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Sorrento lying on a tufaceous terrace that slopes steeply down
to the sea from a height of 150 feet protected to the rear by the rocky spurs
of the Lattari mountains, and immersed in the lush vegetation typical of the
northern part of the Sorrento peninsula, Sorrento is one of the best known and
most popular resorts in Italy. In the 18th century it was romantically dubbed
"Sorrento the kind", because of its mild climate and the unrivalled
beauty of its real name.The Latin Surrentum is associated with the myth of the
sirens(inhabitants of these areas,according to legend),who sorely tempted even
the valiant Ulysses with their sweet song. Like them, Sorrento, whosw
irresistible, multi-faceted beauty has cast its spell for centuries, still
bewitches all who set eyes on it. Its charm is unusual: it is a seaside town
yet, because of its raised position, it has no promenade; it maintains the
picturesque character of tha coastal towns, yet magnificent patrician villas
are built there; it is bordered by crystal-clear waters and surrounded by
enchanting gardens and citrus fruit groves, yet much of its beauty is to be
found along the roads, stairways and passages cut into the rock which lead to
the sea, in the houses with their typical local architecture, and in the
monuments which testify to its long history. The history of Sorrento is long
indeed.Already inhabited in the Neolithic period, the town was probably built
by the Teleboi, the ancient conqueros of Capri, and from that time on it became
a desirable prey for all the populations who dominated the coastal areas at one
time or another. Syracusans, Greeks and Samnites all played a part(for better
or worse)in the town's history. Then came the Romans, who instituted a period
of great prosperity, with systematic town planning, the building of the city
walls and a construction boom, aided by an influx of patrician families from
the capital who, especially in the imperial age, spent their holidays in luxury
homes built for them in Sorrento near the forum,the temples and public
buildings. An enchanting place, but also a strategic town because of its
location,it subsequently met the fate of many other coastal towns, overrun
successively by Goths, Byzantines, Lombards, Saracen pirates, Normans and so
on, until the Bourbons and the "rediscovery " of Sorrento as an
important destination on the 18th century gentleman's Grand Tour, followed by
the upheavals of the 19th century which led to the Unification of Italy. In the
town centre, Piazza Torquato Tasso, dedicated to the great poet who was born in
Sorrento in 1544,is the classic starting point for a visit to the town.As well
as the monument to Tasso, the Piazza contains the statue of S.Antonino,the
town's patron saint,and the attractive 18th century church of S. Maria del
Carmine. The Cathedral,with the ruins of a Roman arch to its right, stands on
the elegant, busy Corso Italia, the two branches of which separate here. The
Cathedral, which has ancient origins, was rebuilt in the 15th century and
subsequently altered on many occasions(for example, tha façade dates from
1924.From the square, through a picturesque alley, you can reach Marina Piccola
port and the main sandy beaches called Marina Grande.Thanks to the nice and
favourable position of the Village, it is possible to reach in a little
time,many other places rich of archaeological interest.
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Pretty Village of the Amalfi Coast, well-known throughout the
world for its characteristic houses built on terraces sloping towards the sea
and for its folkloristic fashion.
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The most ancient of the four Maritime Republics, together with
Pisa, Venice, and Genoa, famous for its ancient paper mills,for the cultivation
of the typical "bread lemon" and for its magnificent IX century
Cathedral named after its patron Saint. Andrea.
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Two of the most visited archaeological sites of the world, two
towns that, a catastrophic event like the Vesuvius eruption in 79 A.D. made
eternal.
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