Poet Bernardo Tasso left his mark on Sorrento

 

Bernardo Tasso, a prolific poet, who also served as a courtier to various Italian noblemen,  spent some years living in Sorrento while he was in the service of the Prince of Salerno.

He later became famous for being the father of Torquato Tasso, who went on to become one of Italy’s greatest Renaissance poets.

It was while Bernardo was living in a house in the historic centre of Sorrento that his wife, Porzia de Rossi, gave birth to Torquato in 1544. The event is commemorated with a plaque on the building that is now part of the Imperial Hotel Tramontano.

The plaque features an excerpt from an ode written by Bernardo Tasso in 1543, the year before Torquato was born.

While Torquato was still a child, the Prince of Salerno fell out of favour with the Spanish government of Naples and was outlawed. His employee, Bernardo, had to share in his  punishment and he and his son, Torquato, were declared rebels of the state and both had to leave Sorrento.

However, Bernardo’s daughter, Cornelia, remained in Sorrento and grew up to marry a Sorrento man, Mario Sersale, in 1558. The house where they lived is tucked away in a narrow street in the historic heart of Sorrento, situated between the main street and the sea. The building at number 11 Vico San Nicolo is known as the Sersale house and can be identified by a pretty little balcony on the front, which is supported by decorative stonework.

To find the house, leave Piazza Sant’Antonino and walk along Via Santa Maria delle Grazie, which runs parallel with Corso Italia. Continue in a straight line along Via dell’Accademia until it becomes Vico San Nicola. The house of Cornelia Tasso can be found on the right-hand side.

Bernardo later went into the service of Duke Guidobaldo II at his court in Urbino and Torquato went with him and was educated there. While his father was resident poet at the Ducal Palace in Urbino, Torquato studied alongside Francesco Maria della Rovere, the heir to the duke.

It was in Urbino that Bernardo started writing his major work, L’Amadiji, an epic poem, of 100 cantos, which was later completed by his son, Torquato.

Bernardo went on to serve the Duke of Mantua, Guglielmo Gonzaga, who appointed him Governor of Ostiglia, in the province of Mantua in Lombardy. This is where he died in 1569.

During his life, Bernardo Tasso wrote many psalms, sonnets and odes in the manner of Horace. He published his lyric poems, Amori , in Venice in 1555. His main work, L’Amadiji, was inspired by the Spanish chivalric romance, Amadis de Gaula. Torquato later completed L’Amadiji and published the full work under the title of Floridante in 1587.

Torquato Tasso’s most famous work was the epic poem Gerusalemme Liberata (Jerusalem Delivered) in which he gives an imaginative version of the battles between Christians and Muslims at the end of the first crusade during the siege of Jerusalem.

He spent many years living in Ferrara at the Castle owned by the Este family, where he fell in love with a lady in waiting and wrote love sonnets to her. But because of the jealous behaviour of other courtiers, he developed persecution mania and suspected he was going to be poisoned.

Eventually, he escaped from Ferrara and made his way to Sorrento to visit his only sister, Cornelia, who had continued to live in the Sersale house with her sons, Antonino and Alessandro, after she became a widow.

Tasso feared he was going to be denounced by the Inquisition and although he had entered a Franciscan convent for the benefit of his health, he escaped from it, disguised himself as a peasant, and travelled to Sorrento.

It is said Torquato arrived at Cornelia’s house in Via San Nicola and pretended to be a messenger who had come to inform her of her brother’s death.

Tasso is believed to have been trying to test Cornelia’s loyalty to him, but her shock and distress on receiving the news was enough to reassure him that she could be trusted.

Despite enjoying some happy months in Sorrento with his beloved sister, Tasso found that he missed the court at Ferrara and he wrote to the duke, asking if he could return there.

But after more difficult years, during which Tasso was confined to a madhouse by his patron,  he left Ferrara and wandered from city to city throughout Italy without settling.

Then, he was invited to go and live in Rome by the Pope, where he died in 1595, when he was just about to be crowned Poet Laureate by Pope Clement VIII.

Although Bernardo and Torquato Tasso travelled all over Italy during their lives, Sorrento’s main square has been named after them. Piazza Tasso is right at the hub of Sorrento, in the middle of the main shopping street, Corso Italia, and looks out over Marina Piccola, Sorrento’s port. There is a statue of Torquato Tasso in a little garden near the area where horses stand waiting to pull carriages for sightseeing tours.

