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

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 26 - from 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.