"Sorrento" a Sorrento Travel Page by Balam

Sorrento is located on a tuff coast and is reflected in the Gulf of Naples, Tourists are attracted by the fantastic views and landscapes. The town gives its name to the Sorrento Peninsula, a great area extending from Vico Equense to Massa Lubrense. This area, thanks to its geographical shape, suspended between the green hills and the blue of the seas, is from the time immemorial a great attraction of southern Italy. The Sorrento coast is one of the most popular destinations of the entire Campania region. It is also the ideal destination for Italian visitors and foreign tourists, who want to plan excursions to Pompeii, Herculaneum, Vesuvius, Amalfi, Positano, Paestum Capri and Ischia places located at a distance of 50 Kilometres. Sorrento was first a Phoenician colony , after that it became a port frequented by Greeks for the commercial activity with Naples and with others southern cities. It was named by Greeks “Syrenusion” or “Syreon” that means Siren’s land, the Sirens were the mythological creatures half woman and half fish or bird, that Homer told of in his famous work “Odyssey”. These creatures with their song could fascinate the sailorsand lure them into crashing their ships onto the rocks.
After the rule of Oscans and Sannites it was submitted by Romans. The Romans so appreciated the beauties of this place that during the imperial period it was elected as a holiday destination of patricians and senetors hence the numerous large villas that have been found

It was also the native town of Torquato Tasso. Italian poet of the 16th century, best known for his poem La Gerusalemme liberata (Jerusalem Delivered) which he describes the imaginary battles between Christians and Muslims towards the end of the First Crusade during the siege of Jerusalem.

From time immemorial Sorrento has exercised a particular charm which has attracted poets and literary men like Goethe, Lamartine, Stendhal, De Bouchard, Byron to D’Annunzio, Ibsen, Douglas, musicians like Rossini, Liszt, Mendelssohn, Wagner, painters like Pinelli, Fernet, Lindstrom, photographers like De Luca and the brothers Alinari, directors like De Sica, Gallone and Mastronardo. Among the famous visitors of Sorrento we can remember also Enrico Caruso, Giacomo Casanova, Scipione Breislak, Marion Crawford, Charles Dickens, Helman Melvill, Friedtich Nietzche ed Axel Munthe. This coastal town was included in the eighteenth- century as one of the main destinations of the Grand Tour, a journey among the most significant Italian cities, that was made by the foreign intellectuals who wanted to study in depth Italian history, art and culture.

sorrento if fantastic for shopping and has many different shops from fruit and veg to hand crafted inlaid wood furniture. All the expensive shops offer shipping to your home either included or at an additional price (for the smaller items)