Sorrento Travel Guide
Author: giuseppe longo
Sorrento lines the cliffs that look over the water to Naples and
Mt Vesuvius. According to Greek legend, it was here that the
Sirens, those mythical provocateurs of pure voice and dodgy
intent, lurked, trying to lure Homer's Ulysses and his men.
Arrival At least 12 SITA buses run daily between Sorrento and
Amalfi, looping around Positano; more than 10 buses also run to
Ravello. Buses leave from outside the Circumvesuviana train
station. Trains run to/from Naples via Pompeii and Ercolano.
Hydrofoils leave to/from Sorrento and to/from Naples. All depart
from the port at Marina Piccola, where you can buy your
tickets.
By train: Circumvesuviana trains run to/from Naples via Pompeii
and Ercolano. From Naples trains can be caught to many
destinations across Italy and Europe.
By bus: SITA buses serve the Amalfi Coast, Naples and
Sant'Agata, leaving from outside the Circumvesuviana train
station. Buy tickets at the station bar or from shops bearing the
blue SITA sign. There are many buses each day between Sorrento
and Amalfi, looping around Positano.
By plane: Naples Capodichino Airport offers connections to all
Italian cities and major European destinations with traditional
or low-cost airline companies. From the Arrival area of the
Airport there is a daily bus service to Sorrento provided by
Curreri. The nearest Intercontinental Airport is Rome's
Fiumicino, with the possibility of getting to Naples by air
besides the train.
By sea: From Naples Beverello Wharf, the pier in front of Castel
Nuovo, many hydrofoil and ferries depart for Sorrento; the
hydrofoils (aliscafi) are twice as fast as the ferries and the
service is usually more frequent in summer. From Beverello Wharf,
during May to October, there are two daily runs to Amalfi with
Metrò del Mare.
By car: To Sorrento those coming from Rome or from the north
must take highway A1 up to Naples, continue on A3 towards
Salerno, exit at Castellamare and continue on state highway 145
up to Sorrento. Coming from the south, travel on A3 just after
Salerno, exit at Castellamare and continue on state highway
145.
Transport There is a bus service from Piazza Tasso to the port
at Marina Piccola. Tickets are available at tobacconists,
newsagents and bars. Several rental companies hire out scooters
and cars. Taxis are also available.
History and Culture Ancient Sorrento's foggy origins have
Phoenician and Greek fingerprints scattered faintly around the
crime scene right up to the first solid sandal prints which leave
no doubts about a Roman stay. Throughout their time Sorrento's
reputation as a popular seaside resort increasing exponentially
as villa after villa sprung up, elbow to elbow with lovely sea
views. The only hiccup was the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD,
which caused plenty of damage in town, though not in comparison
to Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabia, which were completely
destroyed.
The city, once named Surrentum after the often quoted story of
the sexy sea sirens who would entice sailors to an early exit
with their gyrations and enchanting songs, found itself slave to
many masters long before more famous cities were even thought of.
When Rome fell over the Goths moved in, followed by the
Longobards, who spent a long time hanging around laying an
ultimately unsuccessful siege to the well defended city. In 552
the Byzantines rolled through and made merry until a variety of
local chest thumpers sent them packing and turned the area into a
Dukedom, subject to Saracen raids and battles between whoever
could raise an army and find someone to fight. The Normans under
Ruggero stopped all that rot in 1133, binding the town's fate to
that of Naples and the greater area. Turkish pirates took their
turn in 1158, looting the town after a naughty slave opened the
front gates and let them in. The citizens by this time were well
fed up with all the skulduggery and decided to throw up some nice
big walls and keep a better eye on the slaves in the hope of
keeping future plunderers outside the door.
From then on into the 19th century Sorrento grew and grew as a
holiday resort. It even started attracting well-to-do's like Lord
Byron and Goethe. Soon other chaps followed and the honour roll
of those who have enjoyed the delights of Sorrento - John Keats,
Walter Scott, Wagner and Nietzsche among them - would make any
dinner party interesting.
Modern History Sorrento seemed to dodge much of the upheaval
taking place across Europe in the 20th century. The Amalfi coast
including Sorrento was used as an R&R centre by Allied troops
stationed in the Middle East and Italy during WW2. Noted guests
continued to flock to the resort - Gustav of Sweden, Fernando of
Bulgaria, even Ronald Reagan. The real boom along with tourism
was the growth of citrus product, especially lemons, along the
Costa Amalfitana, sparking a postcard and tea-towel bonanza
through town featuring all manner of lemon and lemon-related
images under Sorrento's proud name.
Churches and Museums Basilica di San Antonino This basilica was
built around the 10th century in honor of Saint Anthony, patron
saint of navigators, and in c.1300 it became the home of the
"Confraternita dei Battenti", an heretical confraternity
originating from Naples. It was splendidly restored in the C17th
by the Theatine Fathers. The crypt holds the tomb of Saint
Anthony, where thousands of votive offerings have been made by
sailors.
Saint Francis Cloisters The Saint Francis Cloisters have been
restored on numerous occasions over the centuries and hence
display a distinctive array of architectural styles that range
from late gothic to renaissance, while the refectory retains its
original fourteenth century structure.
Museo Correale Within the 18th-century Palazzo Correale, which
has some interesting murals, is the Museo Correale, containing a
small collection of 17th- and 18th-century Neapolitan art and an
assortment of Greek and Roman artefacts. Steps lead down to the
shore while the gardens offer views of the bay.
Historical buildings and monuments Cathedral The gleaming white
facade of the cathedral gives no hint of the exuberance housed
within. There's a particularly striking Crucifixion above the
main altar. The triple-tiered bell tower rests on an archway into
which three classical columns and a number of other fragments
have been set.
Sedil Dominova A unique testimony to the ancient "sedile", which
was the building in which the city fathers gathered to make laws
and decide on economic and administrative matters. A magnificent
majolica-tiled dome covers the arcaded loggia of the Sedil
Dominova.
Events Sorrento Summer of Music - from July to September. The
"Sorrento Summer of Music" Festival takes place every year in the
cloisters of the monastery of Saint Francis in Sorrento, and its
honorary President is the famous cellist Uto Ughi. Against the
attractive backdrop of the Saint Francis cloisters, great names
from the international music scene perform alongside emerging
talent throughout the summer. Plenty of classical music and
chamber music, but also jazz and other genres.
Incontri Internazionali del Cinema di Sorrento - December
Sorrento's International Cinema Festival first began in 1963, and
every year awards are presented to the best of Italian and
foreign features and shorts.
About the author
www.filcoo.com
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