IEEE MEMS 2009 Conference - 25-29 January, 2009


		About Sorrento Where is Sorrento? Local Attactions Around Sorrento Sorrento Fondazione Sorrento Tourism Naples Tourism Pompeii Archeological Society		Basilica of Saint Antonino Built around the year 1000, it was dedicated to Sorrento's patron saint, Saint Antonino. Saving a child who was swallowed by a whale was among the miracles attributed to him. This fact explains the presence of two cetacean bones in the hall of the basilica. Because of the saint's deep bond with the sea, the collection of ex-votos given to the church are mostly from sailors who escaped shipwrecks. The Basilica is also the saint's resting place; his grave is located in a crypt. Duomo (Cathedral of Sorrento) Built at the beginning of the 15th century in the Romantic style, it was restored several times until its final restoration in 1924, during which the front was entirely rebuilt. Its real riches are housed in its interior. The church contains a great number of paintings of the Neapolitan School of the eighteenth century and examples of the local art, the wood intarsia. The triple-tiered bell tower rests on an archway supported by three splendid columns built in the classical manner. The church is located on Sorrento's main street, Corso Italia, and is open 7:30 to 12:00 and 16:40 to 20:30. Convento di San Francesco Saint Francis's convent is formed by three buildings: the church, the monastery, and the very famous cloister. The church was built in the 16th century in a Baroque style, with the exception of its white marble front (built in 1926). Its main door is a good example of local woodwork, a representation of Saint Francis with the Crucified. The 14th century cloister is found next to the church. Its gardens have a breathtaking bay views. The 8th century monastery is still inhabited by Franciscan friars. The church and cloister can be visited during hours of operation (8:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 20:00). Marina Grande The gate of Marina Grande preserves, despite the successive restorations, the typical Greek structure and it's dated around the 4th century B.C. The Turkish pirates that sacked Sorrento in 1558 entered through this gate. Beyond this gate, there's a typical fishing village that displays a fusion of Moorish architecture with the local style, including the picturesque houses built in the tuff cliff, still inhabited by locals. Another important building is the church of St. Anne, the patron saint of the village, which was built at the end of the seventeenth century and later extended. The famous "Sorrento fishing boats" were built on the beach, in an open-air shipyard. These wood boats were 6 to 12 meters long, easy to handle and unsinkable. The mastery skill of Sorrento artisans was so great that the fishing boats were used by fishermen in other regions. Heirs of this tradition are the fishing motor boats that are built today in Sorrento. Museobottega della Tarsialignea (Museum/Workshop of Inlaid Wood) Located in the 18th century palace, the museum presents, in a room with fresco vaults and ceilings adorned with hand-painted wallpaper, a rich collection of furniture and objects made by the inlayer masters of Sorrento in the 19th century. The adjacent display of paintings of Italian and foreign artists, of vintage photos and prints, allows to reconstruct the nineteenth century image of the Sorrento coast, and of the historical and environmental context in which the local production of intarsia developed. Sedil Dominova A perfectly preserved monument built around 1450; it was the meeting place of the representatives of the local nobles charged with the oversight of matters related to the political and administrative life of the city. It has an open loggia surmounted by arches with a square base and closed on two sides by two balustrades, topped with a seventeenth century majolica tiled dome. The inner small lounge preserved the marble inscriptions that are now exhibited at the museum Correale di Terranova in Sorrento. Correale Museum Located between via Califano and via Correale, the museum was commissioned by the brothers Alfredo and Pompeo Correale, counts of Terranova, the last descendants of an old and aristocratic family of Sorrento. The splendid three-story building has a total of twenty-four rooms and a loft, all used for exhibitions. The art collection presents a wide range of Neapolitan painting and decorative art from 16th to 19th century. It also showcases some foreign painting, an interesting collection of European clocks, and one of the most prestigious collections of Chinese, European and Neapolitan porcelains of the 18th century. An entire section is dedicated to local inlaid woodwork. The gardens have great bay vies and steps tripping down to the shore. Entrace fee to the museum is €6 and hours of operation are 9:00 to 14:00, Wednesday through Monday. Antique Walls The historical centre of Sorrento, of Greco-Oscan origin, is found within 16th century walls (1551-1561). The Romans continued to respect the urban plan designed in the tuff by the Greeks and built walls to strengthen the city using big blocks as their predecessors had done. The walls were intended to prevent further invasions, particularly by the ferocious Saracen pirates. Today, the remains of the Greek walls can still be admired in the "Sopra le Mura" (over the Walls) area. Woodwork Shops In the historical centre of Sorrento, there are many shops, some dating from 1840-1850, where it is possible to admire the inlaid woodworks produced by local artisans. You can walk up to via San Nicola and see in the windows artisans busy at work. They employ different types of wood (orange, rosewood, maple tree or mahogany) that, after being carved, are assembled in such a way to obtain the originally designed pattern. The production includes small objects (pictures, small tables, boxes) and pieces of furniture or boards. The prices range from just a few euros for simple pieces, up to thousands of euros for more intricate ones. In addition to the historical collection displayed in the inlaid woodworks museum, there is a wide selection of recent works exhibited in elegant show rooms such as Lucky Store (Antiche mura square), Fratelli Iannuzzi (on the corner between Tasso square and Viale Enrico Caruso), Mayflower (Tasso square), and Stinga (on the way from Tasso square to Via Luigi Di Maio).