Campania

We spent a week in the southern Italy region known as Campania – an ancient land of high drama and contrasts. It boasts a mild climate, beautiful coasts, rich art and history, great food.  From our first glimpse of the beautiful coastline, we were hooked!   We stayed in Sorrento, centrally located for easy day-trips around the region. 

 

*****

Sorrento is an old fishing town perched on a rocky bluff overlooking the Bay of Naples.  It was a popular resort area in Roman times, and after WWII, it grew into a major vacation area.  It is known for lace and lemons – and for being a great place to stay while exploring the area around Naples and the Amalfi Coast.

 

Piazzo Tasso is the town’s main square, at the city center on a cliff overlooking the bay.   The Correale Palace is on this square; it was built in the 14th century.  The courtyard inside has majolica-tile walls. 

 

Also on the piazza is the Fauno Bar – a sidewalk café and coffee house that is THE place to see and be seen.  The tables were packed at all hours of day and night, and folks out for a stroll made a point to slow down to say hello.

Nearby is another palace, the Palazzo Veniero, a 13th century combination of Byzantine and Arab style architecture.  Today this building houses the local elementary school, which we visited one morning during our stay here.  The fifth-grade class presented a slide show about Sorrento, sang and played their recorders, and asked us all sorts of questions about life in the USA.

 

Sorrento’s Cattedrale dei Santi Filippo e Giacomo (Cathedral of Saints Philip and James) was built in the early 15th century in Romanesque style on the ruins of an ancient Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter.   

 

The Basilica of St. Anthony is dedicated to the patron saint of Sorrento, St. Antonio; the church dates to the 11th century.   

 

The Church of the Carmine (Santuario della Madonna del Carmine) is nearby, between the bay and the main square.  The origins of this church date back to 230 AD., a time of persecution for Christians in Sorrento. It was rebuilt towards the end of the 16th Century and now has a Baroque style and a café at its front door.

The Church and Cloister of St. Francis (Chiesa di San Francesco) sits near the edge of the cliff.  The monastery dates to the first half of the 8th century, while the church was built in the 14th century.    

 

Elsewhere around town, there’s plenty to see and do.  One of our more interesting stops was at a 14th century loggia that houses the Societa Operaia di Mutuo Soccorso, better known as the Sorrento Men’s Social Club.  Once the meeting place of the town’s nobles, the club has been a retreat for retired working-class men for generations.  No women and no phones allowed inside.  Mornings are spent reading the newspaper and gossiping; home for lunch and a rest; afternoons are spent playing cards and gossiping some more.  One of the members entertained us with stories of his life and his many mistresses.  

 

Some of the world's most famous ruins can be found in Italy, but these in the Vallone dei Mullini (Valley of the Mills) were only abandoned in the late 1800s.   Located deep in a crevasse two blocks from the main square, these eerie, overgrown structures used to be a mill for grinding wheat.   Steps carved into the stone walls (far left of photo) date to a far earlier time, before the valley was closed off from the sea.

Since pre-Roman times, Sorrento had imposing walls encircling the entire town; today there are just a few ruins of the most ancient walls  visible.  Here, too, is an ancient olive trees thought to be over 100 years old. 

On a wall near our hotel was a small billboard for posting death notices.  The local newspaper doesn’t publish obituaries, so families post signs around town to get the word out.  This particular board also announces the 419th anniversary of the death of Torquato Tasso, the Sorrentine poet for whom the main square is named.

Via Cesareo is the main shopping street in Sorrento. It is long and narrow, lined with small shops and stalls selling lemon products, nuts, pasta, olive oil, fruits and vegetables, candies, pastries, clothing – especially scarves - and a wide selection of local crafts and souvenirs. 

 

Just walking this street was an adventure, but we also found some interesting galleries and workshops where we got a closer look at artisans creating cameos and inlaid wood products. 

 

In the midst of all this mayhem stands Chiesa dell’Addolorata.  It was founded in 1728 by a group of patricians who had it built simply because they wanted a church dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows. 

