SORRENTO AND ITS SURROUNDINGS
A Sirenland

An old legend tells that in ancient times sirens lived in the beautiful sea of Sorrento, thus accounting for the name of Sirenland given to the area. Visitors have always been enchanted by it like the mythical Ulysses by the melodies of the sirens. But what makes it so unique? Sorrento and its peninsula have always been known for their natural beauty, delightful climate, incredible surroundings and cultural value, so much so as to be inserted during the XIX century in the Grand Tour of most famous well off and noble descendants and artists as Byron, Keats, Scott, Dickens, Goethe, Wagner, Ibsen, Douglas and Nietzsche.
They made enthusiastic descriptions of the spellbound beauty and historical and social interest of Sorrento and the nearby places as Naples, Pompei, Capri, Ischia and the Amalfi Coast.

Originally colonised by the Greeks, dominated by the Romans (remains of a magnificent roman villa can still be enjoyed), then a free ducal state. Sorrento developed during the XIX century all the traditional activities from agriculture to maritime trade and commerce and most of its tourism industry which nowadays represents so much of its economy. The most prestigious hotels were built and hosted czars and queens, writers, philosophers and musicians.

The Sorrento peninsula is Nature! It boasts expanses of olive, orange and lemon groves and the protected marine area of Punta Campanella with its unforgettable spectacle under the water made possible by the services of a number of professional diving centres.

The Sorrento Peninsula is music! The concerts of the Musical Summer Festival take place in Sorrento in a charming Franciscan cloister dating to the XIV century, whereas the classical concerts in Ravello (gulf of Salerno) take place on an incredible terrace on the sea. But also the traditional dances and the old Neapolitan songs like “Torna a Surriento” capture the visitors.

The Sorrento Peninsula is tradition and folklore! Processions of the Hooded during the Easter Holy Week have been practised for centuries in the area. The fascinating live Nativity with over 300 actors on January the 6th, the Carnival in February, the Celebrating Hills in June,the incredibile fireworks on 15th August in Positano (gulf of Salerno) and other popular traditions are held.

The Sorrento Peninsula is culture! Sorrento hosts two important museums. The Correale Museum exhibits precious artefacts from the Posillipo painting schools and porcelains from Capodimonte, Sevres and Sassonia. The Tarsia Lignea Museum-Workshop houses famous Sorrentine inlaid
wood-works. Beautiful churches with their masterpieces are present in the historical centre of Sorrento as well as in all the area. You can’t miss the coral altar in Vico Equense and the XVI century main altar with insets of mother of pearl, lapislazuli and malachite in Sant’Agata dei Due Golfi. It also hosts well known events such as the International Film Festival, the antique books and prints fair and the review of the Italian Theatre in the magical scenario of an old tower, Torre Turbolo.

The Sorrento Peninsula is gastronomy! It has a very ancient cheese tradition, the gorgeous pizza, the tasty walnuts, the fresh fish, the delicious sweets and the splendid lemons that give us the inhebriating flavours of the limoncello (a light alcoholic drink). The area boasts excellent restaurants, all offering a particularly good cuisine as the ones in the Nerano district and in Sant’Agata dei Due Golfi, 7 km from Sorrento.

Sant’Agata takes its name from its marvellous position, 400 metres on the sea level between the Gulf of Sorrento and the Gulf of Salerno. It has always been chosen for its cool climate, its natural beauty, its location on the headland of the Sorrentine peninsula that makes it the ideal home base for excursions to Capri, Ischia, Procida, Pompei, Herculaneum, Naples and the Amalfi coast.
Visitors can choose between bathing in the crystal-clear water of the nearby Nerano or Massalubrense and walking along breathtaking paths where to enjoy wonderful views and just relax. The charming and picturesque tiny natural fiord of Crapolla with its minuscule beach can be reached on foot from Torca, a hamlet very close to Sant’Agata.

……but there is still so much to see and enjoy in this beautiful area!