Go shopping, sightseeing or eating and drinking in the narrow lanes surrounded by Italian heritage buildings dating back to Roman times.
Sorrento Historic Town is a maze of cobblestone streets lined with boutiques, artisan workshops, Italian restaurants, ancient monasteries and centuries-old palaces. Take your time to wander around the charming town center on the cliffs and explore the stone buildings originally dating from Roman ages, with later medieval Gothic and Byzantine influences.
You’ll soon find Piazza Torquato Tasso, the city’s main square. It dates back to 1866 and is named after a famous local author who is best known for Gerusalemme liberata (Jerusalem Delivered). Look for the signs to the House of Cornelia Tasso, the sister of the Renaissance poet.
If you are interested in religious buildings, also visit the Chiesa di San Francesco, St. Mary of Carmine and the Basilica of St. Antonino. The site of the Sorrento Cathedral with its triple-tiered bell tower has been a principal place of worship for almost a thousand years. Take a close look at the dramatic frescoes, marble bishop’s throne and decorative wooden choir stalls made in the local intarsia inlay style. For more examples of this particular technique, visit the Museo Bottega, an 18th-century palace that showcases a large collection of inlaid wooden furniture and crafts.
On the corner with Via di San Cesareo stands the 14th-century Sedile Dominova, a place for noblemen. While on Cesareo’s Street, hunt for local wares in the boutique stores and workshops. This was once Sorrento's central thoroughfare. Its Neapolitan Baroque shops are now stocked with arts and crafts. Choose from locally made leather goods, ceramics, lacework, woodwork and citrus-infused soaps and liqueurs.
Perched on a cliff is Villa Comunale park, a great spot for sunset views of Mount Vesuvius across the Bay of Naples.
End your tour of Sorrento Historic Town with a "passeggiata" (stroll) around town to find classic Italian restaurants and enjoy fresh seafood, pastas and pizzas. Find some of the town’s best dinner options in and around the picturesque Piazza San Antonino.
