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Wednesday 15 March 2023

MASSA LUBRENSE - XII CANTO - NEW WALKING MAP


I don’t know what I was expecting when I went to the presentation of the new map produced by the Comune di Massa Lubrense to promote its walking trails, but it certainly wasn’t this. Maybe I am too used to the precision and detail of Giovanni Visetti’s work, or expect a map designed to direct walkers  to provide correct information. 
What a disappointment! The new map, luckily produced so far in only 3,000 copies, is approximate to the point of misleading. Was it not checked prior to printing by one of the experts consulted for its production? Hopefully not, because it would reflect very poorly on themselves.
Even if we gloss over the technical errors such as: the sea level curve not coinciding with the coast (as, of course, it should), contours interrupted and with bits missing, invented roads, private, generally inaccessible  lanes indicated in the same way as public ones,  other elementary errors cannot be excused. They include: 

  • religious buildings, of which there are many, positioned in the wrong location or incorrectly named.  For example, San Liberatore cemetery has turned into the “Chiesa di Mitigliano” (35) . La church of Arorella has become the  Cappella di S. Antonio (37) and Marcigliano has acquired the Chiesa di S.Maria della Purita' a Li Simoni (38). There are others, but I won’t bore you with the details.
  • names of roads - incorrect spelling, such as Via del Moro (should be Via del Monte), incorrect location (Via Amerigo Vespucci which has ended up in the Camping Syrenuse), incorrect name (Via Nerano.... really?)
  • out-sized toponyms crowding the map, badly positioned, incorrectly written and duplicated, creating not only confusion between the villages and hills/localities (which we locals know, but a tourist won't), but with some names  not even attached to the actual place (take Nerano where the name has moved well away from the village, into the valley to the east). 
  • the icons - in the main centres there are so many that they hide points of interest/roads, and are often incorrectly positioned or misleading. The tourist office Proloco Due Golfi in Sant’Agata has moved 200 metres right down the road into Via Canale! Not to talk about the phantom public toilets  situated in Sant’Agata and Torca or even the ones in Marina del Cantone, which do exist but are usually closed.
  • the English –luckily, there is actually very little  in English on this map, but what on earth is an “ancient washtub” (surely it should be  washhouse?) or a “water’s house” ( water distributor)? I fail to understand, yet again, why they don’t just ask one of the many native English speakers to check things like this rather than trusting Google translate.
The map is huge, covering 2 sides since it wouldn't fit on one, awkward to consult during an excursion and difficult to fold. The paper is the kind that easily tears along the creases. I know that from experience from  other maps on the same kind of paper.
When concerns were raised at the end of the presentation about the evident inaccuracies, we were told that the aim was to move away from the classical, technical, "old-fashioned" maps of the past and produce something modern, attractive (?) and touristic, easy to read and that it didn't necessarily need to be precise! I am sorry, but if the aim was to produce a map for walkers, precision is essential. All in all, the map is shoddy and unprofessional and whilst a tourist will probably be quite happy to take one home as a free keepsake of their holiday, I am quite sure that true hikers will not be impressed (especially if they try to use it) and will still prefer to consult the "old-fashioned" but accurate maps of Giovanni Visetti or one of the excellent traditional hiking guides on the market. New is not always better! 



Sunday 25 September 2022

SORRENTO WALKS - A GREAT NEW WEBSITE FOR TREKKING ENTHUSIASTS!

A brand new website www.sorrentowalks.com is now online. The initiative, promoted by the local Sorrento Administration in collaboration with Penisola Verde  and mentored by Giovanni Visetti, our expert local cartographer, is a positive step towards the promotion of trekking in the Sorrento Peninsula.

Produced in Italian, English and German, the site proposes a selection of itineraries, all starting in Sorrento that will take you to neighbouring localities mainly away from the main roads, following lanes, paths and trails historically used by the local population before today's roads were even built. Included are also three urban itineraries: itinerary 11 Walls & Gates of Sorrento, itinerary 22 Villages of the Sorrento Valley and itinerary 19 Sorrento - Sant'Agnello. Itinerary 22 is one of my favourites, so close to the centre, but a far cry from the usual tourist sites seen by the majority of visitors to Sorrento.