The Villa Comunale is the town hall, which has orange trees planted in front and which extends to public gardens with a beautiful terrace overlooking the Bay of Naples. Great place to be at sunset. 

 

Walking along the cliff isn’t easy – roads start and stop and wander off in the wrong direction, but it’s worth the effort for nice views of Mt. Vesuvius and islands in the Bay of Naples. 

Along the way, there is a lemon and orange grove open to the public.   It was a nice place to wander the shady paths among the trees, and there are free samples of limoncello and other homemade liqueurs. 

 

Marina Grande is Sorrento’s largest harbor; it is a tiny fishing village reached by an old zigzagging stone staircase.   It is home to a fishing fleet of traditional wooden boats, and fishermen still sit and mend their nets by hand.  Of course this means that the small, family run restaurants surrounding the harbor serve delicious fresh seafood.   

 

 

At the heart of the Marina is the Church of Sant’Anna, patron saint of the village, constructed by local fishermen, at first dedicated to the souls in purgatory and later to St. Anne.

Tradition says that Marina Grande differs from Sorrento due to its plundering by the Turks in the 16th century. For whatever reason, it remains a separate and tight-knit community. 

 

On another day we had a home-hosted lunch at Villa Pane with Anna Maria, her son Gian Luigi, and her nephew Giuseppe.  The guys picked us up at the hotel and took us on a wild ride through some seriously narrow streets.  We ended up at their house high in the hills above town and enjoyed a delicious meal – everything fresh and home-grown.

 

On yet another day, we visited the Folotea Farm, owned and operated by the same family for four generations.  On four acres, these folks worked miracles.  They had animals: cows, horses, dogs, pigs, ducks, quail, peacocks, rabbits, goats, guinea hens, and geese.  They had crops: lemons, kumquat, artichokes, oranges, mulberries, olives, fava beans, blueberries, walnuts, apricots, plums, and grapes.  They made wines and liqueurs, olive oil, cheese (mozzarella, ricotta, provolone, and caciocavallo), salami, prosciutto, capicola, sausage, bacon. 

 

After we had tasted all manner of good things, the chef (Gian Battista) took us inside for a lesson in pizza-making.  Our technique may have left something to be desired, but the final product was delicious.

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*****

Speaking of pizza, we tried it all over Italy, but the very best was in Naples – the place where this dish was invented.  Naples is Italy’s third largest city.  It was founded ca. 600 BC by the Greeks and was named Neapolis, which means new city. The historic center of Naples has earned the UNESCO World Heritage designation because of its 448 historical and monumental churches, the highest number in the world for a single city.  The iconic sights of the Gulf of Naples and Mount Vesuvius are powerful symbolic images of Italy, but the city itself has a bad reputation for the Mafia, a trash crisis and serious poverty.  Other than a quick ride around the city, we spent most of our time at the National Archeological Museum.

 

The Museo Archeologico Nazionale is the largest Roman archeological museum in the World.  It houses wall paintings and various objects removed from Pompeii, Herculaneum, and other excavation sites in the area. Here also is the Farnese collection of Roman sculptures.

Mosaics here are parts of floors and walls from Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae. The most well-known are the mosaics from the House of the Faun in Pompeii.

 

 

Frescoes mostly came from walls in Pompeii. They cover a variety of themes, including mythological, landscapes, and scenes of daily life.

 

Household items recovered from Pompeii and Herculaneum include ceramics, glass, silver and other metals.

 

 

The museum has a huge collection of Greek and Roman sculptures. Many of the Roman sculptures are copies of earlier Greek work; the Farnese collection contains hundreds of busts and statues of Roman emperors.

 

 

*****

Mount Vesuvius, which is easily visible all around the Bay of Naples, is the only active volcano in mainland Europe.  Until its eruption in the year 79 A.D., it was thought to be extinct – its slopes were covered with grapevines and forests.  By 1139 AD, seven eruptions had been recorded; this was followed by a long period of calm, during which the slopes of the mountain were cultivated again.  On December 16, 1631, Vesuvius had another terrible awakening, destroying all the settlements at its foot; over 30,000 people perished.  More eruptions have occurred since that date – a total of 28 times since 79 A.D. – the most recent was in 1944.  Scientists believe that volcanoes erupt on average every 30 years, and they expect the next one to be the biggest ever. 

