Sorrento Off The Beaten Path

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We wandered down the cliff path from the lookout by the church of St Francis to the seafront, which was totally deserted. We walked over and under the boardwalks to the left as far as we could go and then cut into the cliff face we found this Roman Villa.

And not just any villa, this was Roman Emperor stuff.

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Although Sorrento is largely a more modern town, you can find glimpses of its older roots.

Walk its narrow alleyways (which mainly lie between Corso Italia and Via Vettorio Veneto and are, in the main, home to souvenir shops and artisan workshops) . Try to explore them in the early morning, before the shops open and the crowds start arriving, or perhaps late in the evening, when the streets echo to only the occasional footstep and the odd scooter.

Keep your eyes open, for not only are there bits and pieces left over from the 1800s but also, around the Cathedrale, evidence of even earlier building. The present Italian fashion for permanently exposing such early architecture when renovating buildings helps enormously. What might seem to be a classic 19th century 'palazzo' (now, almost inevitably, divided into apartments) often turns out to have its roots in a much earlier Medieval building.

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There is no doubt that Sorrento is an ancient settlement, existing long before the Romans turned it into a seaside-holiday venue, but there is little of this visible today.

However, if you turn left up Via Sersale from Corso Italia you will come to the Porta Parsano Nuova: the 'new' Parsano gate. The Roman town was built directly over the preceding Greek street-plan, and the later Medieval walls which replaced the Roman ones followed the same line. So, although the 'gate' itself dates from the 1500s, if you look down you will see the original Greek wall remaining as a foundation. The stone blocks are huge, and the walls must have been an imposing sight.

There's also a little bit of ancient wall remaining in Via Sopra Le Mura.

Although the walls are supposed to be open for walking them I have never, in my three visits to Sorrento, found the gate open.

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A lovely little church tucked away in the middle of Marina Grande, the old fishing port of Sorrento.

Originally built by the fishermen of the San Giovanni in Fontibus Brotherhood, it was first dedicated to souls in Purgatory but later to Santa Anna (who is the patron saint of the village).

Sant'Anna has her saints day on July 26th, so if you are around Sorrento at that time you can expect processions, music, food and lots of fireworks.

I think it would be easy to wander past this rather good sculpture of St Francis, even if you are visiting the nearby ancient cloisters (recommended) and/or the Chiesa di San Francesco.

He stands opposite the church doorway and repays a moment or two of close attention.

The sculptor has managed to create a great sense of upward movement. I think it really works well.

Opposite Chiesa di San Francesco, at the end of Via San Francesco.

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We decided that, armed with instructions from a book from home, we would walk to Massa Lubrense from Sorrento. Its about 4k but is nowhere level, it goes up and up then down and down!

The instructions were rubbish as crucial information was missed. This is the trouble with directions when you are wrong there is no way back. At least with a good map you can find yourself again.

Back at the walk, getting lost was no problem good guesswork and helpful locals soon put us right. In fact I recommend getting lost if time is not limited.

It is possible to walk between the towns hardly touching main roads and with panoramic views and local culture all the way.

There is a bus back to Sorrento!

As you go into the Basilica de S. Antonino (the patron saint of Sorrento) look up and to your right. There, high on the portico wall, is a whale bone. Why? Because, amongst other miracles, S. Antonino managed to save a child from the stomach of a huge whale which had come near to Sorrento beach (much to the its mothers relief.......the child, not the whale!).

The saint's exact dates are not known but he probably dates from between 600 and 800 AD. His special day is 14th February, when Sorrento comes alive with music, processions and market stalls.

As well as some in the base of the Medieval bell-tower, you can find some re-used bits of Roman (or, possibly, pre-Roman) masonry in the cloisters of St Francis.

This is a lovely little place anyway, dating from the 1300s. Within its calm cloister are the four corner columns which started their lives as three-sided columns from (it is said) a 'pagan temple'. Whether or not this is the case, they are definitely Roman and definitely worth a look.