Jess Angeline and Maia Bullard
Geography and History
To do justice to the topic of Walls in Sorrento we must first give a brief history and geography lesson.
Sorrento has always been an ideal destination due to the mild climate and the fact that there were roads and villas already in place. This made it an ideal destination for wealthy aristocrats to take their summer vacations.
It was also very well protected due to the deep gorges and the fact that it is on top of a cliff. The only exception to this natural protection was the 984 feet on the south-west where it was defended by man-made walls built by the Greeks and Romans. Here is a brief drone video of Sorrento, giving an overall view of the geography and natural protection around Sorrento today.
The main entrance to the city was through the Porta del Piano at the end of the bridge which linked the city within the walls to the outer smaller villages. There had also been another gate on the other end of the walled city called Porta di Parsano Vecchio. Additionally, there were two gates leading up to the city from Marina Grande and Marina Piccola.
Sorrento was very inaccessible due to the geographical location of the city. Being on top of cliffs forced travelers to arrive by boat. If anyone has considered going to Capri during this trip, you know it takes a ferry to get there, similar to Sorrento at this time. Surrounding cities were not independent but, rather, their own kingdoms warring against each other.
In 1839 traveling the Sorrento coast became easier as a road between Castellammare and Sorrento was constructed. In 1866 the Porta del Piano was demolished to clear space for the construction of Corso Italia which cuts through the center of the city horizontally. The access bridge leading to the Porta del Piano was expanded and Piazza Tasso was created.
Here is an image of the walls before the modernization that changed Piazza Tasso. If you’ve been to the flags (I know you have) then you have stood right here.
The left image depicts a much older path to get to Sorrento. The image on the right is more modern. Notice the red arrow shows where we are!!
Porta Marina
Because Sorrento was protected pretty much by the natural geography of the city (it is on top of cliffs) the route from the ocean was the main access point for attacks. Porta Marina (The Greek Gate) was built as an outlet for trade with neighboring cities as well as a means of protection. This is the oldest surviving Greek architecture in the city as it was built into the 16th century walls to protect Sorrento from pirates.
The Greek Gate is made of tufa stone with two archways. If you have been down to the Marina Grande (I know you have) then you have walked through these significant arches.
Antiche Mura
Antiche Mura can be translated to Antique or Old Walls. This is the name given to the defensive walls that date back to the Greek Era. This is known because of the stone blocks of the arch which are arranged alternately along the head in accordance with the Greek system. The Piazza Antiche Mura can be found at the intersection of Via Degli Aranci and Via Sersale.
Bastion Parsano, a defensive wall built to protect Sorrento as long ago as the Greek era, still stands in the center of town. When Sorrento became part of the Roman Republic, the walls were added and improved and the Romans built over the original Greek town following the same layout.
During the Roman period, Sorrento was fully surrounded by walls. This included five gate entrances to protect the town from the sea and invaders, such as pirates, from inland. Multiple towers were built to defend the gates, and these continued to protect Sorrento throughout the middle ages. Invaders could be seen from these towers, and an alarm would sound. Local people could leave whatever they were doing in order to escape.
Now, it is possible to see remains of the ancient Greek walls below street level at Porta Parsano Nuova, where they have been exposed and put on public display. During excavations of Bastion Parsano, pottery, fragments of mosaics, glass, bones, and iron objects were found. This proved the original Greek gate had once been filled in and bricked up. In the eighteenth century, it was reopened and widened to form the current Porta Parsano Nuova.
This was the beginning of a redesign for the center of Sorrento, which led to the widening of Corso Italia and the creation of Piazza Tasso! Now, you can walk on top of these walls yourself, for free! Walking through, you can look out to the buildings of Sorrento.
Sant'Antonino's Ashes
It is also important to note that the ashes of the patron saint ( Sant' Antonino) are within the walls in Sorrento. He became a saint through the legend that he saved a little boy from a whale attack. This is one of many miracles he performed. A rib from the whale hangs in front of the Basilica Sant’Antonino to signify this miracle. The two statues of him in Sorrento also allude to this fantastic feat.