When Vesuvius erupted on 24 August AD 79, it engulfed the two flourishing Roman towns of Pompei and Herculaneum, as well as the many wealthy villas in the area. These have been progressively excavated and made accessible to the public since the mid-18th century. The vast expanse of the commercial town of Pompei contrasts with the smaller but better-preserved remains of the holiday resort of Herculaneum.  We were fortunate to visit both. 

The seaside town of Herculaneum was said to have been founded by Hercules, and at the time of its destruction, was a famous weekend retreat for the Roman elite.  Builders were working to repair the damage caused by an earthquake in 62 A.D. when Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D.  At that time, the town had about 5000 inhabitants, many of them fishermen, craftsmen and artists.  A lucky few patricians owned villas overlooking the sea.  When Vesuvius sent a fiery cloud of gas and pumice hurtling toward the town, Herculaneum was completely buried under a tide of volcanic mud.  This semi-liquid mass covered everything and sealed it in a compact, airtight tomb.  It remained hidden until the 1920s when systematic digs were initiated.  Excavations continue to this day.

Our first look at the town is the warehouses along what was then the waterfront.  The red-colored building in upper right corner is the visitor center – this shows just how deeply this little town was buried by Vesuvius.  Inside the old warehouses are skeletons – probably they were fishermen trapped here, or perhaps they were townspeople trying to escape.

This view shows Vesuvius in the background, ready to erupt again.  In the foreground is the part of Herculaneum that has been excavated.  Further back is the present-day town of Herculaneum, built on top of the ruins.  Many citizens are concerned that continuing excavations will damage the foundation of their town, while scientists are eager to dig ever deeper for the secrets of this long-ago civilization. 

City streets are narrow, just wide enough for a chariot.  Sidewalks were raised, with drainage holes for water to run off in a sewer system.

 

The municipal baths of Herculaneum had separate sections for men and women.  The baths included a gymnasium and a cloak room with partitioned shelves for clothing, as well as rooms for hot, cold and warm baths, equipped with benches and basins and decorated with mosaics.  The skeletons of the bath attendants, who took cover there during the eruption of Vesuvius, were found in the center of the men’s bath.   

Much of the Forum and Market areas have been excavated.  The open areas are lined with shops and stalls including a well-preserved wine shop with a sign advertising several types for sale and several taverns and fast-food restaurants (only rich people could afford to cook at home – fuel was too expensive). 

 

 

The Collegium Augustalium was the main headquarters of the priests of a cult dedicated to the deification of the emperors.  It was badly damaged by earthquake, but parts of colorful frescoes remain.

Many private homes have been excavated and we visited several.  The typical plan for a town house was to build around an uncovered atrium.  Some of the highlights:  house with an atrium separated by a wooden partition with three doors (most wood was destroyed by the volcano); house with a trellis forming the outer walls of its second floor; and house with mosaic of Neptune and Amphitrite.

 

 

Other buildings remain a mystery – at least to us - it was impossible to remember the names and details of all the structures we saw and visited.  Here are a few additional photos taken as we walked the streets of this dead city …

 

*****

Pompeii was founded about the 5^th century B.C. and was larger than Herculaneum; its population was about 25,000.  When Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D., the city was engulfed in suffocating black clouds, catching residents by surprise.  Hours after the eruption, buildings, works of art and human bodies were sealed in hardened casts of ash – natural tombs that would remain undisturbed for centuries.  

Pompeii is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – at 165 acres, it poses an extreme challenge to archeologists and historians who work here.  While only 92 acres have been excavated, the biggest problem now is trying to stop the city’s decline and decay, while accommodating some two million visitors per year.

 

Our first stop was the Palestra, an area used for athletic training – the gladiators’ practice field.  Nearby is the oldest standing amphitheater in the world (80 BC).  It was the stage for chariot races and games between animals and gladiators.  It once held crowd of 12,000 spectators who determined whether a gladiator would live or die during battle with a casual thumbs up or thumbs down. 

