a sanctuary which is similar to other sanctuaries that can be found in Lazio. It had a twofold function: strategic and defensive, thanks to the presence of walls with circular towers connecting the town, and cultural, with the small temple that was rearranged in the Middle Ages in the west, the terrace basement where the temple is situated in the east, and the fortified field in the north. The particular position of the area was also useful to defend Via Appia, which reached the archaeological complex and then headed to Fondi plateau, a trail that remained unchanged up to the cut downhill the town by Traiano (98-117 AD).