All of the walks are feasible for a reasonably fit person and in any case, thanks to the information provided for each one (elevation, distance and description), you can choose the ones most suited to you, maybe resorting to public transport for the return if you prefer.

Each itinerary, as well as a brief description of its actual route, also highlights points of interest along the way, which in turn are linked to short historical summaries.

The website describes the history of the Tolomeo Project, explains the waymarking and organisation of its network of itineraries, has a News section where you will be able to find useful information regarding programmed guided walks, maps etc., and a Contact tab. You can download the itineraries completely free and GPS coordinates are provided too.

We are now hoping that the local Authorities of Massa Lubrense, who are quick to use trekking as a selling point, will follow suit.  Maybe for next summer? Who knows.

Monday 23 May 2022

HIKING IN MASSA LUBRENSE

Over the past few weeks there has been a lot of negative publicity about the state of the trails in Massa Lubrense and quite rightly so.   

Via Torvillo
We all know that at this time of year  vegetation grows thick and fast and nobody who hikes is afraid of a bit of grass and the odd bramble or two. However it is essential that the path beneath the vegetation is safe and not concealing traps: holes, chasms, landslips, loose stones and rocks, that could easily cause someone to trip, twist an ankle or worse. Just the other day a couple of British tourists made a formal complaint to the Mayor of Massa Lubrense about the state of one of the trails (Via Torvillo), calling it UNSAFE, which is precisely one of several that Giovanni Visetti (local hiking expert and cartographer) had flagged to the Council  as in need of urgent maintenance.  There are others too that are just accidents waiting to happen (see map below).

On Sunday I took myself off on one of my favourite walks: the Giro di Santa Croce (or Vuallariello) that starts from the village of Termini, taking you up through woods to a trail running parallel to the better known path leading to Punta Campanella. This itinerary has become very popular not only for local walking groups but also for foreign hiking tours and figures in many of the more recent hiking guides. When the path was first cleared several years ago, there was a sign  to point you in the right direction. That has gone, as has the ceramic tile that for a brief period of time marked its start.  Now, if you manage to work out where it should be, you are faced by a big Private Property sign to your right and the entrance to a private house on your left and no path, since it has become totally overgrown. The ridiculous thing is that it is just the first 20 metres or so that are in this sorry state. After that it  is clear and easy to navigate. It would take very little to restore the signage and clear the way.

Our local Administration has always professed a desire to promote trekking as one of the attractions of this area. On 11th April 22 they approved 2 "new" projects (one had been proposed by Giovanni Visetti back in 2020) to improve and update the network of trails in Massa Lubrense but since it is evident to all that they are incapable of maintaining the paths that we already have, there is a lot of scepticism as to if, how and when these projects will be completed. 

We have read and listened to many words from them over the past months and years but quite honestly there has been little or no concrete evidence of them delivering the goods. In the meantime, both Sorrento and Vico Equense have completed projects in record time with new itineraries and  way-marking and not only.  Unfortunately Massa Lubrense is lagging far behind, stuck in a state of inertia, quick to present glorious new projects with a fanfare of trumpets, but then always ready with some excuse  to justify the delays (just like the epic unfinished resurfacing of the roads, or the Massa Lubrense By-pass to nowhere, which are other tales to tell, but symptomatic of the general malaise of our local government).


Map showing in yellow points needing urgent intervention all flagged by Giovanni to the Local Authorities on multiple occasions.
https://discettazionierranti.blogspot.com/2022/04/progetto-tolomeo-forse-se-ne-intravede.html?fbclid=IwAR3soN3Dse0fAyR-S_atJQiy4Qg4cC-_gLreoqqPo6jBTvwb_PLkkOPuzuo

Tuesday 25 May 2021

TOLOMEO 2021 - HISTORICAL AND URBAN CIRCUIT - ITINERARY 11


 ITINERARY 11 - THE WALLS AND GATES OF SORRENTO

A new itinerary of about 2,800 metres, with an extra 500 metres should you also wish to go down to Marina Grande. The  cultural value of this urban route goes without saying, but it also has logistical merits. Its name already anticipates the fact that, as far as possible, it follows the boundaries of the city of Sorrento, still in evidence thanks to parts of the ancient walls that are still standing and  to the seemingly unsurmountable cliffs and ravines. 