The house where Bernardo was living when Torquato Tasso was born is in Via Vittorio Veneto, a few streets away from Piazza Tasso. It is one of the buildings that form the Imperial Hotel Tramontano, where the beautiful song, Torna a Surriento, was composed by Ernesto De Curtis while he was sitting on the hotel terrace in 1902 and was inspired by the beauty of Sorrento.  

Ristorante La Conca

Dine close to the sea at Meta di Spiaggia

To enjoy fresh fish and seafood, good wine, and great views, try lunching or dining overlooking the beach at La Conca Ristorante at Meta Spiaggia, just outside Sorrento.

The restaurant’s menu is based on the catch of the day, so customers are served dishes made from the freshest local ingredients.

You feel as though you are right at the water’s edge on the restaurant’s terrace and can enjoy your seafood and wine while seeing people swimming close by.

La Conca has a reputation for 
serving high-quality seafood

If you are very lucky, you might be able to watch the sun setting on the horizon while having a romantic evening meal.

Ristorante La Conca was opened in 2002 by its owner, Antonio Cafieri, who runs it with his family, helped by a friendly and efficient staff.

The menu is based on Antonio’s reinterpretation of classic Mediterranean dishes, such as antipasto del mare, impepata di cozze (peppered mussels), fritto misto, and polpo (octopus), as well as a good choice of fresh fish.

La Conca’s menu has attracted positive coverage from Gambero Rosso and Osterie d’Italia Slow Food, among others.

Many reviews by diners on line have praised the service, the quality of the food, and the wonderful sunsets they have experienced while enjoying their meals.

Ristorante La Conca is open every day from 12.00 until 15.00 and 19.30 until 23.30.

The beach next to La Conca's terrace

The long expanse of beach known as Meta Alimuri has made the town of Meta, near Sorrento, become a popular seaside resort in its own right.

A short drive, or bus ride, north east of Sorrento, Meta lies between Piano di Sorrento and Vico Equense on the main coastal road going in the direction of Naples.

Via del Mare leads down to the beach from the town, making it accessible by car or bus. There is a good stretch of sand with free access and from the beach there are lovely views across the Bay of Naples.

Meta has a long history of boat building and by the 19th century its shipyards were producing hundreds of boats, with the local women sewing the sails for them in the courtyards of their houses.

Although steamships eventually replaced sailing boats, the shipyards continued to produce the Sorrentine Gozzo, a small sailing and rowing boat that enables the occupant to fish and row at the same time.

It is fascinating to wander through the narrow streets in the historic centre of Meta and see the old houses, with their large courtyards, where boat builders and seafarers lived centuries ago.

Meta has a magnificent church, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Lauro, which is right in the centre of the town, just off the main road. The town celebrates the Festa of Santa Maria del Lauro every year on 12 September.

The Line A bus from Sorrento to Meta Alimuri will take you close to the beach, or you can travel on the Circumvesuviana train to Meta and walk down to the beach from the station. If you arrive by car there is a parking area near the beach.

Ristorante La Conca is to be found at 111 Traversa Alimuri, Meta di Sorrento.

An ancient Greek city in the Campanian countryside

The Second Temple of Nera, which is arguably
the most impressive of Paestum's Greek temples

Three of the best-preserved Greek temples in the world still stand in idyllic, rural surroundings to the south of the city of Salerno.

The Doric temples at Paestum are colossal and fascinating to contemplate and, amazingly, they have survived for almost 2600 years. 

On a site open to the public, it is mind-boggling for visitors to be able to stand in front of them and try to imagine how they could have been constructed without the machinery and equipment we have today.

The oldest temple, built around 550 BC by the Greeks and the furthest south on the site, was where the goddess Hera was worshipped, and it is now known as the First Temple of Hera. Next to it is the Second Temple of Hera, built around 460 to 450 BC. This was when the settlement would have been called Poseidonia.

At the northern end of the site is the Temple of Athena, which is thought to have been constructed between 510 and 500 BC and which is dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena.

The First Temple of Hera, the oldest of the three
Greek temples, was built around 550 BC

The smaller Temple of Peace, which is in the Roman forum and less well preserved, is a Corinthian-Doric construction dating back to the second century BC. There are also the remains of an amphitheatre, and other buildings and assembly areas used by the Romans, who later took over the site, which was known to them as Paestum.

