Photos and the City

Tag: Campania

Cetara

Benvenuti in Costiera Amalfitana!

After quite the traffic jam in Salerno, I realized I was back in a busier area – so many people and cars. To enjoy the views and my arriving at the Amalfi Coast I stopped at Cetera, a little town right by the sea (and upon the mountains).

Time for caffé and lunch on the beach!

Named as one of the 19 most beautiful Italian villages by The Telegraph, they describe it as the place to experience how the Amalfi Coast might have been before mass tourism set in. Home to an active fishing fleet and known for salted anchovies.

It was in the distant 879 that Saracen pirates first landed in the area and chose Cetara as their base from where to attack the other towns along the Amalfi Coast. Today, the only sign of Cetara’s turbulent past is the town’s ancient watch tower. (Positano.com)

Cetara is a fiercely traditional fishing village with a reputation as a gastronomic hotspot. It has been an important fishing centre since medieval times and today its deep-sea-tuna fleet is considered one of the Mediterranean’s most important. (Lonely Planet)

Cetera was a beautiful, beautiful start for my time at the Amalfi Coast – but a few kilometres further along the coast I kind of decided to shorten my time there. There were just too many cars and too much traffic etc. After all those relaxed weeks in Puglia & Basilicata, I just wasn´t up for this. I think the best way to experience the coastline is from the sea by boat. The most stunning beaches are down there anyway and there are so many little harbours. #bucketlist

But there are still some pictures to come. I made a stop in Positano and tried to enjoy some other places on the next day early morning.

12/07/2018
Paestum

Paestum was a major Greek city on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, named Poseidonia (c. 625 BC) – later conquered by the Romans who gave Paestum its current name.

Much the most celebrated features of the site today are the three large temples in the Archaic version of the Greek Doric order, dating from about 550 to 450 BC. All are typical of the period, with massive colonnades having a very pronounced entasis (widening as they go down), and very wide capitals resembling upturned mushrooms. Above the columns, only the second Temple of Hera retains most of its entablature, the other two having only the architrave in place. (Wikipedia)

They were dedicated to Hera, Athena and Poseidon or in Roman times: Juno, Minerva and Neptune. They were built between 550 BC to 400 BC.

The whole ancient city of Paestum covers an area of approximately 120 hectares. It is only the 25 hectares that contain the three main temples and the other main buildings that have been excavated. The other 95 hectares remain on private land and have not been excavated. The city is surrounded by defensive walls that still stand. (Wikipedia)

While walking around the Forum and Amphitheater it suddenly started to rain cats and dogs – it was quite the storm. Seeking shelter next to a wall a nice British couple took me under their umbrella. The heavy rains and windstorm lasted for almost half an hour and was quite the spectacle. After being soaked within seconds I only tried to keep my camera dry and safe.

Even dripping wet I continued my walk through the area when the rain had stopped. At least it was empty then.

Find out more about the temples on the website of Parco Paestum. I had planned to go to one of the amazing beaches afterwards but decided to go back to Agropoli and get some dry clothes. But I came back to one of the beaches a few days later…. Lido delle Sirene.

05/07/2018
Agropoli

T-17 days until my adventure in Northern-England and Scotland and I just realized there are quite a few posts missing from my road trip around Southern Italy two years ago. Perfect timing to write them now!

After cruising around Puglia and Basilicata Agropoli was my last stop before the Amalfi Coast. And I spent those two days in one of the best Airbnb apartments ever! Cosy, a beautiful shower, amazing views, recycling (!) and cute gecko neighbours.

Agropoli is situated in the province of Salerno, in Campangia, right on the Cilentan Coast. It´s only a short drive to Paestum and the perfect base to explore Cilento´s coastline and the national park.

And it´s also a lovely town, that must be quite busy in the summer! Inhabited since Neolithic times Agropoli lies nearby Poseidonia (c. 625 BC) and had a lively trade between the local hunters & fishermen and the Greeks.

During the Greco-Gothic war (6th century) the Byzantines needed a secure and protected harbour south of Salerno, so they fortified it, and called it Acropolis, meaning “high town”.

The Angevin-Aragonese castle was built on Byzantine foundations and stands on top of the hill (rock) – it offers great views over the surrounding areas and the sea!

It´s a lovely walk strolling around the Old Town, narrow cobbled streets with old churches and so vibrant.

The old town is seen from below, the coast. At Greek times there used to be a temple on top of the rocks – on the site of today’s castle.

03/07/2018