The Great Theater (Teatro Grande) was built during the 2^nd century BC.  This open-air theater could hold 5,000 spectators.  The edges of the field are lined with stone-walled cells that once were home to gladiators in training. 

From the top of the wall here, we could see the Basilica of the Rosary and the bell tower that tops the roofline of the modern city of Pompeii, where locals go about their daily lives in the shadow of the volcano – just as their ancestors did 2,000 years ago.  From all over the ruined city, Vesuvius is a looming reminder of what happened here and will likely happen again.

 

Pompeii’s streets were flooded daily with water to clean them.  There were stepping stones to let pedestrians cross without getting their sandals wet.  Chariots could straddle the stones; note that the wheels have left deep ruts.

 

 

One of the sidewalks has some exposed lead pipes.  These 2000-year old structures were part of the city’s elaborate water system.  Aqueducts fed a water tank at the high end of town, and three independent pipe systems supplied water to the city – one for baths, one for private homes, and one for public water fountains.

The Forum was the center of town where religious ceremonies were held, as well as a public meeting place.  It was here that elections were held, speeches and official announcements were made. The pedestrian-only square was paved with broad marble flagstones and adorned with statues of emperors.   Beaver-teeth road blocks prevent vehicles from entering this area.

 

The Tempio di Giove (Temple of Jupiter) is at the far northern end of the Forum, with Vesuvius behind it.  The temple was largely destroyed by the earthquake that struck 17 years before the volcano erupted.  It is flanked by the triumphal arches of Caligula and Nero.

 

The Basilica was the law court and economic center of the city.  These oblong buildings with a semi-circular end were the model for early Christian churches.  This was the largest building in Pompeii.

The Tempio di Apollo (Temple of Apollo), built before the Roman occupation, stood against the magnificent background of Vesuvius.  It contains statues of Apollo and Diana and a column topped by a sundial. 

 

The Fish and Produce Market was the place where Pompeiians came to buy their food.  The walls are decorated with frescoes showing scenes of everyday life in the city.  There is a display here of glass cases holding plaster casts of Pompeiians, captured in their last moments. 

 

Pompeii had six public baths, each with a men’s and women’s section.  The leafy courtyard at the entrance was the gymnasium.  After working out, clients could relax with a hot bath, warm bath or cold plunge.  There was also a dressing room, with pegs to hang clothing.

 

 

The Lupanar (literally, dwelling of she-wolves) was the town’s largest brothel.  Its walls are decorated with scenes of erotic games in which clients could engage.  Above each bedstall, a painting advertises the specialty of its occupant. 

 

The typical Pompeiian dwelling was a villa, more of a country mansion than a simple house.  They were luxurious and were inhabited by aristocrats, quite unlike the tenements of Herculaneum.   Key elements included:  vestibule with mosaics at the threshold; atrium with basin for collecting rainwater and winter rooms opening around the edge; large living room leading to the peristyle; dining room, usually much decorated; and peristyle or garden with fish pond, lined with portico into which summer rooms opened. 

 

As with Herculaneum (which was smaller), there was just too much here to take in.  Our guide kept up a running commentary, but the names and purpose of many structures will remain a mystery until we can go there again.  Here are a few more pictures of this fascinating place …

 

 

 

*****

The Isle of Capri is a craggy island in the Bay of Naples, once a pleasure dome to Roman emperors, now Italy’s most glamorous seaside getaway.  We travelled over from Sorrento by jetfoil, landing at Marina Grande.

 

The town of Capri has a Moorish look, with shiny white houses, tiny squares and narrow medieval alleyways hung with flowers.  

 

La Piazzetta is the heart of Capri. It’s a tiny square surrounded by four bars.

 

The Church of San Stephano was once the cathedral of Capri and remains the town's principal house of worship.  Constructed in baroque style, its marble flooring came from the Villa Jovis, once of the residences which Emperor Tiberius built on the island of Capri.

