Panoramic View from Sorrento, Italy!!
Sorrento (Neapolitan: Surriento) is a small town in Campania, southern Italy, with some 16,500 inhabitants. It is a popular tourist destination which can be reached easily from Naples and Pompeii, as it lies at the south-eastern end of the Circumvesuviana rail line. The town overlooks the Bay of Naples as the key place of the Sorrentine Peninsula, and many viewpoints allow sight of Naples itself,Vesuvius and the Isle of Capri. (Source: Wikipedia)
Beach at Marina Grande in Sorrento
The enchanting landscape with its high cliffs, the superb views over the Gulf of Naples over to Vesuvius, make Sorrento a traditional international holiday resort. It is an ideal place to come on holiday, a great tourist attraction also for the vicinity of popular places easy to reach such as the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, Naples, Capri, Positano, Amalfi and Ischia. Sorrento coast is composed of rugged inaccessible cliffs alternated with pleasant beaches. The town’s coastal area is divided in two villages: Marina Piccola, with the harbour for ferries and hydrofoils, and Marina Grande, with its lidos and beaches.
The Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua (Italian: Sant’Antonio di Padova) is a church in Padua, northern Italy. Although the Basilica is visited as a place of pilgrimage by people from all over the world, it is not the titular cathedral of the city, a title belonging to the Duomo. The basilica is known locally as “il Santo”.
Construction of the Basilica probably began around 1232, just one year after the death of St. Anthony. It was completed in1301 although several structural modifications (including the falling of the ambulatory and the construction of a new choir screen) took place between the end of the 14th and the mid 15th century. The Saint, according to his will, had been buried in the small church of Santa Maria Mater Domini, probably dating from the late 12th century and near which a convent was founded by him in 1229. This church was incorporated into the present basilica as the Cappella della Madonna Mora (Chapel of the Dark Madonna). (source: Wikipedia)
View of Prato della Valle - Padova
Prato della Valle (Prà deła Vałe in Venetian) is a 90,000 square meter elliptical square in Padova, Italy. It is the largest square in Italy, and one of the largest in Europe. The square today is a monumental space of extraordinary visual impact, with a green island at the center, l’Isola Memmia, surrounded by a small canal bordered by two rings of statues. (source Wikipedia)
Marina Grande - Sorrento
One of these jewels in Campania is Sorrento. Sorrento is a pleasant town and one of the favourite destinations by tourists.
The name “Surrentum” seems to be connected to the myth of Sirens. They were sea creatures, half women and half fishes, who bewitched the sailors with their voices.
The charms of Sorrento are many, from the picturesque streets of the old city adorned by patrician villas, to the Marina Grande, a traditional fishing harbor and popular destination for a stroll. But the special charm that distinguishes it from any other town is represented above all by its particular morphology. Sorrento stands on high cliffs of tuff, which were formed from water erosion, giving them their present aspect.
There are many itineraries very attractive in Sorrento. We’ll arrange with a professional local English-speaking guide a visit on foot of Sorrento. We’ll walk along the old city centre in Via S. Cesareo, the heart of the town, and visit the beautiful Cloister of S. Francesco or the Cathedral in romanesque style that dates back to the fifteenth century. And we’ll appreciate the beauty of Sorrento Cathedral.
Sorrento is famous for the production of Limoncello, an alcoholic aperitif made from lemon rinds, alcohol, water and sugar. Other agricultural production includes citrus fruit, wine, nuts and olives. Wood craftsmanship is also developed.
Sorrento was the birthplace of the poet Torquato Tasso (1544-1595), author of the Gerusalemme Liberata. Famous people who visited it include Lord Byron, Keats, Goethe and Walter Scott.
For more than 1600 years, they remained buried until Herculaneum was rediscovered in 1738 and Pompeii ten years later in 1748. Pompeii holds an intense fascination for visitors today. Following the eruption of the Volcano Vesuvius in the year 79 A.D., Pompei lay buried and forgotten for hundreds of years. The town is high on the list of Wonders of the World and the excavations begun in the 18th century are still being carried out today. Our guide will take you slowly some of the ancient streets of Pompeii where you can see Baths, the Forum and houses built the prosperous Romans. Among the structures uncovered was The Forum of Pompeii, a group of temples, courts, and palaces that served as the city’s legislative center. Even if your interests do not lie in history, this is an archelogical site that you cannot be failed to be impressed by. Herculaneum was a smaller town close to the city of Pompeii. Its main industry was fishing. When Vesuvius erupted in August of 79 A.D., Herculaneum was buried under nearly 60 feet of superhot mud. When the mud cooled, it set nearly as hard as concrete. This makes excavations very difficult, but scientists continue their work to learn about the people and the town of Herculaneum. A large portion of treasures lie buried under the rock.
