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 Regions in Italy : Region Campania : Province Napoli: Sorrento
Napoli in Campania

Sorrento

Province of Napoli, Region Campania, Italy

Sorrento, enchanting and intriguing as the song of the sirens after whom it was named, is a popular destination 47 km from Naples on the peninsula dividing the Neapolitan and Amalfi Gulf, rising on a tufa cliff in a domineering position. The breathtaking landscape of the coastline and the mildness of the climate have attracted famous personalities since Roman times, among them Lord Byron, Keats, Goethe, Ibsen, Walter Scott; it was also the birthplace of poet Torquato Tasso, who gives name to Sorrento's central square. It can be reached by train, and ferry boats and hydrofoils provide connections to Naples, Amalfi, Positano, Capri.

INFO: Population: ca. 16,000 inhabitants -- Zip/postal code: 80067 -- Phone Area Code: 081 -- Patron Saint: St. Antonino celebrated on 14 February -- Frazioni & Località: Casarlano, Sorrento Capo, Sorrento Marina Grande -- Useful Links: Official website of the Municipality | Sorrento Tourist Office

History: According to the legend, Sorrento was founded by Liparus, a son of the king of the Ausoni who in his turn was the son of Odysseus and sorceress Circe. The sanctuary called Athenaion was also allegededly founded by Odysseus and devoted to the cult of the Sirens, from which the name Surrentum was derived.

Inhabited since Neolithic times, it was a Greek colony, as mentioned by historian Strabo, then was occupied by the Romans, and in imperial times became with Baia and Ischia a renowned holiday resort for the wealthy Patritians. The present urban plan still reflects the typiacal geometry of the Roman municipium. In the Middle Ages it was occupied by the Ostrogoths and then for a period it was part of the Byzanthine Empire and then returned to the Eastern Empire. In the late 9th century it became an autonomous; in 1133 it was conquered by Norman Roger II of Hauteville and from then on it was included in the Kingdom of Sicily.

On June 13, 1558 it was attacked by Muslim pirates, after which a new line of walls was built for further protection. In the following centuries its importance rose both in trade and tourism. In 1861 the whole kingdom of Naples was annexed to the new Kingdom of Italy. Throughout the 19th and 20th century its luxurious hotels and villas made one of the most renowned tourist destinations in Europe.

What to see:

  • Ruins of 3 Roman villas at Marina di Puolo
  • the Basilica of Sant'Antonino, built on a previous pagan temple, in honor of the patron, with a facade in grey tufa rock; in a small patio to the right are preserved the bones of the marine mammal mentioned in the miracle; inside are frescoes with 16 scenes of the life of the saint, the last three the miracle of the child rescued from a whale. In the crypt is a statue of the saint, with an oil lamp burning; the oil is connected to a miracle, and the faithful rub with it their hands for protection
  • the Museo Correale di Terranova, with collections of Capodimonte ceramics, art galleries, archeological section, and a special collection of fans, spanning 3 centuries
  • the beautiful fishing boroughs of Marina Grande and Marina Piccola

MAP OF SORRENTO:
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