Art, history and cultural trails

Correale di Terranova Museum

A – CORREALE DI TERRANOVA MUSEUM, the most precious and interesting collection of fine arts coming from the many Correale houses in Naples and Sorrento, collected in the “Villa alla Rota", by Alfredo and Pompeo Correale, counts of Terranova. 
The museum,opened in 1924, has been defined “the most beautiful provincial museum of Italy”. A rich collection of  paintings from 17^th and 18^th centuries, attributed to Artemisia Gentileschi, Battistello Caracciolo, Solimena, Van Dyck, Kassel and Belvedere. From the famous Neapolitan school of Posillipo some paintings  by Pitloo, Duclère, Gigante and Palizzi revealing "southern landscapes of great charm".
An excellent porcelain collection from the most important European factories: Meissen, Sevres, Bow, Wien and of course Capodimonte.  Beautiful furniture, rare consoles, precious glass from Murano and Bohemia, rare table clocks recreating the suggestive atmosphere of an aristocratic home. The Correale family loved collecting the best.

The Wooden Marquetry Shop-Museum

B – THE WOODEN MARQUETRY SHOP-MUSEUM (Museo-Bottega della Tarsia Lignea), located in the historical centre of Sorrento, in a patrician palace of the 18^th century. In the halls of frescoed vaults and roof covered with hand-painted wall-paper, a rich collection of inlaid wooden furniture and objects made by local  marquetry masters of the 19^th century is on display. The exhibition of the Italian and foreign artists’ paintings of the 19^th century, of ancient printings and photos, let us reconstruct the 19^th century image of the Sorrento coast, of the environmental and historical context where the local inlaid production was developed.

Sorrento Cathedral and Belltower

C – THE CATHEDRAL, built early fifteenth century in Romanesque style has been restored several times  up to the 1924 when the entire facade was rebuilt. Noteworthy the side door from 1474 in Renaissance style

Inside the church, in addition to its baptistery, where the most well known citizen of the town was baptized, there are many  paintings of the Neapolitan school of the 1700 century, an archbishop throne in fine marbles and several wooden marquetry works of local artisans such as the pictures of Via Crucis or the wooden panels of both main and side doors. All these are works of contemporary young artisans of marquetry art.

Noteworthy is the bell tower’s base from the Romanesque age probably built around the 1100s  with various types of trunks of columns, alternating classic and Byzantine capitals with different type of marble fragments.  This construction is important to the town’s urban history since the small spaces, under the raised arches, were used for public meetings. The upper part of the tower was either rebuilt or at least greatly reduced to its present size around the 15^th century.

The Cathedral is open,daily, from 8,00 am to 12,30 pm and from 04,30 pm to 09,00 pm
During liturgical celebration no tourist visits 

The Church and the Cloister of San Francesco

D –  THE CHURCH AND THE CLOISTER OF “SAN FRANCESCO”, the monastery’s origin dates back to the first half of the 8^th century. The cloister’s architecture presents crossed arches in tuff on two sides of the portico, expression of the late 13^th century style and round arches on octagonal columns on the two opposite sides. Various elements of pillage are present, as in the three corner columns, originally part of  pagan temples.

Next to the convent is the church of St. Francesco which dates back to the 16^th century. Inside, in the first of the three chapels on the right, you will find a wooden statue depicting the saint with Christ on the cross, donated by the Vulcano family in the 17^th century.

The Basilica of Sant'Antonino

E – BASILICA OF “SANT’ANTONINO”, an oratory in the 9^th century, dedicated to the patron saint of Sorrento, St.Antonino,  the church dates back to 11^th century and presents various elements of plunder such as the column shafts, probably coming from the portico of one of the many roman villas of the area. In the crypt, rebuilt in the 17^th century, many ex-voto and paintings, mainly of sailors, confirming the strong link between Sorrento and its patron saint.

The Church of S. Maria del Carmelo (Carmine)

F - THE CHURCH OF “S. MARIA DEL CARMELO”, rebuilt at the end of the 15^th century on the ruins of an ancient church dedicated to the Sorrento martyrs, has got one single nave. The dark Virgin  painting is a copy of the famous one in the church of Carmine in Naples. In the church there are many paintings by local artists from the 16^th and 17^th centuries, as well as two precious artistic gilded wooden bone containers from the same period.

