ENGLISH * SORRENTINE PENINSULA 2

INSIDE, IN ADDITION TO A FOURTEENTH-CENTURY ANNUNCIATION AND A FIFTEENTH-CENTURY LOW-RELIEF OF ST CHRISTOPHER, THERE ARE PICTURES BY GIACOMO DEL PO, AND IN THE NAVE, A SIXTEENTH-CENTURY ARCHBISHOP'S THRONE. ALSO THE THREE-AISLED BASILICA DEDICATED TO THE PATRON SAINT OF THE TOWN, SANT'ANTONINO, HAS IN ITS INTERIOR A SIDEDOOR CONSTRUCTED OF MIXED ELEMENTS AND A LUNETTE WITH LOZENGE-SHAPED SLABS OF LAVA. THIS KIND OF ORNAMENTATION CAN ALSO BE SEEN IN THE WINDOWS OF THE PALAZZO VENIERO, WHERE THEY ENHANCE THE DELICATELY ORIENTAL APPEARANCE OF THE BUILDING. BETWEEN THE WHITEWASHED HOUSES THE PICTURESQUE STONE CLOISTER OF THE OLD FRANCISCAN MONATSERY STANDS OUT. IT IS NOW AN ART-SCHOOL. IT WAS BUILT IN THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY IN THE SARACENIC STYLE, WITH INTERLACED ARCHES RESTING ON OCTAGONAL COLUMNS. THE PALAZZO CORREALE, TODAY A MUSEUM, ALSO HAS AN INTERESTING AND WELLPRESERVED GOTHIC FACADE, WITH THE USUAL "DURAZZESQUE" DOORWAY, WITH FLATTENED ARCH. THE BYZANTINE-STYLE LOW-RELIEFS DEPICTING WINGED HORSES, GRYPHONS AND EAGLES, WHICH ARE KEPT IN THE MUSEUM, ARE IMPORTANT EXAPLES OF ORIENTAL INFLUENCE ON SCULPTURE IN CAMPANIA. IN ADDITION TO THESE UNIQUE WORKS OF ART, THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTION ALSO INCLUDES VALUABLE ROMAN AND MEDIEVAL MARBLE FRAGMENTS, PAINTINGS, ESPECIALLY BY THE SIXTEENTH-CENTURY NEAPOLITAN SCHOOL, PORCELAIN FROM CAPODIMONTE, CRYSTALWARE, BRONZES, FURNITURE AND SILVERWARE. THE PEOPLE OF SORRENTO MUST HAVE BEEN FOND OF MEDIEVAL STYLES OF ART, FOR THESE PERSISTED EVEN DURING THE RENAISSANCE. THE LOGGIA WHICH WE ARE SURPRISED TO SEE IN THE MIDST OF THE NARROW STREETS SEEMS MEDIEVAL BUT WAS IN FACT BUILT AT THE END OF THE FIFTEENTHCENTURY. NOW WE ARE FLYING OVER PIAZZA DELLA VITTORIA. THE AIR IS SO CLEAR THAT WE CAN SEE THE TABLES OUTSIDE THE CAFFE' DEL FAUNO AND THE RUINS OF A TEMPLE WHICH WAS PERHAPS DEDICATED TO VENUS. VIRGIL CAME HERE TO PRAY TO THE GODDESS FOR HELP IN BRINGING THE AENEID TO A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION. ALONG THE COAST FROM SORRENTO TO PUNTA CAMPANELLA, THERE ARE A SERIES OF BUILDINGS WHICH ARE INTERESTING NOT SO MUCH FOR THEIR BEAUTY AS FOR WHAT THEY TELL US ABOUT THE HISTORY OF SORRENTO: THE SARACEN TOWERS, BUILT TO KEEP A LOOKOUT FOR ENEMY FLEETS. ROBERT OF ANJOU HAD THE TORRE DEL GALLO BUILT IN 1332; THE TOWERS OF SANTA FORTUNATA, CAPO SCUOTOLO AND SANT'ELIA DATE BACK INSTEAD TO THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY. AND HERE, ALMOST AT THE VERY END OF THE PENINSULA, IS MASSALUBRENSE. THE NAME OF THIS SMALL TOWN, FAMOUS FOR ITS BEAUTIFUL COASTLINE AND SPECTACULAR SUNSETS, IS OF UNCERTAIN ORIGIN. PERHAPS IT DERIVES FROM "DELUBRUM" (TEMPLE), AFTER