Sorrento

Mediterranean land that has been depicted described and immortalised in song by artists, poets and travellers from every period of history. Along the coast, rugged and inaccessible cliffs soar upwards between beautiful beaches, hidden caves, enchanting bays and sheltered coves. Whereas inland, the high plains, rolling hills and lofty mountains are seared by deep valleys to create a truly unique landscape in which man has also left a clear sign of his remarkable work: the more impervious areas have been modelled into the those huge steps descending into the sea on which man gas planted vin yards and groves of orange, lemon and olive trees. There are the garden of delight which excude an inebrianting perfume of blassom in spring. The mild climate and predominantly fine wether all year round make the Sorrentine Penisular an ideal destination in any season. The first town in the Peninsular is Vico Equenze with its Giusso Castle on the coast and the austere Mont Faito (1400 metres high) which allows you to pass from the sea to the mountain in just a few minutes. Next we find Meta di Sorrento, a town hidden in a maze of alleyways whose small hamlets and sun-drenched beaches are a must for visitors. Piano di Sorrento is a bustling town which harmoniously blends its sea-faring vocation with its rural identity and its tole as a major shopping centre. The hill rising up behind the town is traverded by narrow roads flanked by high walls that enclose centuries-old orange and lemon groves.  Beyond Piano di Sorrento which looks out over the sea from a high tufastone cliff that enchanted the royal house of Bourbon and led royalty from all over Europe to build majestic villas here. Also overlooking the sea and framed by the surronding hills, the international town of Sorrento with its historic city centre, its harbours and gardens of orange and lemon trees. Finally, the delighful little town of Massa Lubrense, situated on the very tip of the Penisular looking out to the Isle of Capri: a veritable oasis with numerous footpaths linking up ancient farm houses and archeological sites nestling into the Mediterranean maquis which offer superb views out to sea and down onto enchanting little coves. Ever since ancient times man has been fascinated  by this area and many peoples established settlements  here: the ancient  Greeks were so enchanted that they imagined this was the home of Sirens, whose sweet song was a lure that no mariner could defy; likewise, the Romans were enraptured by its boundless beauty and natural resources and its fame spread throughout the know world.   Here they built a road as far as the headland know as Punta Campanella and on the coast they constructed small harbours, fish-tanks, nymphaea and baths using local spring water to embellish their sumptuous villas, such as that of Pollius Felix the visible remains of which bear witness to its former grandeur. Later, during the Middle Ages and more recent times, the local population  engaged in bustling trade in spite of the evrpresent threat of the Saracen pirates and continued to live fearlessly along the coast in the exquisite harbours: Marina di Aequa, Marina Grande and Marina della Lobra. And the Spaniards who governed much of southern Italy for a sizeable part of the modern age, appreciated the area for its abundance of fruits, fish, birds, meat and cheeses. While in the eighteenth century, the sorrentine Peninsular  was discovered by the grand tour and intellectuals from all over Europe, including Nietzsche and Ibsen, found spiritual and cultural nourishment here, inauguranting the tast for living in a villa, which made the sorrentine Peninsular a popular resort I the élite tourist trade. In a well-ordered and secure environment, every tourist can have an ideal holiday as there is no end to the possible combinations of countryside and tranquillity, health and culture – bathing in the sea, spa-water health cures at the Scrajo complex, day trips by boat, country walks, excursions to the archeological sites such as the necropolises of Aequa and Desrto and visits to the local museum (the Archeological Museum, the Mineralogical Museum and the Correale Museum), the historic city centers with their ancient monasteries and cloisters, such as the San Francesco cloisters in Sorrento, the old hamlets with their ancient frescoed churches, such as the Chapel of Santa Lucia in Vico Equense, but sport and international music and cinema events are also catered for, in addition to theatre shows, night clubs and bars. Here there are celabrations all year-round: the thousand of local cultural traditions mean that there is always a special event any time of year: from the Carnival to the famoue Easter processions throughout the Peninsular, to the numerous fates in summer and autumn with their presentation of typical local produce and the Sorrentine Tarantella, a traditional local dance, and the impressive Christmas celebration. Restaurants of the highest level invite you to savour the now world-famous local cusine with its blend of flavours from the sea and the fertile countryside. Handicrafts are also plantiful: first and foremost the inlaid wood and marquetry craft, although there is also a flourishing trade in a small boats and pleasure craft. Finally, the peninsular produces a number of fine liqueurs distilled from local produce, such as lemons, mandarins, oranges and walnuts.