You get an idea of the scale of the temples when you see people posing against them for photographs, who appear to be insignificant and doll-like against the huge structures.

What is an archaeological treasure now was once a flourishing town. But life in Paestum was abruptly halted when it was sacked by Muslim raiders in the ninth century. Fortunately, the temples were too well built to be destroyed completely and they were rediscovered by archaeologists in the 18th century.

The Temple of Athena, which is thought
to have been completed around 500 BC

To reach the archaeological site of the temples you can travel by train from Salerno to Paestum and then it is about a kilometre walk from the station. The three temples are visible against a background of trees and umbrella pines and dominate the surrounding countryside as you approach them.

At the entrance gates to the site there is the national Museum of Paestum, where you can look at objects recovered from the site, such as pots and funerary items, and Greek and Roman paintings, including the iconic picture of the diver, a tomb decoration that will be familiar to many people because it has been widely reproduced in books. There are also shops, and a bar.

Entrance to the archaeological site costs 12 euros per adult in the summer and six euros per adult in the winter.

(Prices correct as of 10.10.24)

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Getting to Sorrento

Sit back and savour the views
 

You will know your holiday has well and truly started when you are travelling from the airport to Sorrento and enjoy your first glimpses of the beautiful bay of Naples along the way.

Curreri operates several buses each day from
Naples Airport to Sorrento and back

The nearest airport to Sorrento is the Aeroporto Internazionale di Napoli, which is about 50 km (31 miles) to the north of the resort, and you can fly there from many different airports in the UK and other countries. There are also internal flights to Naples from Genoa, Catania, Turin, Rome, Milan, Bergamo, Verona, Palermo, and Trieste.

You can travel from the airport to Sorrento by either road, rail, or sea. A regular bus service is operated by Curreri Viaggi from outside airport Arrivals to the centre of Sorrento for €13 per person.

A taxi booked in advance by your hotel to pick you up at the airport will cost approximately  €130 - 150 for a small group.

The road from Castellammare to Sorrento
offers some spectacular views across the bay

However, you could take a taxi into the centre of Naples to the Circumvesuviana railway station at Porta Nolana and board a local train, which will reach Sorrento in just over an hour.

If you would enjoy arriving by sea, take a taxi to Molo Beverello in Naples from where there are regular ferries across the bay to Sorrento. The voyage will take about 45 minutes and you will arrive at the harbour of Marina Piccola. 

From there, you can either walk up into the centre of Sorrento, use the lift to get up to the town, or take a bus or taxi.

As you travel to Sorrento, enjoy the spectacular scenery along the way. First you will be able to see the volcano Vesuvius at close quarters, then between Castellammare di Stabia and Sorrento, you will follow the twists and turns of the coastal road and enjoy some spectacular vistas across the bay.

(Based on prices in October 2024).

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Visit Termini

The perfect spot for close-up pictures of Capri

The roads around Termini offer wonderful
views across to the island of Capri

For great views of Capri out in the Bay of Naples, visit Termini, a village overlooking Punta Campanella at the end of the Sorrento peninsula.

Termini is a delightful hamlet at the foot of Monte San Costanzo, built on a natural terrace overlooking the sea. It provides an ideal vantage point for taking pictures of Capri, just four miles (6.44km) away, and the group of islands further round the bay known as Li Galli.

There is a footpath from Termini leading down to Punta Campanella on the very tip of the peninsula. Visitors who make the descent will discover a 14th century watch tower that was used to look out for approaching Saracen invaders so that the local people could be warned of any potential danger in advance.

On the way down the path, called Via Campanella, there are beautiful views of the ruins of a Greek temple.

In the centre of Termini, there are bars, restaurants, and shops, and in Piazza Santa Croce there is the 16th century Church of Santa Croce. The route down to Punta Campanella starts from just after the church.  

Termini is near Marciano and Massa Lubrense in the hills above Sorrento and it is about half an hour out of Sorrento by car.  It is a stop on the route of the SITA buses that go from Sorrento to Nerano and Marina del Cantone, and the journey takes about three quarters of an hour. 