 

The Gardens of Augustus were designed in terraces overlooking the sea with panoramic views of the Marina Piccolo (the beach where the sirens tried to seduce Ulysses) and the Faraglioni (three iconic sea stacks - columns of rock).

 

Near the gardens stands the Certosa di San Giocomo (Carthusian Monastery of St. James).  It was founded around 1372 and sacked by pirates in the 16th century.  It is now restored and open to visitors.

We took the Oh My God Highway (also known as the Mamma Mia Highway) to Anacapri, the highest town on the island, with great views of the harbor below.  The ride was a bit hair-raising, but worth it - olive trees, grapevines, and flowers provide a Mediterranean charm.

 

In Piazza Armando Diaz, ceramic tile benches are decorated with pictures of life on the island.  This is a favorite spot for locals to sit, chat and read the paper. 

 

The Church of Santa Sofia was built in 1510 on the site of an older parish church. The sacristy and oratory were created in the remains of the even older church. The bell towers are relatively new – 18th century!

 

Casa Rossa is a Pompeian red building complete with crenulated facade, mullioned windows, and square tower. It was once the residence of an American soldier who came to after the American civil war. 

Villa San Michele was the home of Swedish physician Axel Munthe, built at turn of the 20th century on the grounds of one of Tiberius's ancient villas. The gardens have fine views of the island, the Sorrentine Peninsula and Mount Vesuvius.

 

*****

Our last adventure on this visit to the Bay of Naples was a day trip along the Amalfi Coast – the rocky shoreline between Sorrento and Salerno.    There is one narrow road along the coastline, and it has innumerable bends, providing constantly changing views of beautiful landscape – fantastically shaped rocks plunging vertically into a crystal clear sea, deep gorges spanned by dizzy bridges, and Saracen towers (once the haunts of pirates) perched on peaks and reefs.  

Orange and lemon trees, olives, almonds and flowering shrubs relieve the starkness of bare stone.  Cave-dwellings, fishermen’s villages and little towns of white houses nestling in the bays preserve the charm of a past age.

Offshore are the Li Galli islands, three islets said to be the home of the mythical Sirens who tried to lead Ulysses astray in Homer's Odyssey. The villa on the largest island was owned by Rudolf Nureyev, who lived there until his death in 1993.  Today the property is being developed by Hilton as a six-star hotel … very exclusive. 

The first town south of Sorrento is Positano, once part of the powerful Amalfi Maritime Republic, but by the middle of the 19th century, nearly three-fourths of its citizens immigrated to America.  John Steinbeck and other writers and artists lived here in the 1950s, before this forgotten fishing village was ‘discovered’ and the wealthy moved in. 

 

Today Positano is one of Italy's most romantic and luxurious vacation spots.  Built vertically on the face of a cliff, its pastel and white Moorish-style houses cling dramatically to the slopes around a small sheltered bay.  It is simply beautiful – from every direction.

Praiano is known as the ‘poor man’s Positano’ – it right in the middle of the Amalfi Coast, but much quieter – a fine place to relax.  The church of San Gennaro is on the main square; it was built in 1589 on an existing structure dating back to 1200. 

Furore is a small fishing village in a steep valley, with a small river running out to the sea.  Houses cling to the slopes and brightly colored fishing boats are drawn up on the shore. 

The fishing village of Conca dei Marini is tiny and charming, with isolated white houses scattered among the rocks and lemon groves.  The village opens along a small bay that overlooks the Torre Saracena (Saracen Tower) a guard tower built in 1563 to prevent Saracen pirates' invasions.

 

The town of Amalfi has a somewhat Spanish look with its tall white houses built on rocks facing the brilliant blue bay.  It is flanked by another old Saracen Tower and a Capuchin monastery (12th-16th centuries) now converted into a hotel. 

 

 

We entered the town through the Porta della Marina, with its colorful tile map showing the trading domain of the maritime Republic of Amalfi. 

The Basilica of St. Andrew is a mix of Moorish and Byzantine architecture, built between 1000-1300 AD.  The original 9th century church, known as the Basilica of the Crucifix, is now a museum.  The remains of St. Andrew are in a crypt underneath a bronze statue inside the cathedral. 

