Sorrento was built by colonists from Phenicia, who first landed on the Ligurian shores long before the onset of a new era. Then the port of Sorrento was often visited by Greek merchant ships, delivering goods to the south of the Apennines. The Romans who came, appreciated the beauty of these places and built many villas where the patricians preferred to spend their time. During its long history, Sorrento has been marked by Goths and Byzantines, Lombards and Saracens. The city fell under the rule of the Normans, Aragonese and Turks, until in 1860 it became part of the united Italy. He was loved by Goethe and Nietzsche, Byron and Stendhal spent the winter here, and Ibsen wrote his immortal plays on the shores of the Ligurian Sea. When asked what to see in Sorrento, tourists are answered not only by guides, but also by manufacturers of porcelain miniatures Capo di Monte, creators of famous Ligurian wines and liqueurs, and even masters of wood inlays: the art of intarsia is called a bright and original folk craft, which is one of the most important directions today. local tourism business.
TOP 10 attractions in Sorrento
Tasso Square
The central square in the historic center of Sorrento is named after Torquato Tasso. He was called one of the most widely read poets of the Old World until the beginning of the twentieth century. Tasso was born in 1544, and his most famous work, Gerusalemme liberata, was dedicated to the battle between Muslims and Christians during the First Crusade. The poet came from a family of nobles and was brought up in a Jesuit school in Naples.
In the square named after an outstanding native of Sorrento, you will see:
- The statue of the holy Martyr Antonio, whom the inhabitants of the city consider their heavenly patron.
- Monument to Torquato Tasso, created in the 19th century. and dedicated to the poet.
- Church of Maria del Carmine, built in the XIV century. and survived many important historical events. The interior of the temple is decorated with the work of the great master of the Baroque era Onofrio Avellino. Written in the 18th century. the painting is called "Virgin Mary with a Child and Angels."
Sorrento's main shopping street, Via San Cesareo, starts from Piazza Tasso.
Cathedral
As in any Italian city, Sorrento's main cathedral is well worth exploring. The construction of the Duomo began in the distant 11th century. The project was a building in the shape of a Latin cross - austere and monumental, in the best traditions of the end of the early Middle Ages. In the XV century. the temple was thoroughly rebuilt, giving it features of the Romanesque style, however, the facade was redone again much later. In 1904, a strong earthquake struck the city, after which many sights had to be restored. In 1924, the facade of the Duomo Sorrento was rebuilt from the ruins, using the principles of the neo-Gothic style.
Particularly noteworthy are the wall paintings made by masters from Naples, the baptismal font in which Torquato Tasso was baptized, and the bell tower with an old clock.
Majolica, wood intarsia, gold-plated stucco moldings, marble sculptures and ceiling frescoes of the 17th-18th centuries were used to decorate the interior of the church.
Basilica of St. Anthony
A monumental basilica in the center of the old town is dedicated to the patron saint of Sorrento. The date of construction dates back to the 11th century, but researchers believe that the church was erected on the ruins of a former temple. The location was not chosen by chance: in this part of Sorrento, three main roads leading to the city converged. During the construction of the basilica, marble fragments of pagan sanctuaries of the era of ancient Rome were used.
In the middle of the 17th century. the church underwent reconstruction, as a result of which it received a new baroque façade and a bell tower in the same style. The next reconstruction took place in the 18th century, when the temple was decorated with friezes and plastered.
The laconic exterior of the basilica is complemented by the interiors decorated with numerous frescoes. The murals depict scenes from the life of St. Anthony, who saved many people from death. In the temple you will also find three works by Giovanni Battista Lama, painted in the first third of the 18th century. In the crypt of the basilica, the frescoes of the 14th century are worthy of attention. and many unique items that are sacred to Christian pilgrims.
Sculpture of St. Anthony
Among believing Christians and residents of Sorrento, Saint Anthony is especially revered. The sculpture of the patron saint of the city, installed in the basilica of the same name, is a subject of pilgrimage and worship and one of the famous landmarks of Sorrento.
The sculpture was created by the artist Scipion di Corantio. He worked on the image of the martyr at the end of the 15th century, but the Saracens who came to the city plundered the workshop and melted the unfinished sculpture into swords. According to the same legend, the master finished the new statue only in 1564, as the inscription on the pedestal says.
The sculpture of the Holy Martyr Antonio is covered with silver. Every year on February 14, the city celebrates the day of its patron saint and the sculpture is dressed in special clothes.
