Stroll through the alleyways of the historic centre, discover the local history and handicrafts, and visit Sorrento’s main places of art.
Piazza Tasso: This is Sorrento’s main square, surrounded by 19th-century buildings, bars, restaurants and shops. It is an excellent starting point for exploring the city. In the centre of the square you can admire the statue of Sant’Antonino, the city’s patron saint (whose religious celebrations are held every 14 February), while a little further on, on the left, you will notice Gennaro Calì’s monument dedicated to Torquato Tasso, the famous Renaissance poet from Sorrento and author of the opera ‘Jerusalem Delivered’ that gives the square its name.
After an excellent Neapolitan coffee, enjoy the view over the gorge leading to the city’s harbour: Marina Piccola.
Corso Italia, Sorrento Cathedral and Villa Fiorentino: Corso Italia is the main street that runs through the town. From Piazza Tasso, you can continue along the pedestrian area of Corso Italia to admire Sorrento’s chicest shops and visit the Cathedral, which you will find on the left. This 15th-century church is located in the heart of the old town and is famous for its majestic Baroque façade. A little further on you will come across the Villa Fiorentino (called Villa Fazzoletti by the people of Sorrento because of the historic craftsmen and weavers of fine handkerchiefs who used to live here), a 20th-century building surrounded by a garden and citrus grove where events, exhibitions and concerts are held throughout the year.
Historic centre: Wander through the alleys of Sorrento’s historic centre located in Via San Cesareo and Via Fuoro. Here you will find craft shops (leather items, ceramic objects), souvenir shops, and restaurants, and you can also taste the famous liqueur of Sorrento: Limoncello. Via San Cesareo is also home to the ancient Sedil Dominova, the last remaining ancient noble Seat in the whole of Campania.
The history of Sorrento in a single ticket: Don’t miss this journey through the history and art of Sorrento, with a visit to the city’s main museums: the Correale Museum, the Museo Bottega della Tarsia Lignea [marquetry museum], and the multimedia museum, Sorrento Experience. This is a single Sorrento Musei ticket: at an affordable price you can visit three unique cultural places and get to know the true soul of Sorrento.
The Correale Museum is the former home of the Correale nobles, now a museum, exhibiting valuable furniture and objects from the 17th century, paintings from the Posillipo School, a large archaeological area and an entire floor dedicated to European porcelain. The Correale Museum is immersed in a park with a variety of plants and a typical Sorrentine citrus grove, leading to a marvellous terrace overlooking the Gulf of Naples.
Sorrento Experience is Sorrento’s first multimedia museum, an immersive journey through installations, artistic elements, stories of historical figures, and a room dedicated to the terrifying eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE.
Museo Bottega della Tarsia Lignea [marquetry museum] tells the story of wooden marquetry, an extremely complex and refined craft dating back to the 14th century that has been elevated to the rank of pure artistic expression. Here you can admire period furniture, objects, tools, paintings, prints, photos and period documents, in a visual and emotional journey to discover this important artisan production from Sorrento.
You can buy the single Sorrento Musei ticket on the websites of participating museums or at the info-point in Piazza Tasso
Villa Comunale and the Cloister of San Francesco: Relax and enjoy a cool drink in Sorrento’s Villa Comunale, a large terrace with breathtaking views overlooking the sea and connected on foot or by lift to the port and beach of Marina Piccola. Just before entering the Villa, on the right, enter the characteristic Cloister of St Francis where you can enjoy the mystical atmosphere and, at certain times of day, the charming contrast provided by the shadows of its colonnade.
The village of Marina Grande: This picturesque port is one of Sorrento’s most popular attractions. Dusk and evening are definitely the best times to visit this romantic fishing village, which is accessed on foot through an ancient Roman gate that is still visible today, before coming out onto a pier full of bars and restaurants, where you can enjoy fresh local fish. Every year, between late July and early August, Marina Grande is filled with colour for the Festival of Sant’Anna with spectacular fireworks over the water. Marina Grande was also the set of the film ‘Bread, Love and…’ starring Sofia Loren and Vittorio De Sica, whose murals you will find on your walk.
Recommended boat tours to Sorrento
