ENGLISH * POSITANO
THE
ORIGINS OF THIS CHARMING LITTLE TOWN ON THE SLOPES OF MONTE COMUNE AND MONTE
SANT'ANGELO A TRE PIZZI LIE IN THE LONG DISTANT PAST. OBJECTS DATING BACK
TO THE EARLY PALAEOLITHIC AGE AND HUNTERS' WEAPONS FROM THE MESOLITHIC
AGE HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED IN A CAVE NEAR THE HARBOUR. WITH ITS MILD CLIMATE
AND UNPOLLUTED SEA, ITS POSITION, SURROUNDED BY GREEN, AND ITS HOUSES RISING
IN TERRACES, THIS VERY PICTURESQUE SIGHT CAN RIVAL EVEN CAPRI. IT IS MAINLY
OUR SENSES WHICH ARE DELIGHTED AT POSITANO, AS IN OTHER PLACES RICH IN NATURAL
BEAUTY, BUT CULTURE ALSO CONTRIBUTES TO THE SCENE. THE DOME WITH ITS MAJOLICA
TILES GLEAMING IN THE SUN BELONGS TO THE PARISH CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA ASSUNTA.
INSIDE, ABOVE THE MAIN ALTAR, THERE IS A BYZANTINE STYLE PAINTING OF THE VIRGIN
AND CHILD. ON THE THIRTEETH CENTURY BELLTOWER, THE SUN PICKS OUT A LOW RELIEF
SHOWING A SEAMONSTER, WITH FISH AND A FOX. NOT FAR FROM THE PRESENT CENTRE,
THERE ARE ALSO THE RUINS OF AN INTERESTING ROMAN VILLA.
WE CAN SEE THE DISTINCTIVE "SCALINATELLE" WINDING BETWEEN THE HOUSES AND CONNECTING
THE DIFFERNT PARTS OF THE TOWN WITH THE SEA. HERE ONE HAS TO GO ON FOOT THERE
IS ONLY ONE ROAD FOR CARS BETWEEN THE GAY SHOPS WITH THEIR BRIGHTLY COLOURED
MAJOLICA WARE AND DESIGNER MADE CLOTHES. POSITANO IS SO ATTRACTIVE THAT WE
FEEL ENVIOUS OF THE TOURISTS WE CAN SEE BELOW, AND SAD THAT WE ARE NOT ABLE
TO JOIN THEM.
FLYING ABOVE THE AMALFI COAST, BETWEEN THE THREATENING MOUNTAINS AND SEA INVADING
EACH CLEFT IN THE ROCK, THE AWESOME NATURAL BEAUTY TAKES OUR BREATH AWAY.
THERE IS A REAL SENSE OF DRAMA IN THESE DEEPLY ERODED DOLOMITIC ROCKS, WHICH
TAKES US ABACK. THAT HOLE IN THE MOUNTAIN OF MONTEPERTUSO SEEMS LIKE THE PRINT
OF A GIGANTIC FINGER. INFACT HERE TOOK PLACE, ACCORDING TO POPULAR FANTASY,
A SINGULAR CHALLENGE. THE DEVIL ONE DAY VANTED TO TEMPT THE VIRGIN MARY TO
CROSS TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN ACROSS THE ROCKY WALL. THE VIRGIN
ACCEPTED. BUT, WHILE THE DEVIL, AFTER TEN GOOD ATTEMPTS FAILED, TO OUR LADY
WAS ENOUGH TO LAY HER THUMB ON THE WALL TO MAKE A HOLE LIKE BUTTER, TO REMEMBER
THE PRODIGIOUS EVENT, EACH YEAR, ON THE DAY OF MADONNA OF GRACE IN JULY THEY
CELEBRATE A GREAT FEAST WITH PERFORMANCES, ILLUMINATIONS AND FIREWORKS.
THE VILLAGE OF MONTEPERTUSO IS NOT VERY ACCESSIBLE BECAUSE OF ITS SHORTAGE
OF ROADS, BUT FROM UP HERE, AMONG THE NEAT LITTLE HOUSES ATTACHED TO THE MOUNTAIN,
YOU CAN DISTINGUISH THE CHURCH OF MADONNA DELLE GRAZIE.
