Once upon a time a farmer named Mario lived in the village of San Salvatore, in Vico Equense. He had chosen a path hidden among the Mediterranean countryside of the Sorrento Peninsula as his refuge.
Ph. Gianluigi Di Maio - Trentaremi
Every day, for fifty years, Mario walked along those 5 km from the village of San Salvatore to what would become his kingdom. A place far from any noise and kissed by the sun, which he transformed through self-denial and perseverance into the triumph of nature, cultivating the excellence of his land. Today this path is dedicated to him, who discovered it, loved it, cared for it and bequeathed it to lovers of trekking and nature.
Together with Luca, an environmental guide and great expert of the area, we walk this path that winds through a forest, with the sea and Vesuvius watching us from afar. There are historical evidences such as the Church of San Salvatore, the chapel of the Madonna delle Grazie, the Grotta dell'Eremita, inside which there is a bas-relief carved into the rock, made by Antonio Vanacore, a mystical personality whose history is wrapped in legend.
The cliff about 90 meters high in the Mario's oasis | Ph. Gianluigi Di Maio - Trentaremi
«We are in the perimeter of a karstic sinkhole created by the aquifers. A unique natural spectacle for lovers of the Sorrento Peninsula and the Amalfi Coast, who find themselves in front of a cliff about 90 meters high.
«Do you smell this perfume?» asks Luca, amused. Step by step, the aromas of rosemary and myrtle from the Mediterranean vegetation mix with an intense smell of barbecue. A hubbub of voices is mixed with the rustle of leaves brushed by the wind. And all of a sudden we find ourselves in a flat space, in the middle of the woods. What was once the kingdom of our farmer, today is the buen retiro of outdoor passionate people in the Sorrento Peninsula. And it’s called Mario Oasis.
Ph. Gianluigi Di Maio - Trentaremi
Gaetano, Mario's grandson, and his wife Carmela keep their grandfather's love and passion alive for this uncontaminated place. We meet them while they are at the Oasis, roasting sausages for a group of hungry hikers. Local sausages, of course, because everything is self-produced here, everything has the flavor of the roots and the countryside. The meat, the local cheese “caciottine” with a creamy and wrapping flavor, the crunchy bread just come out of the oven, the juicy and colorful fruit, the Sorrento walnuts, a joyful tribute to the land.
The olive trees with their intense green, the slow shouting of people, the swing of the hammock among the apple trees, the warm rays of the sun that announce spring arrival: in this corner of intact nature everything resounds with sweetness of a lullaby.
Ph. Gianluigi Di Maio - Trentaremi
«Now I am dedicating myself to cleaning the path - says Gaetano, while offering an “ammazzacaffè” (after-lunch drink) made with walnuts - but my plan is to grow potatoes, courgettes, tomatoes, just like my grandfather did. Furthermore - he continues - to make the walks more beautiful, I am cleaning up two sections that unite the Mario Path with the most famous ones of Sperlonga and the Sorgente of Capo d'Acqua».
Ph. Gianluigi Di Maio - Trentaremi
After years of neglect, Gaetano has given new life to this place so loved by his grandfather, enhancing an uncontaminated and little known corner of the Sorrento Peninsula where the flavors, scents and people still express their authenticity. Mario's work lives on.