Sorrento - Piazza Tasso

Sitting astride the gorge that once divided cliff-clinging Sorrento in two, you’ll find Piazza Tasso, the central living room of the town. Piazza Tasso is where the locals come to see and be seen, to sit in cafes and bars, or to catch a bus; it all happens here. During the day it’s a busy traffic hub, but at night the traffic is limited and the residents take the space back from the cars and buses.

The square is named after the Renaissance poet, Torquato Tasso, born in Sorrento and due to be crowned King of the Poets by the Pope until he died mere days before the ceremony. A statue of the great man stands in one corner of the piazza. Around the square you’ll find the lovely Baroque Church del Carmine Maggiore , and the Palazzo Correale, an 18th century mansion built around a 15th century house owned by the aristocratic Correale family.

Leading from the square is Sorrento’s main shopping street, Via San Cesareo, a busy pedestrianized commercial hub full of lemon-based treats, the area’s proudest agricultural product. Try limoncello made from Sorrento lemon peel – both a delicious liqueur and a digestive aid! In the other direction is the historic district of Sorrento, a grid of narrow streets and churches.

In the main square, once called Largo of the Castle, the Baroque Church del Carmine opens up: in its interior it is kept an interesting painting by Onofrio Avellino.

In the same Piazza Tasso, the Palazzo Correale is located with its magnificent majolica cout dating back to 1772 (the inscription on the portal's marble scroll ornament bears the date 1768 but it is known that as early as the XVth century a house belonging to this family stood here and was later totally transformed by the 17th century reconstruction.