Following this itinerary, you will  also inevitably come to each of the five locations of the  gates of Sorrento, which date back to various eras. Three of them are still standing and you will pass through them if you walk the entire circuit. Unfortunately there is no trace of the other two.

When Giovanni Visetti planned this itinerary it was with the intention of placing the starting points of the extra-urban itineraries in correspondence to the gates, because as in any part of the world, the roads beyond the walls originated from them.

One route starts from Porta di Parsano, 4 (ideally) from Porta di Massa (in actual fact from Piazza Veniero, due to its proximity and spaciousness, ) and the others from Piazza Tasso, where the castle and Porta del Piano stood with its bridge over the valley (see vintage image below, downloaded from the website www.ilmegliodisorrento.com).

Here is the list of streets and points of interest to be found if you  follow the route clockwise from Piazza Tasso.

11 Piazza Tasso, Vico S. Aniello, Via Pietà (Cathedral bell tower and entrance to the cathedral a few metres away), Via Padre Reginaldo Giuliani (Sedil Dominova), Via San Cesareo, Via Tasso, Via Sersale (Church of the Servi di Maria, Porta and Bastione di Parsano), Piazza Antiche Mura, Via degli Aranci (view of the walls), Largo Parsano Vecchio, Corso Italia, Piazza Veniero, Via Sopra le Mura, Via Marina Grande (Porta di Marina Grande), Piazza della Vittoria (belvedere of Prospietto), Via Vittorio Veneto (Villa Comunale, church and cloisters of San Francesco), Via San Francesco, Via Di Maio (AAST and belvedere), Porta di Marina Piccola, Piazza Sant’Antonino (Basilica di Sant’Antonino), Via Sant’Antonino, Piazza Tasso.

11a Via Marina Grande, as far as the church of Sant’Anna, passing through the Porta di Marina Grande 

Giovanni Visetti has created this itinerary based on the city limits, the most well-known points of interest and the need to connect the starting points of the Tolomeo 2021 itineraries to a marked route. The choice of the historical, cultural, touristic and architectural  elements will be up to the experts in the various sectors via the Sorrento Local Authorities and Penisola Verde who are coordinating the project.

The above blog is a liberal translation of Giovanni's blog:

https://discettazionierranti.blogspot.com/2021/04/tolomeo-2021-5-circuito-storico.html




Tuesday 4 May 2021

TOLOMEO 2021 - THE OTHER 3 ITINERARIES FROM SORRENTO TO SANT'AGATA

To continue my series of blogs regarding the 2021 Tolomeo Project which is recreating the network of trails and paths in the Sorrento and Massa Lubrense area, here are another 3 itineraries from Sorrento to Sant'Agata:

Itinerary 16 - from Sorrento to Sant'Agata via Fregonito and Li Schisani
Itinerary 25 - from Sorrento to Sant'Agata via Circumpiso (Casarufolo)
Itinerary 26from Sorrento to Sant'Agata via Cala (22) and Zatri


These 3 routes are a little steeper than itinerary 15 described in the previous blog (average gradient 7.7%), but no less interesting and not only for their panoramic views.Each of them has a very steep stretch whilst the rest of the climb (continuous) is on average a little gentler. The overall average gradients are 8.4% for Li Schisani, 10.1% for Zatri and 12.3% for the Circumpiso. 
Proceeding in code order and from west to east, the first itinerary starts just outside the urbanized area at the foot of the imposing cliff closing the valley to the southwest.  The historical, paved and well-maintained steps of Via Monte Sant' Antonio zigzag upwards, before levelling out on the outskirts of the village of Priora near to S.Maria del Toro. From then on, the route (Via Li Schisani) runs almost parallel to that of Acquacarbone, but on the lower side of the Nastro Verde main road. The views of Sorrento from the dozens of hairpin bends going up Monte Sant'Antonio are without doubt the highlight of this itinerary.
In contrast, the steepest  part of route 25, similarly paved and going in zig zags, comes near the top. This one is known locally as the Circumpiso, but its real name is Via Casarufolo, the same name as the valley and  the rivulet passing under the city, under Piazza Tasso and flowing into Marina Piccola.This is indisputably the historical route between Sorrento and Sant'Agata, once the most popular and still the most direct even today.

