Historical Signals
In the city nucleus of Sorrento, the topography of the roman takeover is traced
still today, that it coincides with the area comprised between public square
Tasso and tree-lined avenue of Oranges: the ways S. Cesareo and Fuoro correspond
in fact to the decumanus maximus, via Tasso to the thistle maximus.
The roman city was constructed over the Greek city, respecting and
using the same town-walls building to large "isodomici" blocks. The city
of Surrentum, whose hole found to the extremity the west of via Fuoro (as
it testifies the same toponimo of the way), possessed various temples, among
other the Cibele one, near the modern church of the Annunziata , of
Aphrodite and Cerere, towards the Marina; a theatre, in the pressed ones of the
great terrace of puts into effect them hotel Victoria; the terms, that they
correspond to the area today occupied from the garden of the Royal hotel; a
circus, near villa Correale and a Pantheon, in the area on which the
church of the Rosary rises There were moreover two doors to sea: one to south of
puts into effect them church of S. Antonino, the other, of which the rests
are still visible, near Marina Grande. Public square Tasso, dedicated to
the poet who born in Sorrento in 1544, is one of the most beautiful and
important of the city. Adorned from the statue of the patron of the city, S.
Antonino, that sheltered here to the times of the Longobard invasions , and from
the monument of Gennaro Cali' to Torquato Tasso, they show the church of
Saint Maria of the Carmine, preceded from a graceful porch, and the Correale
house, than, refaced in 1768, introduces a beautiful majolica courtyard. From
the terrazzo, place on the side North, is possible to admire an extraordinary
sight that, with the background of the sea, dominates on the gorge covered from
the road for Marina Piccola.
The characteristic places
Public square Tasso
The Public square Tasso, dedicated
to the famous poet who born in Sorrento in 1544, is one of the most
beautiful and important of the city. Adorned with the statue of the patron of
the city, S. Antonino, than it was sheltered here at the times of the Longobard
invasions , and from the monument of Gennaro Calì' to Torquato Tasso, they show
the church of Saint Maria of the Carmine, preceded from a graceful porch,
and the Correale house, than, refaced in 1768, introduces a beautiful majolic
courtyard. From the terrazzo, place on the side north, is possible to admire an
extraordinary sight that, with the background of the sea, dominates on the
throat covered from the road for Marina Piccola.
The Ancient Wall
Of the ancient town-walls building erected for defense in the Greek period, they
remain the visible founds under the street plan of Door Parsano Nuova. Beyond
the Door of Marina Grande, in via Sopra le Mura is visible another
ruin, of reduced dimensions, of the ancient Greek walls . The roman city
was constructed on that Greek respecting the same city plant and the same
town-walls building to large "isodromici" blocks. These wall defended the
city during all the medieval age. Their reconstruction was begun in 1551 and
completed in 1661, after the tragic Turkish invasion.
Church and Chiostro di S. Francisco
The monastery, situated in the immediate vicinities of the Communal Villa,
re-ascend to century VIII. The architecture of the Chiostro introduces arches
intercrosses of tufo on two sides of the porch, stilistica expression of
the late Three hundred, replaced on the others two sides from arches round
on octagonal pillars. To notice, finally, the presence of several objects of
perusal, coming from from pagans temples like the three reused columns of angle
functional. Beside the convent the church of Saint Francisco is situated, than
re-ascend to century XVI. To the inside it can be admired, in the first of
the three nails of right, one statue in wood, representing the saint
Christ crucified, donated from the family Vulcano in century XVII.
Basilica of S. Antonino
It is made to go back its origin to century XI even if, already in century IX it
existed there one oratory dedicated to S. Antonino. The Church introduces
various elements of perusal, like the stalks of the columns that, for their
characteristic uniformity, probably came from one of the villas roman of the
zone. In the crypt, reconstructed in the seven hundred, you can observe numerous
former ballot, mostly of sailors. Sure valuable they are the manger of the seven
hundred, the school of the Sammartino, and the portal of Byzantine-Romanesque
shapes of the X. century
Via della Pietà
On the tracing of a decuman of the old "ippodameo" system, is via
della Pietà ; the most meaningful of the ancient roads of Sorrento, for the
remarkable architectonic works presents: Veniero palace, that it constitutes a
meant important of the late taste Byzantine and Arab; the Correale Palace with
the contiguous little church in Baroque style; the Loggia that represents an
example of Aragonese architecture.
Museum Correale di Terranova
The sixteenth villa that accommodates the Museum and the splendid garden with
the wonderful panorama to peak on the sea, they were donates to the city
from the accounts Alfredo and Pompeo Correale. The Museum, opened to the public
10 May of the 1924, conserve important collections of marbles and Greek statues,
Roman and medieval found again in the cities and the near zones. The collections
are ordered on three plans for a total of 24 halls and the recovered attic
recently as expositive space. To the ground floor, beyond the Hall of the
founders and the Correale Chapel , conserve one section of "tarsie" Sorrentine
of the century XIX, one archaeological section and one Romanesque section. To
the Association of Bologna they are conserved painted and furnishings of the
XVIII century; oriental chinas of the XVII and XVIII century; the
hall of the Flemish painters with paintings of P.P.Rubens, J.Van Kassel,
A.Grimmer, M.Sweerts. To according to plan painted of dead natures from
centuries XVII and XVIII of G.B. Ruoppolo, T. Realfonso, G. Cusati, To Ascione,
G. Casissa, A. Belvedere; landscapes of foreign authors with paintings of
Volaire, S. Denis, G. Dughet, J. Rabbel and F. Vervloet; landscapes of the
School of Posillipo; and moreover a hall where you can see Italian and
European clocks of the XVIII century . To the third plan Italian and
foreign majolic of century XVII and XVIII are conserved; Italian and foreign
chinas of century XVIII with one exposure much varied one of chinas of
Capodimonte.
Dome
Dedicated to the SS Filippo and Giacomo, the dome of Sorrento was subordinate to
remarkable remaking in the XV century and then remaking more times in the
course of the succeeded centuries . The facade is introduced currently in the
acquired shapes with the restoration of 1924; of great interest the lateral
portal, that re-ascend to 1479, and it brings on the architrave the
Aragonese coat of arms and those of Pope Sisto IV and archbishop Giacomo De
Angelis. The inside, to Latin cross and three navates, adorned in the baroque
burlap ceilings valuable, guards various works of art. In the first nail head a
marble "dossale" small with the framed Redentore from 1522 can be admired
from "Saints " and an "Annunciation" of the XIV-XV
century ; to the left wall "Saint Cristoforo " In the central nave
it centers them "the martyrdoms sorrentini Quinto, Marco, Quartilla and
Quintilla " and two burlaps with the four "Bishops patrons " of
Nicholas and Melancholic Oronzo (1685). On the ceiling "the Assumption "
"SS.Filippo and Giacomo " of Giacomo Del Po. In bottom "the
archiepiscopal throne " from 1573 and forehead marble pulpit of 1573, under
which Madonna with "the child with the SS Giovanni Battista and
Evangelista " of Silvestro Buono, a chorus from 900 in wood
inlaid and one fragmentary marble slab of the X century, with the
representation of a lion, red-use, some centuries after, like tomb slab. Of
great interest the bell tower, that it rests on a base in which ancient columns
are red-use, while the refined clock in ceramics is of local invoice. In the
transept "the Stable ".