THE OTHER VILLAGE, A SHORT DISTANCE FROM MONTEPERTUSO, AT A SLIGHTLY HIGHER
ALTITUDE, APPROXIMATELY 700 M ABOVE THE SEA LEVEL, THERE IS NOCELLE. IT IS
NAMED LIKE THIS BECAUSE SINCE THE MIDDLE AGES THERE WAS THE CULTIVATION OF
WALNUTS AND HAZEL NUTS. THE FEATURE OF THIS VILLAGE IS ITS COMPLETE ISOLATION.
INFACT TO REACH IT YOU NEED TO CLIMB 2000 STEPS,
OR IF YOU WANT TO WALK TWO KILOMETRES THROUGH AN INACCESSIBLE MULE TRACK.
AND AT LAST HERE IS LAURITO, THE MOST ACIENT SECTION OF POSITANO, AS THE EXCAVATION
THERE EFFECTED ACT AS EVIDENCE, AND THEY BROUGHT TO LIGHT VASES OF CLAY AND
BYZANTINE COINS. INFACT ALL THE ZONE, INCLUDING POSITANO WAS INHABITATED IN
DISTANT AGES, MAYBE BY THE PHOENICIANS AND THE GREEKS, BUT CERTAINLY THE ROMANS
OF THE REPUBBLICAN AGE AND THE IMPERIAL AGE STAYED THERE.
LATER ON, WHILE THE COAST WAS BEING ABANDONED PROGRESSIVELY, BECAUSE OF ITS
UNSAFINESS, THE INHABITANTS PROTECTED THEMSELVES ON THE HIGHEST AND INTERIOR
ZONE. IN THOSE DAYS, UNACCESSIBILITY WAS A MERIT. IN THE V CENTURY, TO ESCAPE
FROM THE MASSACRE OF THE BYZANTINE GENERAL NARSETE, THE COASTALS BUILD THE
THREE VILLAGES THAT WE HAVE MENTIONED. IN THE IX CENTURY THE CITIZENS FROM
PAESTUM ALSO JOINED IN SINCE THEY WERE VICTIMES OF THE SARACENICS. LET US
NOW LEAVE TO ITS UNCONTAMINATED SILENCE AND ITS FORCED ISOLATION THE MOUNTAIN
ZONE, AND LET US OBSERVE THE INDENTED COAST.
THE SPUR WHICH PROTECTS POSITANO FROM THE SOUTH WINDS IS CAPO SOTTILE WHERE
ON ITS ORIENTAL DORSAL IN SITUATED PRAIANO, A HOLIDAY SPOT FOR THE NOTABLE
AMALFITANS DURING THE ERA OF THE MARINARA REPUBBLIC.
IT IS A CHARMING VILLAGE FULL OF VILLAS AND IMMERSED IN A BEAUTIFUL MEADOW
FULL OF FLOWERS WHICH CULMINATES ON THE SEA WITH MARINA OF PRAIA. THIS IS
SITUATED AT THE END OF THE VALLONE OF PRAIA, WITH ITS HORRID AND BLACK PROJECTED
WALLS.
AND HERE THE SIGHT BECOMES REALLY TERRIFYING. WHERE THE ROCKS TOUCH THE SEA,
THE EROSION, WHICH ON THE SURFACE CREATES VERY DRAMMATIC AND EXCITING EFFECTS,
AND THEY TRANSFORM IN CAVES, FILLED WITH ENCHANTING JEWEL LIKE COLOURS. THERE
IS THE FAMOUS "GROTTA DELLO SMERALDO".
AS IN THE "BLUE GROTTO" ON CAPRI, THE EMERALD COLOUR IS CAUSED BY THE SEA
FILTERING THE LIGHT BENEATH THE ROCK.
YET THE EMOTIONAL CLIMAX OF THE LANDSCAPE IS THE "FIORDO DI FURORE" ("THE
RAVINE OF FURY").
THERE COULD BE NO MORE APPROPRIATE NAME FOR THIS PLACE, WHERE THE ROCKFACE
PLUMMETS SHEER SIDED DOWN INTO THE SEA, AS IN SOME PICTURE OF HELL. ITS SUBLIMITY
IS INDESCRIBABLE.