He is significant to the topic of walls because he was the living embodiment of protection in Sorrento while the walls are the physical embodiment. When he died he requested his ashes be buried between the walls because he did not want to be buried inside or outside the city. Therefore his protective energy extends into the physical fortifications.
His bones are kept in the crypt of the Basilica Sant'Antonino. The walls are surrounded by the miracles he performed after death. The paintings of ships represent the safety he guided the passengers toward.
To learn more about Sant'Antonino click here
Turkish Invasion
These walls fell when the Turks invaded Sorrento. The attack happened on June 13, 1558. A Turkish fleet attacked and invaded the Sorrentine Peninsula causing 1,000 casualties and at least 4,000 prisoners. After 10 days of brutal fighting they surrendered due to the Turkish army's power. During the attack the pre-existing fortifications were destroyed or seriously compromised.
Above are photos taken from the door of the cathedral on Corso Italia of the Turkish Invasion.
Bell of Punta Campanella
This incident is connected to the legend of the Bell of Punta Campenella. It is said that during the invasion in 1558 the Turks ransacked the Sant’Antonino church and stole many sacred objects including the bronze bell. When the Turks were trying to leave Sorrento the ship holding the bell was blocked by an unknown force that kept it from continuing forward near Punta Campanella. The pirates panicked and started throwing their treasure into the sea but only were able to progress forward when they threw the bell of Sant’Antonino. Ever since then every February 14th (the day of Sant’Antonino) you can supposedly hear the bell ringing underwater near Punta Campanella.
Vallone dei Mulini
Vallone dei Mulini, the Valley of the Mills, is another important wall landmark in Sorrento. It marks the remains of ancient buildings that used to be flour mills from the 13th century. The buildings were occupied as saw mills until the 20th century. Then in 1866 Piazza Tasso was established which isolated these mills from the sea.
The valley is carved by two rivers: The Casarlano-Cesarano and the S Antonino which cause very high humidity. Rare vegetation forms on these buildings, specifically ferns. These plants are able to grow here due to the specific conditions of the climate in Sorrento. The moisture in the area, almost complete lack of ventilation and sun exposure contribute to why they can thrive.
Tufa Stones
If you’ve gone down or come up from the Marameo Beach Club you will have seen these arches. The walls in Sorrento that were built after the Turkish invasion are mainly made from tufa. These ancient walls are built using tufa stone.
Understanding tufa stones is important to understanding the walls of Sorrento. Tufa is a type of limestone that normally forms close to bodies of water that have a generous amount of dissolved minerals, specifically calcium carbonate. Be careful not to confuse tufa with tuff which is a rock formed from volcanic ash. They have similar uses and are easily confused, especially in a place in direct proximity to Mount Vesuvius. Tufa rock is porous like a sponge but is great for building which is why it makes sense that this material was cultivated to build defensive walls.
A good way to visualize Sorrento and its walls is through its similarity to Stranger Things. The “Upside Down” in Hawkins can be directly compared to Sorrento. The tufa rocks are excavated from underneath the ground and used to build the walls above ground. Everything above has a cave underneath.
If you went on the hike to the Baths of Regina Giovanna you saw this angle of the walls. This is one of the borders of the walls that surround Sorrento. As we go through our tour, you will be walking on top of the walls of Sorrento.
Above are three images to help understand the modernization of the town of Sorrento and the walls as a whole. The first image is in a park right behind Corso Italia. This represents the Sorrento that was originally inside the walls. The second image represents the walls being a part of the newer buildings in Sorrento. The walls were intended for defensive purposes and once that was no longer an issue they were knocked down for more practical purposes like expanding the city's shops and housing. The last image represents a building completely outside and removed from the original walls. This is the definition of modern Sorrento as back in the day it would not have been within the walls and therefore was outside of the city.
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