Sorrento, Italy is a city famous for its amazing views and crystal clear waters. While Sorrento is a popular tourist attraction, the city has so much more to offer than that. Sorrento is full of life, history and architecture that is just waiting to be discovered.
Sorrento, Italia, as the Italians refer to it, is located in the province of
Campania in southern Italy. Sorrento sits on the Sorrento Peninsula, which
separates the Bay of Naples from the Gulf of Salerno. One of the most beautifully
situated cities in all of Italy, Sorrento is a picturesque seaside town.
The earliest evidence of human settlement in Sorrento was not that of the Romans,
by that of the Greeks. However, the Sorrento Peninsula was soon taken over
by the Romans, and made a Roman colony. During the middle ages, Sorrento successfully
kept its independence and soon became a prosperous community. They thrived
on the production and sale of fruits and wine. In 1544, a date that is revered
by many Italians, is when poet Torquato Tasso was born in Sorrento, later becoming
one of the most famous people ever born in Sorrento. Sorrento’s prosperity
was soon destroyed when the Turks invade in the city in about 1560. The city
was destroyed and many people were killed as a result of the invasion. In the
18th century Sorrento began to emerge as a tourist resort and the city began
to flourish once more. Sorrento now thrives on the industries of tourism, textiles
and agriculture.
Aside from being a beach resort, Sorrento has plenty of other attractions to keep the tourists coming. There is Basilica di San Antonino, which was built in the 10th century and is one of the best-preserved buildings in all of Italy. There is the Sorrento Cathedral that houses some of the most amazing masterpieces by Neapolitan painters. Some of the other beautiful attractions Sorrento has to offer are as follows:
- Saint Francis Cloisters
- Correale di Terranova Museum
- Sedil Dominova
The cuisine in Sorrento is strongly linked to its agriculture. Sorrento’s warm
climate makes it ideal for the growing of fruits, olives and grapes, all
of which are a part of Sorrento’s delicious cuisine. In Sorrento, fish and
crustaceans are the main components of their diet. They regularly eat lobster,
spider crab soup, shrimp and even octopus casserole. Almost all dishes are
made with olive oil, which is produced from olives grown in the area. As
for drinks, the people of Sorrento enjoy wine, limoncello and coffee.
Sorrento is a truly wonderful and distinct place with a rich history that has
a lot to offer the rest of the world. For anyone visiting Italy, do not miss
the wonder that is Sorrento.