The Church of "I Servi di Maria"

G – THE CHURCH OF “I SERVI DI MARIA”. In Baroque style, this church was completed in the 18^th century. Home of the congregation of the servants of Maria, it is the starting point of the black hooded procession on Good Friday. Inside, a wooden statue of Christ, by an unknown sculptor, and precious religious fine furniture.

Opening hours

Thursday and Saturday 05,00pm - 08,00pm

Sunday 08,00am - 12,00am

www.servidimariasorrento.it

Sedil Dominova

H – SEDIL DOMINOVA, it's the only old noble seat still visible in Campania, dated to the beginning of the 16^th century. It has a quadrilateral plan, with two corner arches in piperno and a cupola of the 17^th century formed by green and yellow majolica roof-tiles. Inside, on the walls, are 18^th century frescoes, the pillars and arches are in archaic style.

Fifteenth Century House

I - FIFTEENTH CENTURY HOUSE, in Vico Galantarario, the only curious example of local architecture influenced by Tuscan masters working  in Naples and surroundings in the second half of the 14^th century.

Veniero Palace

L – VENIERO PALACE. (13th century) this palace is extremely rare as it represents the late Byzantine and Arab taste drafted in a constituent  and organic continuity. The three large arched windows on each level are surrounded by wide fillet in grey and yellow tuff. The inlaid tuff decoration shows a succession of lozenges and zigzag motives.

Correale Palace

M – CORREALE PALACE, 14^th century, the façade exhibits valuable acute-arched windows in dark “tufo” shaped and designed with small arches and lobed rose windows. There is a beautiful large window with an overhanging pointed arch upheld by corbels and crowned by Gothic capitals with acanthus leaves. In the keystone of the arch is incised the coat-of-arm of the Correale family. The portal is decorated by a Durazzesco-Catalan arch typical of the Neapolitan area between the 13^th and 14^th centuries.

Correale House

N – CORREALE  HOUSE, located in the main Tasso square, once called Largo Castello, on the corner entering Via Pietà. The inscription on the portal’s marble scroll ornament bears the date  1768. Inside, a wonderful court with a  majolica-tile wall.

Old Mill Ruins

O – OLD MILL RUINS, at the back of Tasso Square, there is a deep gorge where the ruins of an old mill, working till the beginning of the 19^th century, are still visible.

The Old Walls

P – THE OLD WALLS, the only part of the Greek defensive wall still remaining is under the road level by the “Porta Parsano Nuova”. Another ruin of the Greek wall is still visible by the Marina Grande gate. The roman town was built over the Greek one following the same urban plan with walls of large isodomic  blocks. The walls defended Sorrento through the Middle Ages. The reconstruction  began in 1551 and was completed only in 1561 after the tragic Turkish  invasion.  After a recent restoration in 2010 part of the walls  nearby Porta Parsano  can be visited, to get more info:

www.antichemurasorrento.it

Orange and Lemon Grove "Agruminato"

Q – AGRUMINATO, typical Sorrento lemon and orange grove open to the public.

Public Gardens

R– VILLA COMUNALE, public gardens: a  wonderful terrace overlooking the bay of Naples. There are steps entering the beaches area  down below and a lift service.

Capo di Sorrento - Roman Villa

S – ROMAN VILLA AT CAPO DI SORRENTO, ruins of the Pollio Felice’s roman villa, described by the roman poet Publio Papinio Stazio. According to the local tradition, Giovanna Durazzo II, queen of Naples from 1414 to 1435, used to bathe in the natural swimming-pool nearby.

Marina Grande

T – MARINA GRANDE, old fishing port, charming and typical fishermen village.

Sant'Agnello Cathedral

U – SANT’AGNELLO CATHEDRAL, dedicated to the saints Prisco and Agnello (patron saint of the city), was built in 1440 in Baroque style. The church, with a main nave and two side aisles, is decorated with many important paintings by Gustavo and Giuseppe Mancinelli.

The Church and Convent of the Franciscan Monks

V – THE CHURCH AND CONVENT OF THE FRANCISCAN MONKS, built in 1546 as a small chapel dedicated to the Virgin of “Porto Salvo”. The monks used to light up an oil lamp working as a lighthouse for the ships sailing near the coast.

The church was enlarged starting from the 17^th  century, the façade was realized in 1841 and  ornamented  with St. Francis statue on the top. Inside the precious painting by the local painter Eduardo Scarpati, born in Meta, representing the Virgin  Mary with Saint Francis and Saint John.