To conclude we have itinerary 26 which is the only one of the four for Sant'Agata to be east of the valley. This one has its steep section in the middle, sensibly going  diagonally up the very steep cliff between the valleys of the rural villages and Monte Tore. It starts from the 22 in Cala and the most logical and shortest route from the centre of Sorrento is the one passing through Casarlano. Along Via Zatri you can see an ancient and characteristic limestone kiln still in a good state of conservation. This ascent also offers spectacular views across the plain of Sorrento, but from the opposite angle and from a higher altitude than the ones from Monte Sant'Antonio (16).
So to sum up:

16 Sorrento - Sant'Agata via Li Schisani (approx.3.4 km)
Porta di Parsano, Piazza Antiche Mura, Via degli Aranci, Via Parsano, Via S.Antonio, Via Monte Sant'Antonio, Via Fregonito, S.Maria del Toro, Via Crocevia, Via Li Schisani, Via Moscarella, Via Pagliaio di Santolo, Via Termine, Corso Sant'Agata, Largo Padre Ludovico da Casoria (Sant'Agata)

25 Sorrento - Sant'Agata via Circumpiso (approx 2.8 km)
Porta del Piano (Piazza Tasso), Viale Caruso, Via Fuorimura, Via Santa Lucia, Via Talagnano, Via Casarufolo (Circumpiso), Via Pagliaio di Santolo (start of same itinerary as 16), Via Termine, Corso Sant'Agata, Largo Padre Ludovico da Casoria (Sant'Agata)

26 Sorrento - Sant'Agata  via Zatri (approx. 2.1 km from intersection Cala/Atigliana on 22)
from itinerary 22 Borghi of the Sorrento valley ( from Sorrento there are an extra 2,000m via Cesarano or 3,300m via Baranica), junction Via Palomba/Via Cala for Via Atigliana, Via Zatri, Nastro Azzurro,  Via Termine, Corso Sant'Agata, Largo Padre Ludovico da Casoria (Sant'Agata)

TOLOMEO 2021 is a project developed by Giovanni Visetti, on behalf of Penisolaverde S.p.A. for the Municipality of Sorrento

The above text is liberally translated from Giovanni Visetti's Blog Discettazioni Erranti. Map and photos  also courtesy of Giovanni Visetti.


Friday 16 April 2021

TOLOMEO 2021 - Itineraries through the Sorrentine woods

Here are two more itineraries which are part of the 2021 Tolomeo project:

