The Physics of DAΦNE and KLOE

DAΦNE, the Frascati φ factory, has been in operation since 1999. At the center of the physics program is the KLOE experiment, a multipurpose detector with optimizations for tagged and interferometry-based measurements of the neutral kaon system. KLOE has been taking data since 2000 and has helped to explore a wide array of topics in kaon and hadronic physics, including a comprehensive set of measurements to determine the CKM matrix element , and a measurement of the cross section for the determination of the hadronic contribution to the muon anomaly. In addition, the DEAR experiment has measured the X-ray spectrum of kaonic hydrogen, and the FINUDA experiment has conducted its first studies in hypernuclear spectroscopy and a search for -nuclear bound states. We review the design, construction, and operation of the DAΦNE facility, with an emphasis on the physics program of the KLOE experiment.