|
Your ItalyItalia guide to Sorrento … Laura Thayer
 My Sorrento… "Sorrento's enchanting beauty has been tantalizing visitors since ancient times. Greek mythology tells us that Sorrento's rugged coastline was once home to the seductive and deadly sirens, half-bird and half-woman creatures who sang intoxicatingly beautiful songs to lure sailors to their death. Homer's Odysseus had himself bound to the mast of his ship and put wax in the ears of his crew so that he could hear the song of the sirens as he sailed safely past. While the sirens' songs have long since quieted, Sorrento continues to have an undeniable attraction for visitors. Located just south of Naples and offering good railway, ferry and road connections to Naples and the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento is an excellent home base during your stay in the area."
Read more about Laura and her Campania travel guides.
 Sorrento Attractions
Top 10 of what to see
1. Piazza Tasso
2. Cathedral of San Filippo and San Giacomo
3. Marina Grande
4. Cloisters of the Church of San Francesco
5. Church of Sant'Antonino
6. Museo Correale di Terranova
7. Villa Comunale
8. Cataldo Lemon Orchard
9. Sedile Dominova (15th-century building; Now Sorrento Men's Club)
10. Tarantella show
Events at Sorrento
Easter Holy Week
While the Easter Holy Week processions are impressive throughout Italy, Sorrento's Holy Thursday and Good Friday processions are noted throughout the region for their size and solemnity.
February
Sorrento's patron saint, Sant'Antonino Abate (d.830), is honored every year on February 14th with elaborate processions and markets  throughout the city. Sant'Antonino is credited with saving the city from many dangerous events, including Moorish and Lombard invasions during the Middle Ages and sparing the city from heavy bombing during WWII.
Sorrento's Typical Food and Drink
Delizia al Limone
Created in 1978 by the Sorrentine master pastry chef Carmine Marzuillo, the Delizia al Limone, or Lemon Delight, certainly lives up to its name. While in Sorrento, be sure to try this domed cake filled with and covered by a thick, whipped lemon cream. If you can't get enough of this delightful cake, be sure to try the Delizia al Limone flavored gelato in the local gelaterias. 
Gnocchi alla Sorrentina
One of Sorrento's signature dishes, Gnocchi alla Sorrentina highlights Campania's famous mozzarella and locally grown Sorrento tomatoes. The potato dumplings are covered in a red sauce and mixed with generous amounts of parmigiano and diced pieces mozzarella before being baked in the oven and topped last minute with fresh basil.
Laura's Spotlight
 Inlaid woodwork in Sorrento
In shops and churches throughout Sorrento you will find beautiful examples of inlaid woodwork, called intarsia, which the city has been noted for since the 18th century. Sorrento's beautiful Cathedral of San Filippo and San Giacomo contains many exquisite examples, including the stations of the cross, paneled doorways, a beautiful podium, and wooden choir stalls all decorated with elaborate and finely detailed intarsia. One of Sorrento's real gems, don't let the simple, white facade of the Cathedral, which was rebuilt in the early 20th century, deter you from stepping inside and exploring the beautiful local artwork inside.
  
How to arrive at Sorrento: Sorrento is located at the southern end of the Bay of Naples and is easily accessible from nearby Naples.
By Plane: Sorrento is approximately 60 minutes by car from the Naples Capodichino Airport, but this can easily be doubled during peak tourist season as traffic backs up along the Sorrentine Peninsula. Buses also run on a regular basis between the airport and Sorrento.
By Car: Head south out of the Naples via the A3 freeway toward Salerno. Take the exit for Castellammare di Stabia and follow SS145 to Sorrento.
By Boat: Sorrento can be reached by ferry from Naples and Salerno. Please note that ferry schedules are more limited during the off season winter months.
By Train: Sorrento is the last stop on the Circumvesuviana railway that runs between Naples and Sorrento. Trains run regularly and trip takes about 60-80 minutes.
|