THE ONE DEDICATED TO MINERVA, ON THE SITE WHERE AN EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH WAS LATER BUILT, AND, LATER STILL, THE SANCTUARY OF ST MARIA DELLA LOBRA (WHOSE NAME OBVIOUSLY DERIVES FROM "DELUBRUM". THERE IS NO DANGER TODAY OF SARACEN RAIDS! MASSALUBRENSE LIES OPEN TO THE SEA.A LONG REEF PROTECTS THE LITTLE LOCAL HARBOUR FROM THE WEST WIND ONLY. THIS TOWN TOO HAS BECOME AN EXCLUSIVE SEASIDE RESORT WITH MANY FACILITIES, PERHAPS THE MOST ELEGANT RESORT ON THE SORRENTO COAST. WITH ITS INDENTED, ROCKY COASTLINE, AT MANY POINTS INACCESSIBLE FROM THE LAND, MASSALUBRENSE IS A PARADISE FOR THOSE WHO LOVE A SOLITARY AND UNPOLLUTED LANDSCAPE. YET EVEN THOSE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT PARTICULARLY LIKE THE SEA WILL BE ABLE TO FIND PEACE AND QUIT IN THE LUXURIANT GARDENS, OR PERHAPS GO FOR A HEALTHY, SOLITARY WALK TO THE TOWERS. THE TORRE DELLA ROCCA WAS BUILT BY THE DURAZZI, AT THE END OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY, BUT LATER DESTROYED BY FERRANTE I OF ARAGON. IT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY PARTIALLY RECONSTRUCTED. THE TORRE DI CRAPOLLA AND DI IERANTO WERE BUILT UNDER THE SPANISH VICEROYS. AT MASSALUBRENSE WATCHTOWERS WERE BUILT RIGHT UP TO THE BEGINNING OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY, AGAINST THE ENGLISH. DESPITE THIS PRECAUTION, THE ENGLISH FORCED JOACHIN MURAT, WHO WAS IN MASSALUBRENSE TO OBSERVE THE ATTACK, TO SURRENDER. THE MOST IMPORTANT TOWER IN THE COURSE OF THE CENTURIES IS THE ONE BUILT BY ROBERT OF ANJOU AT PUNTA DELLA CAMPANELLA, THE MOST STRATEGIC OF POSITIONS. SEEN FROM ABOVE, WITH THE BARE CLIFF-FACE TO THE SOUTH, WHERE THE GREEN VEGETATION ABRUPTLY FINISHES, PUNTA DELLA CAMPANELLA RESEMBLES A HUGE RHINOCEROS HALF-SUBMERGED IN THE WATER, A PEACEFUL BEAST LYING DOWN AND MINDING ITS OWN BUSINESS. INDEED, IT IS NOT THE PROMONTORY ITSELF WHICH SAILORS FEAR, BUT THE SEA AROUND, WHICH, IN THIS STRAIT BETWEEN THE SORRENTO PENINSULA AND THE ISLAND OF CAPRI, IS ALWAYS ROUGH. PERHAPS IT DISCOURAGED ULYSSES, COMING FROM CIRCE'S ISLE, SO THAT HE PREFERRED TO RUN THE RISK OF THE SIRENS NEAR NERANO RATHER THAN VENTURE INTO THE BAY WHICH HAD NOT YET TAKEN THE NAME OF PARTHENOPE. ON THE OTHER HAND, IT IS ALSO TRUE TO SAY THAT THE GREAT SKILL OF LOCAL SAILORS, ON THE AMALFI AS WELL AS THE SORRENTO COAST, IS DUE TO THE DIFFICULTY OF SAILING THIS SEA. IN THE AEROPLANE WE HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR FROM THIS STRETCH OF WATER WHERE THE CURRENTS MOVE EVEN WHEN ALL SEEMS CALM. WE CAN CONTEPLATE IT IN ALL ITS MYSTERIOUS, MENACING BEAUTY, AND THANK FATE FOR THE CATACLYSM WHICH, MANY MILLENNIA AGO, BROKE OFF A SECTION OF THE PENINSULA THAT JEWEL OF AN ISLAND, CAPRI.