Sorrento, Positano, Ravello and Amalfi: natural beauties and spectacular landscapes

Natural beauties and spectacular landscapes, a mild climate and many memories of a glorious past. Even today it is easy to guess why this peninsula, streched forward between the Neapolitan and the Salerno Gulfs, has been so much admired by writers, poets and artists. A hundred kilometers are enough to enclose real touristic pearls such as Sorrento, Positano, Ravello and Amalfi, that offer enchanting foreshortenings and evocative images.

A hundred kilometers of well known places and landscapes that in any time enchanted artists, poets and simple travellers from all over the world. Plunged in a sweet and wild nature, with mild climate, among the signs of a glorious past. With this itinerary we will discover the beauties of the Sorrento peninsula, famous all over the world thanks to such villages as Sorrento, Positano, Ravello and Amalfi, for the intriguing mix of marvellous landscapes, enchanting views and historical monuments of great interest.

Sorrento, chief town of the peninsula, lays in its Northern part on a tufaceous terrace vertically on the sea. Climatic and stay resort of international reknown, Sorrento plunges in the green of orange and olive groves. It has far Samnite origins and was then won by the Romans that used it as holiday resort, in the Middle Age it was seat of a dukedom and in 1133 was occupied by the Normans. In the nineteenth century it was favourite destination for artists, writers and musicians from all over the world taking inspiration from the beauty of its views, among them Lord Byron, John Keats, Walter Scott and Goethe. Also called the "city of sirens" (in ancient times it was told that in the gulf lived sirens), from which it probably derives its name, or "city of oranges", it is native city of the eminent writer Torquato Tasso.

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Going down to the sea, after about ten kilometers, we reach Positano, placed at the Southern slopes of Lattari Mounts that shelter it from the Northern winds, it is one of the most elegant and reknown climatic resorts of the "Costiera Amalfitana". It was founded by some Paestum refugees escaping the Saracens. We have news of the first inhabited centre already in the X century: an hamlet where it laid a Benedictine abbey dedicated to San Vito. Placed in an enchanting position, Positano was favourite destination for big artists as Pablo Picasso and Paul Klee and renowned culture personages as Rossellini, Toscanini, Bernstein, Steinbeck and Pirandello. Made of three hamlets, its historical centre and its sailorly quarter are the main attractions, with the typical white houses with round top and small arcades on the front. We suggest to visit the City Tower and the church of Santa Maria Assunta, with the large cupola covered with majolicas and two valuable works of art inside: the thirteenth century "Madonna With The Child" above the main altar and a "Circumcision" in the right transept.

Next stop: Amalfi. It grows out of the see along Molini valley with steep stairs, passages escaved in the rocks and arcades that open on exclusive views. It was founded in the IV century A.C. by Roman shipwrecked people directed to Costantinople but evidences let think that it had been inhabited before. It reached its maximum splendour in the X and XI centuries, when it became the first Sailor Republic in Italy and played a great role in the commerce with Orient.

Memories of this bright past are the Cathedral of S. Andrea, built in Arab-Norman style with a beautiful cloister called "Cloister of Paradise" and the rests of the Arsenals of the Republic, two aisles covered with groins where were built the biggest and quickest galleys of the times. We also suggest a visit to the Medieval village and to its typical shops under the arcades.

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Maiori, bathing resort living on tourism, agricolture, fishing and handicraft, was first called Reginna Maior. You should visit the church of S. Francesco, built in 1405, and the church of Santa Maria a Mare (XIII century) on the Torina Mount. At the end we arrive in Vietri sul Mare: together with Marina di Vietri it forms a bathing resort of very ancient Etruscan origins.

Vacanze a Sorrento, Positano, Ravello e Amalfi

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