Positano, an Italian corner of Heaven
When we say Italy, we say Rome and Venice, Florence and pizza and Vespas racing around the busy piazzas. But today we suggest something else: a rural escape to Positano, an Italian corner of Heaven.
Positano is technically a village… but actually it is a rural Hollywood. Set on the Amalfi coast, in Campania, the scenery is dramatic from the foot of the hills that wind gently from the sea. The golden age of Positano was witnessed in the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was an important port – it had held this status since the Middle Ages. After this golden age, the town was reduced to a modest fishing village whose status remained poor until the second half of the 20th century, when it started to attract tourists.
Writer John Steinbeck fell in love with Positano and described it as “a dream place that isn’t quite real”.
Positano today is really a posh resort with a fashionably rural air. It has easy access to Capri Island, Grotta dello Smeraldo and Ischia. You can rent a car and travel around the entire region – maybe get to visit Napoli and the lost city of Pompei.
We wouldn’t really want to ruin the surprise, but here are a few hot spots in Positano that you should not miss!
If you have the money, you can spend the night at Palazzo Murat, a luxury castle turned hotel with a courtyard full of flowers, beautiful rooms and with the romantic and tragic shadow of the 18th century French Naples King, Joachim Murat and his wife, Caroline Bonaparte, who commissioned and owned the palace.
The Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta is the most emblematic site in Positano, with its colorful dome, pretty front and beautiful 13th century altar.
When do you plan to visit Positano? Let us know!