Away from the main square, things are much quieter and it’s much easier to appreciate the town’s charms (and its gelato).

 

From Amalfi, we took a short boat ride to have a look at the Amalfi Coast from the “other” side – looking in at the hills, vineyards and houses.  Everywhere is terracing – the only way to farm this steep landscape – and every bit of useful land is cultivated with grapes, lemons, oranges, and olive trees.

Back ashore, as we prepared to head inland, we looked to the south to see the towns of Minori and Maiori.  Further in the distance is the town of Salerno, where allied troops landed during World War II.

Scala was our next stop: it is the oldest town of the Amalfi coast, about 1500 feet above sea level. The town has a thousand-year history rich in monuments of artistic and historical value; during the height of its economic splendor it had about 130 churches.  Scala also has a connection to New York City, as it is the ancestral home of former Mayor Mario Cuomo. 

After the 9/11 bombing of the World Trade Center, several of the town’s silversmiths collaborated on a small statue showing two angels pulling a child from the ashes.  This was presented to New York City as a gift, but eventually returned here for safekeeping.  It stands in a special exhibit on the main piazza.

The heart of town is the Duomo of San Lorenzo, which dates back to the 12th century. The bell tower dominates the town’s main piazza, which is surrounded by shops, the city hall the elementary school, and of course, a sidewalk cafe.

Ravello was our last stop along the Amalfi Coast – at 1000 feet above sea level, it is like a lush garden on a lofty perch.  Wandering around, it seems like the whole place is filled with cafes, old villas, and grand views. 

 

The city's Cathedral, the Basilica di San Pantaleon, was built in 1087 on the central piazza, which is a lively spot – plenty of shops and plenty of people.  The Basilica is said to contain a vial of Pantaleon’s blood, which liquefies and bubbles each year on his feast day (hate we missed that!).

The town seems to be the mother lode of colorful ceramics.  There were several very large workshops with beautiful pieces that were (thankfully) too big and too heavy to fit into suitcase.

 

Heading back to Sorrento, we travelled through the Latare Mountains, which offered an expansive view of Mt. Vesuvius and Naples sprawled out around it.  Local authorities claim that they have an evacuation plan that will clear the area in an hour … just doesn’t seem possible.

*****

Our stay in Sorrento was wonderful.  We hated to leave this beautiful area, but we had things to see and do in Rome.  As we drove north again, we stopped to visit the Abbey of Montecassino.  This abbey, high on a hill, was built in 529 AD by a monk named Benedict, along with his sister Scholastica; both were later made saints by the Catholic Church.   The abbey was bombed during WWII, but its paintings and other treasures (and monks) were safely hidden in Rome. 

 

Benedictine monks take vows of chastity and obedience – not poverty.  That makes them quite different from the Franciscan monks, who take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.  (Another difference:  The Benedictine motto is ora et labora = pray and work.  The Franciscan motto is pax et bonum = peace and kindness.)

The Cloister of Paradise is near the entrance to the abbey.  At its center stands a beautiful bronze statue of St. Benedict.  Benedict is standing, supported by monks after having received the Holy Communion. 

 

The Cloister of the Well has in its center an octagonal well surrounded by Corinthian columns.   Here, too, are statues of St. Benedict and St. Scholastica.  The balcony offers a beautiful view of the Liri Valley.

 

Stairs lead to the Cloister of the Kings, sometimes called the Benefactors’ Cloister.  This open area is surrounded by a loggia housing niches filled with statues of kings and nobles who made major contributions to the abbey. 

 

The Cloister of the Kings leads directly into the Abbey Church, the Basilica of St. Benedict.  At its entrance are three bronze doors, the middle one dating from the 11th century.  Inside the basilica are amazing frescoes and mosaics. The Chapel of Relics holds reliquaries of several saints.

Downstairs is the crypt, built in 1544 and carved into the mountain. The crypt is filled with stunning mosaics and holds the relics of St. Benedict and St. Scholastica.