Ancient columns still support old Sorrento meeting place
Standing three storeys higher than the other building nearby, the
Cathedral’s Bell Tower is a landmark in Sorrento.
The red and yellow stone of the tower can be seen from many street
corners in the historic centre of the town and also from points along the Via
del Capo and the Via Nastro Verde out along the Sorrentine peninsula.
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| Cathedral's bell tower |
The two lower storeys of the tower probably date back to the 11th
century when the Duomo was originally built. But the three upper storeys were
added in the 15th century, when the Duomo, which is dedicated to San Filippo
and San Giacomo, was rebuilt in Romanesque style.
The bell tower was later given a decorative, blue majolica clock.
From very early in Sorrento’s history, the bell tower has played an
important part. The ground floor space under the archway from Via Pietà was
used as a meeting place by the people of Sorrento in medieval times. Later, a
castle was built in the open space that we now see in Piazza Tasso, and the
people used to congregate there for meetings.
Although the castle was demolished a long time ago, the columns that still hold up the bell tower at ground floor level are
believed to be a collection of old Roman columns or early Byzantine columns.
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| Ancient columns support campanile |
Therefore, the base of the bell tower existed very early on in Sorrento’s history, long before the Duomo was built and the popular seaside resort that we know today, grew up around it.
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