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Marina Piccola

Historic port is a transport hub for locals and tourists

The harbour at Marina Piccola, the departure point
for trips to Naples, Capri and elsewhere

Marina Piccola (small marina) is Sorrento’s main port, from where the car ferries and hydrofoils depart for Naples, the islands of Capri, Procida and Ischia, and the Amalfi coast. 

Confusingly for visitors to Sorrento, Marina Grande (big marina), Sorrento’s other port, has more of the atmosphere of a fishing village, with small boats lined up on its beach and a good choice of restaurants, bars, and shops.

At one time, Marina Piccola could be reached only by a long flight of steps, but now there is a road - Via Luigi de Maio - leading to it from Piazza Tasso, which buses and taxis use to transport hundreds of local people and visitors up and down each day.

A double lift was installed in Villa Comunale, which overlooks the port, in 2012, to save passengers from the uphill walk when they have arrived by boat. With a capacity of eight passengers in each lift, it replaced an earlier, single-shaft elevator that closed in 2006. 

The pretty Church of Santa Maria
del Soccorso at Marina Piccola

The cost to ride up or down in the lift is 1.10 euro and it is in operation from 7.30 am each day. Travellers returning from a day trip to Capri, Ischia or Naples can be whisked up from the port to Piazza Gargiulo in the Villa Comunale in just 20 seconds, although at busy times there can be a queue to use the lift.

From Villa Comunale it is just a few minutes’ walk to Piazza Tasso and the shops, bars, restaurants, and hotels in the centre of the resort.

As well as bars and restaurants around the harbour, there is a ticket office at Marina Piccola where you can buy tickets for the boats and hydrofoils.

From Marina Piccola, you can access the areas of pebbly sand set out for sun bathing and swimming, such as Leonelli’s Beach, Peter’s Beach, Marameo Beach and Bagni Salvatore. 

But these can be crowded, and the hire charge for sun beds and beach umbrellas is likely to be higher than at beaches outside the centre of Sorrento.

Old documents have been found in which Marina Piccola is referred to as ‘portus capi cerbuli’, which seems to signify it has a long history of being the main port of Sorrento. It has its own small church, tucked away in a corner, the pretty pink and grey Church of Santa Maria del Soccorso, which is thought to date back to the 16th century, although it is known that its bell tower was added in 1715.

The statue of the Holy Virgin being positioned
on a boat ready for its trip along the coastline

From the church, a statue of the Holy Virgin of Soccorso is loaded on to a boat to take to the water every year on the first Sunday in August, a tradition that enables fishermen and others who make their living on the sea to give thanks to the Madonna for their protection. 

The statue follows a course that takes in the main marinas of the Gulf of Sorrento, at first rounding Capo di Sorrento to pause at Marina di Puolo, then returning to visit the Marinella di Sant’Agnello, Marina di Cassano at Piano di Sorrento and the Spiaggia di Alimuri at Meta. Often the statue is followed by a procession of other boats.

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Piano di Sorrento

See spectacular sunsets from the plain of Sorrento

Looking across the marina at Cassano, the
fishing village that forms part of Piano di Sorrento

A few minutes journey from Sorrento is Piano di Sorrento, a former fishing village situated between Sant'Agnello and Meta as you travel in the direction of Naples. 

Primarily a residential area with plenty of shops, Piano di Sorrento has a marina and two small beaches with an area free for use by the public.

The village of Piano di Sorrento became more prosperous when the supply of power and water was improved, after the creation of a railway tunnel between Vico Equense and Castellammare di Stabia. This moved the area’s economic base from just fishing, agriculture, and boat-building towards tourism.

You can now reach Piano di Sorrento from Sorrento in about five minutes by car, bus or on the Circumvesuviana railway. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes and some hotels and B&Bs in the town.

Piano di Sorrento is divided into two distinct areas, Cassano and Carotto, and above the town are the Colli di San Pietro, hills that have lovely views over the Bay of Naples and the Bay of Salerno.

In the centre of the town is the ninth century Basilica di San Michele Arcangelo and the Villa Fondi de Sangro, which is open to the public and houses the Museo Archeologico George Vallet which houses interesting artefacts unearthed from excavations in the area. You can watch spectacular sunsets from benches in the park belonging to the villa, which is on a high cliff looking out over the Bay of Naples.

The Victorian poet Robert Browning is said to have once stayed in the area and he mentions the countryside of Piano di Sorrento and other places along the Sorrentine peninsula in his poem "The Englishman in Italy".

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