It is a part of the first building, a monastery, built in the old town by Benedictine monks in 1100 AD.
A mural covering the white walls on one side of the small square will catch your attention.
It almost looks like an old comic book, with different scenes that tell the story of the pirate invasion in 1534 through drawings and verses.
The fresco is not very old, probably painted in the 70s by an unknown artist.
But it tells a true story.
A fresco on the walls of the old Sperlonga village
What’s the story behind that fresco?
At dawn on a warm and sunny day in August, in 1534, a fleet of pirates led by the terrible Khayr-ad-Din called “Barbarossa” landed in Sperlonga. The corsair had been commissioned by the Ottoman sultan Suleiman the Magnificent to bring him the best Italian treasures and kidnap the most beautiful Italian girl: Princess Giulia Gonzaga. Born in Modena, she lived in Fondi after marrying Count Vespasiano Colonna.
Barbarossa destroyed everything he found in his path.
When he ordered some Sperlongans to show him the way to the princess's castle in Fondi, he told them that if they did so he would spare their families and their homes. They didn't think twice and took him to Fondi.
Fortunately, when the pirates reached the city, Princess Giulia was no longer there. It is said that her faithful servants had warned her in time and she was able to escape through a secret tunnel in her castle.
Giulia was beautiful, yes, but also intelligent!