Church of St. Francis
Picturesque flower galleries, a garden fragrant when the trees are blooming, and a splendid view of the Gulf of Naples are just a few of the reasons why you should take a trip to the Church of St. Francis in Sorrento. The courtyard of the temple annually becomes a venue for the Sorrento Musical Summer festival both due to the excellent acoustics and because the surroundings of the artists and spectators contribute to the perception of unfading classics in the best possible way.
The church was built in the 18th century, although the monastery courtyard has existed on this site since the 13th century. The temple was erected on the site of a 7th century monastery, which, in turn, stood on the ruins of an ancient pagan sanctuary. During the construction, stones from ancient ruins were used, which is very typical for medieval buildings of the Old World.
The arched galleries surrounding the church courtyard provide pleasant shade and a view of the octagonal tuff columns and old vaults. A white pepper tree grows in the center of the courtyard, and there are many flowering bushes around the perimeter.
Civil marriage registration ceremonies are often held in the church courtyard, and permission can be obtained from the local town hall.
Church of St. Annunziata
The exact date of the construction of the temple in honor of St. Annunziata is unknown, but historians believe that construction was carried out at the very end of the 13th century. The ruins of an ancient sanctuary dedicated to the goddess Cybele served as the foundation.
A century later, the church was handed over to the Augustinian order, who did not interfere with the burials in the crypt of noble townspeople and high-ranking clergy. So the temple acquired a status that is especially revered in the city.
The façade of the church was radically renewed in 1768 when Agostino Sersale, as Cardinal of Naples and the surrounding area, rebuilt the front wall of the basilica and installed his own family coat of arms on it.
Correale Museum
Surrounded by an orange grove, Villa Correale in Sorrento overlooks the Gulf of Naples and belongs to the current descendants of the family - Pompeo and Alfredo Correale. But among tourists, the mansion is famous for the fact that it houses the collection of the city art museum. The halls display works of painting of the 17th-18th centuries, ceramics, masterpieces of Italian glassblowers, furniture, jewelry inlaid with precious stones and clocks.
Among the paintings of renowned Italian artists you will find works by Giovanno Batisto Ruoppolo, Caracciolo, Vaccaro. The museum also features Flemings - Rubens, J. Varis Kassel and Grimmer. Majolica dating from the 17th century was brought from Milan, Calabria and Sicily, and porcelain from Vienna, Zurich, Venice and even St. Petersburg.
Bottega Museum
The art of wood inlay is a folk craft for which Sorrento has been famous over the past centuries. The intarsia technique is that the tree serves as both the background and the material from which the mosaic image is made. Intarsia is created by hand from valuable species of maple, dogwood, boxwood and oak. Sorrento wood inlay masters are famous all over the world, and therefore it is not surprising that a museum dedicated to intarsia has appeared in this particular region of Italy.
You can look at the best examples of wood inlays in the Bottega Museum, opened in Palazzo Pomarici Santomasi. Its halls contain several hundred samples of precious furniture, household items, caskets, decorative panels, caskets, dressing tables, mirror frames and other magnificent products by Italian artists. The museum displays photographic illustrations of the workflow, depicting the various stages of material processing.
Today, about 700 craftsmen are still engaged in wood inlays in the region, and you can buy a souvenir to remember your trip to Sorrento in the city shops. The products cost a lot, but each of them is a unique artistic masterpiece.
Mayo street
Another amazing street begins from Piazza Tasso, which takes its rightful place in the list of Sorrento attractions. It was formed as a result of an earthquake and, as a result, was laid along the bottom of a deep gorge. Two car lanes and sidewalks on both sides are delimited by high stone walls. The cliffs are overgrown with climbing plants, and a walk along Via Luigi de Maio, named after the first minister of the Kingdom of Sicilia, Luigi Mayo, evokes pleasant feelings and gives a lot of cute angles for a photo shoot.
Via Mayo leads to the Sorrento seafront. The rocky gorge in the heart of the old town is about 500 meters long.
Valley of mills
The most breathtaking sight of Sorrento is the Valley of the Mills in the historic center. It represents the intersection of five small valleys that served as the borders of land holdings in the Middle Ages. In the XVII century. a mill was built in the valley, which worked properly for three hundred years and was abandoned only in the last century.
The valley stretches below the level of the historic center and looks more like a deep gorge, the rocky walls of which are overgrown with climbing plants and plummeting downward.
