Garden of Villa

In the centre of Sorrento, this garden is private and not open to the public so this is a great way to see what's behind the gate and the views from this magnificent estate.

Interesting to know that the eruption of Vesuvius that levelled Pompeii also resulted in a Tsunami that devastated the Sorrentine peninsular back in AD79

Il Vallone dei Mulini Sorrento Italy

Il Vallone dei Mulini (Deep Valley of the Mills) is a ruin in the middle of Sorrento, abandoned in 1866 perhaps due to rising humidity.

This video gives the ruin some context in the urban environment.

"The name "Valley of the Mills", derives from the existence of a mill - functioning since the beginning of the '900's - used for grinding wheat. Attached to the mill, rose a sawmill which furnished chaff to the Sorrentine cabinet makers. Everything is completed by a public wash-house used by the women of the community.The creation ofTasso Square, since 1866, determined the isolation of the mill area from the sea, provoking a sharp rise of the percentage of humidity, which made the area unbearable and determined its progressive abandon.The new microclimate favoured the development of a thriving and spontaneous vegetation in which the dominant element is the Phillitis Vulgaris, a splendid and rare model belonging to the fern family.

Today it is possible to have access to the remaining part of the Deep Valley crossing antique ramps engraved into the tuff with entrance from a trapdoor near the Stragazzi parking." More