Itinerary 14 - from Sorrento to Monticchio via Priora, Lamia and Acquara

Itinerary 15 - from Sorrento to Sant'Agata via Priora and Acquacarbone

Both of these are little-known and even less frequently walked, despite being historical municipal routes. In particular, until the construction of the Nastro Verde road in the middle of last century, Acquacarbone was the main and almost only connection between Priora and Sant'Agata . In July 2016, after decades of neglect and impracticability, it was restored.  On the other hand, the route through Lamia's "sévera" (forest, and in this case a chestnut wood) was and is more like a shortcut to  the ridge that descends steeply from the Deserto towards Montecorbo. From there you can then reach the central villages of the Massa Lubrense area, such as Acquara and Monticchio. 
Itinerary 14 is in all respects a novelty, be it a very pleasant one. From Via Acquacarbone you face a short, very steep stretch on asphalt and from there on you walk first through woods and then along the panoramic and practically flat road that leads first to Acquara and then up to Monticchio.
Itinerary 15 has more dirt tracks among the trees. In fact, after having crossed the chestnut wood of Acquacarbone, there are just a few metres of asphalt before another long dirt track through the trees of a mixed forest (Via Olivella). 
These 2 routes both start from Sorrento together with the 2 itineraries going to Massa Lubrense (previous blog, routes 13 and 23).  They leave route 13 after less than a kilometre and route 23 at the start of Montecorbo, continuing together as far as the intersection of Via Acquacarbone and Via Lamia, about 500m above Priora.
The signage of the Sorrento part of the itineraries is complete as far as Via Deserto and Via Olivella respectively. However, whilst for route 15 there are the same green signs to Sant'Agata from a couple of years back, for route 14 you will have to consult the map. That said, the remaining 2km are so simple, logical and linear that reaching Acquara and then Monticchio will certainly not be a problem. The signage for these stretches is work in progress.
It is worth pointing out that of the four Sorrento - Sant'Agata itineraries, the Acquacarbone route has the lowest average gradient (7.7% versus 8.4% for Li Schisani 16, 10.1% for Zatri 26 and 12.3% for Circumpiso 25).

 

14 Sorrento - Monticchio (approx.5.1 km) via Priora and Acquara
Porta di Massa (Piazza Veniero), Via Fuoro, trav.Capo, Via Capo, Via Capodimonte, Trav. Capodimonte, Via Priora, Trav. Priora, Nastro Verde, Via Acquacarbone, Via Lamia, Via Deserto, Via Colli Acquara, Via San Vito, Via San Nicola, Trav. San Nicola, Trav Titigliano, Rot. Turro Pastena, Via S. Sossio, Via Savero Caputo, Piazza S. Pietro (Monticchio)


15 Sorrento - Sant'Agata (approx.4.5 km) via Acquacarbone

Porta di Massa (Piazza Veniero), Via Fuoro, trav.Capo, Via Capo, Via Capodimonte, Trav. Capodimonte, Via Priora, Trav. Priora, Nastro Verde, Via Acquacarbone,Via Olivella, Corso Sant'Agata, Largo Padre Ludovico da Casoria (Sant'Agata)

TOLOMEO 2021 is a project developed by Giovanni Visetti, on behalf of Penisolaverde S.p.A. for the Municipality of Sorrento

The above text is liberally translated from Giovanni Visetti's Blog Discettazioni Erranti. Map and photo of tile also courtesy of Giovanni Visetti.

Tuesday 6 April 2021

TOLOMEO 2021 - Itineraries between Sorrento and Massa Lubrense

In my previous post, I wrote about a new project underway in the Sorrento area thanks to the three-way collaboration of Giovanni Visetti, the Sorrento Town Council and Penisola Verde. In this post and in the ones that will follow, I will describe some of the itineraries, liberally translated  from Visetti's blog Discettazioni Erranti.

Itinerary 13 - from Sorrento to Massa centre via Pantano and Vigliano

Itinerary 23 - from Sorrento to Massa centre via Montecorbo


Both these routes start from Piazza Veniero, in the immediate vicinity of where, many centuries ago, the Porta di Massa (gate to Massa) stood. The first part is in common, since as anyone familiar with the area will know, there is just one way westwards out of Sorrento, whether you are driving or on foot. They diverge at the 3rd bend of Via Capodimonte, once you have left the main road, with route 13 proceeding straight along the so called via 'e miezo, whilst 23 continues following the bends. There are also several short flights of steps, which may shorten the distance a little, but will limit the fantastic views over Sorrento and beyond that you will enjoy if you stick to the lane. 
The initial sections of itineraries 14 for Monticchio and 15 for Sant'Agata (both villages of Massa Lubrense) also coincide with route 13 before diverging shortly after Priora. There is a difference in length and elevation between today's two routes which could make you opt for one rather than the other. In fact 23 via Montecorbo is 400m shorter than 13, but it has a greater elevation of around 50m. If you wish to complete a loop, Giovanni suggests going to Massa via 13 and returning along 23. This is because you will be going downhill for the steepest parts of Via Priora and Via Capodimonte. 
The two routes had already been marked in the 2003 edition of Tolomeo, being part of the much longer Sant'Agnello to Termini walk. The signage in the Sorrento area is pretty well complete, with the tiles replaced where necessary and the markings refreshed. As you pass into the territory of Massa Lubrense, for the time being you can follow the original signs: red stripes for Montecorbo (ex 1a) and red dots for Vigliano (ex 1), until the new signage is complete also in this area. 
It is also important to point out that in the locality of Pantano, 1.9km from Sorrento, there is a secondary path going towards the valley which in 400m will bring you to Capo di Sorrento where it forks. The usual signs and tiles will guide you either to Punta del Capo (13a) with the Bagni di Regina Giovanna and the ruins of a Roman maritime villa (1st century AD) or to the fishing village and beach of Puolo (13b).

