Sorrentine Peninsula

A Mediterranean land 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.

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 now-famous terraces, those huge steps descending into the sea on which man has planted vin yards and groves of orange, lemon and olive trees. These are the gardens of delight which exude an inebriating perfume of blossoms in the spring. The mild climate and predominantly fine weather all year round make the Sorrentine Peninsula an ideal destination in any season. The first town on the road into the Peninsular is Vico Equense with its Giusso Castle on the coast and the austere Mount Faito (1400 metres high) which allows you to pass from the sea to the mountain in just a few minutes. Next we find Meta, 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 role as a major shopping centre. The hill rising up behind the town is traversed by narrow roads flanked by high walls that enclose centuries-old orange and lemon groves. Beyond Piano di Sorrento we enter Sant'Agnello which looks out over the sea from a high tufa-stone cliff that enchanted the royal house of Bourbon and led royalty from all over Europe to build majestic villas there. Also overlooking the sea and framed by the surrounding hills is Sorrento with its historic city centre, its harbours and gardens of orange and lemon trees. Finally, the delightful little town of Massa Lubrense, situated on the very tip of the Peninsula looking out to the Isle of Capri. It is a veritable oasis with numerous footpaths linking up ancient farm houses and archaeological 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 people established settlements here. The ancient Greeks were so enchanted that they imagined this was the home of the 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 world. Here they built a road as far as the headland known 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, the local population engaged in bustling trade in spite of the ever-present 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. The Spaniards, who governed much of southern Italy for a sizeable part of the modern age, appreciated the area for its abundance of fruit, fish, birds, meat and cheeses. In the eighteenth century, the Sorrentine Peninsula was discovered by the grand tour and intellectuals from all over Europe. Nietzsche and Ibsen, found spiritual and cultural nourishment here, enjoying and inaugurating the living in a villa style, which made the Sorrentine Peninsula a popular resort in the elite tourist trade.