Did You Know? 30 Facts about Sorrento

1. Legend has it that the town's earliest history is related to the myth of mermaids, known in Italy as 'sirene'. Apparently, Ulysses heard the Sirens' song as he was sailing past Sorrento.
2. According to the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus, Sorrento was founded by Liparus, son of Ausonus, who was king of the Ausoni and the son of Ulysses and Circe. The ancient city was probably connected to the Ausoni tribe, one of the most ancient ethnic groups in the area. In the pre-Roman age Sorrento was influenced by the Greek civilization: this can be seen in its plant and in the presence of the Athenaion, a great sanctuary, also, according to the legend, founded by Ulysses and originally devoted to the cult of the Sirens, hence Sorrento's name.
3. Sorrento was conquered and governed by the Greeks, Romans, Turks, the Neapolitan Republic and then by the Kingdom of Italy.
4. When the Romans set up a colony in what they called Surrentum, Sorrento became a popular coastal resort for wealthy patricians and many grand villas were built in the area. Such spacious residences usually had their own farms attached to them.
5. The Roman Emperors Claudius and Tiberius would often come down this area for the holidays.
6. In antiquity, Surrentum was famous for its wine (oranges and lemons which are now widely cultivated there were not yet introduced in Italy at that time), its fish, and its red Campanian vases; the discovery of coins of Massilia, Gaul, and the Balearic Islands here indicates the extensive trade which it carried on.
7. In 420 AD, Sorrento became an archbishopric. After the Roman Empire had fallen, the town then came under Byzantine rule. It was a situation that was to prevail until the 9th century AD, when the Byzantine empire finally faded from world view.
8. The late Middle Ages was a turbulent time for Sorrento. The town's proximity to the sea meant that it continued to suffer from attacks by pirates.
9. In the late 19th century, however, the city gained a certain cachet in terms of intellectual tourism, attracting the likes of George Gordon Byron, John Keats and even Charles Dickens. Other illustrious visitors included Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Wilhelm Richard Wagner and Henrik Ibsen.
10. The Queen Joan's Baths lies on the very outskirts of Sorrento and have a long and interesting history. It is thought that the Bagni di Regina Giovanna have an important regal past, since Queen Joan II of Anjou from the 15th century enjoyed bathing and swimming alongside this beautiful stretch of coastline.

11. Of particular historical significance in Sorrento, the O'Parrucchiano restaurant on the Corso Italia enjoys a vast greenhouse setting and is said to be the actual place where cannelloni originated many years ago.

12. Limoncello is a famous liquor made from alcohol, water, sugar and the freshest lemon rinds produced nowhere else but in Sorrento, sourced from Italy's sun-soaked huge lemons. The wonderful after-dinner digestif isn’t sour nor bitter, rather tangy and refreshing, with the perfect balance of acidity and sweetness.

13. Academy Award-winning actress Sophia Loren has given Italy years of entertainment, one of her best pre-Hollywood films being 1955's Scandal in Sorrento, an Italian romantic comedy set in the magnificent Bay of Naples. Not only is Loren Italy’s favourite, most honored female movie star of all time, but ranks among the most seductive women world over with her flawless statuesque beauty and elegance.

14. Noted for his classic weird stories and numerous novels with Italy as the setting, Francis Marion Crawford is Sorrento's famous American resident. The writer lived at the historic Hotel Cocumella in 1885 and upon getting married to Elizabeth Berdan, settled in Sant' Agnello to what is now known as Villa Crawford.

15. A typical Italian dish made with gnocchi, sauce and a few basil leaves that's simply mouthwatering, even more to lovers of cheese. Gnocchi "Sorrento style" is potato gnocchi with tomato and mozzarella, topped with some more mozzarella and a good sprinkling of pecorino. The dish is broiled and baked in a hot oven 'til cheese melts and the top forms a lovely golden crust, to give you a taste of what you'd call pure heaven!

16. “Come Back to Sorrento” became worldwide famous thanks to the voice of Italian American singer, Frank Sinatra.

17. “Surriento” is the town’s original name in the native Neapolitan dialect.

18. The Italian poet, Torquato Tasso, author of the famous Gerusalemme Liberata, was born in Sorrento back in 1544.

19. The Cathedral in Sorrento is quite unique! The base of the bell tower dates to the time of the Roman Empire, the façade dates from 1924, while the main doors are of the 11th century from Constantinople.

20. The Porta di Parsano Vecchia is part of the city walls dating back to the viceregal epoch, constructed following a Saracenic invasion in 1558. The name, Parsano, derives from Part-sana: it is in fact said that the area found right outside of the walls, there was a cemetery for plague victims.

21. The Sedil Dominova is the last noble residence to be found perfectly intact. From 1319 until the 16th century, Sedil Dominova has been at the center of the political town life; today it is used as a senior citizens center and occasionally for Christmas, said senior citizens prepare a beautiful nativity scene.

22. The o’ Schizzariello Fountain was initially located in the little square right outside of the Sedil Dominova, for many centuries it has been a fountain which terrorized the beholders, because it represented two horrible dolphins with jaws that squirted water to the passerby. Today it’s been renovated and located a few meters away from the original location. Many elders still call it o’ Schizzariello but only a few know the origins of its name.

23. The cisterns of Spasiano were big covered tubs in which potable water was collected. The name originates from Giovan Ferrante Spasiano, husband to Cornelia, the sister of famous Italian author Torquato Tasso. They’re still in use today. Back in the olden days, these huge cisterns were meant to be used by only the nobles’ villas.

24. Cornelia Tasso’s House is where his brother, Torquato Tasso, would often come back when visiting his hometown. His sister’s house was also where he would find refuge during his psychological degradative period.

25. There are two main processions in Sorrento occurring on the day of Good Friday, which are the Procession of Our Lady of Sorrows (also known as the visit in the Sepulchres) organized by the Venerabile Arciconfraternita of Saint Monica, and the other is the Procession of the Crucified Christ, this one being organized by the Venerabile Arciconfraternita of the Death. The latter is much larger and much better attended.

26. Back in 2014, Salvatore Russo left in his will €5 million in loving memory of his son Paolo, who died in 1979.

27. In 2013, the Hotel Europa Palace in Sorrento opened the first Temporary Restaurant on the Sorrentine Coast, its name was “Chef Natale”. The idea behind such a restaurant was that of having available a restaurant in the heart of Sorrento hosting solely 40 seats, for only two months.

28. Those giant fragrant yellow fruit in the markets are not lemons. They are citrons or cedri in Italian. When you cut them open you will notice that they have a huge sweet edible pith and not much pulp. Try making an insalata di cedri while you are here in Sorrento!

29. If you go down to the big rocks by the beach, scogli, you will oftentimes see locals hunting for octopus with spears.

30. Sorrento is located within the province of Naples.