Details of the itineraries

13 Sorrento – Massa centre (13a Punta del Capo13b Puolo) (4,5 km approx)

Porta di Massa (Piazza Veniero), via Fuoro, trav. Capo, via Capo, via Capodimonte, trav. Capodimonte, via Pantano, Nastro Verde, via Pantano, (start of 13a), via Fontanella, via Vigliano, via del Generale, via Partenope, via San Montano, via Mulini-Sponda, via Mulini, rot. Massa-Turro, viale Filangieri, largo Vescovado (Massa centre)

13a via Pantano, via Capo (x 13b for Puolo), calata Punta del Capo (400+800m)

13b via Capo, calata di Puolo, via Marina di Puolo, Puolo (1.100m dal Capo)


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Many thanks to Giovanni for use of his blog, maps and photos.

Friday 19 March 2021

SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO

In 1990, 22 footpaths (covering a total 110 km)  were located by Giovanni Visetti between Sorrento and Massa Lubrense . These became the Nuovo Progetto Tolomeo, providing walkers with a network of itineraries set back from the main roads, the noise and large urban centres. Clearly marked with a system of coloured stripes and ceramic tiles, the routes were simple to follow and you could walk as far or as little as you wished, without the fear of getting lost, enjoying the countryside and villages a world  away from the crowded tourist traps. 
Maps were  produced and available at all the tourist offices and I am pleased to say that I  too had a small part in this, translating  the mini-guide on the back of the maps into English and that is when I first met Visetti. We spent many a happy hour bickering over the exact translation of a word or two and this is also when I began to hike again, something I hadn't  done since I was a child in the UK.


Over the years the itineraries and maps were updated with new additions (such as the Giro di Santa Croce) and notice boards with large maps collocated at strategic points around the area, complete with QR codes for the technically minded. Digital versions of the maps were also made available by Giovanni on his web site, free to download: http://www.giovis.com/maps/Tolomeo2018.gif 

Now for the news: Giovanni is in the process of revising and updating the Progetto Tolomeo in collaboration with the Municipalities of Sorrento and Massa Lubrense and with the coordination of Penisolaverde. New itineraries are being included and those falling within the territory of the Municipality of Sorrento have already been identified and traced. 

In addition to the two classic links to Massa Lubrense centre, there are half a dozen others going towards the villages up in the hills, including Zatri and Li Schisani for Sant'Agata sui due Golfi, both of which had fallen into disuse. There is also a completely new route through the chestnut groves of Lamia towards Acquara and Monticchio. Each itinerary is identified with different coloured number, painted trail markers, stickers on lamp poles and of course  the ceramic tiles characteristic of the original project. 

Two new circuits in the centre of Sorrento, are already accessible, identified by numbers 11 "The walls and gates of Sorrento" and  22 "The Villages of the Sorrento valley" going from Sorrento (Porta del Piano) to Cesarano, Cala, San Biagio, Baranica, Casarlano and Casola (locality "Sciuscelle"), returning to the centre of Sorrento. Clearly, each itinerary and each circuit can be walked in either direction. 
A website is also under construction where it will be possible to obtain  information about the itineraries.

Now all we need is to be free to try them out!

(Photos courtesy of  Camminate) 

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