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.