If we wanted to summarise what the Sorrento Peninsula is, we could easily turn our gaze to Pignatella's cliff. An access by land surrounded by olive trees; a small village overlooking the bay of Puolo; white rocks lapped by a sea so clear that you would feel like diving into it even in the middle of winter.
We are in Sorrento, just beyond Queen Joan's Baths, at the point where the main Municipality of the Peninsula is about to overlap with the territory of Massa Lubrense. In front of us we can see the silhouette of Vesuvius, Naples, Campi Flegrei, Ischia and Procida ; behind us is the Borghetto of Puolo, and beyond that we can see a clear image of Capri. Here, all that is essential is visible to the eyes.
Ph. Enrico Nocera
The fishermen return with their spoils; some sub divers dive to admire the crystal clear seabed. Peace reigns. The only noises, in winter, are those of the undertow and the sound of a seagull's cry. From Puolo, Pignatella cliff's sinuous silhouette draws the outline of the Sorrento Peninsula.
Da’ ‘a preta ‘e Puolo fin’ ‘o Monte ‘e Torca saglie p’ ‘e rive e scenne nu cunfino; ‘a là ‘o sole se sceta, ‘a ccà se corca e addora ‘e mare a vespro e a mattutino.Francesco Saverio Mollo – “‘O paese mio”
In summer, this marvellous spot is a favourite tourist destination. It is in winter, however, that the soul of the place emerges, this is what the Latins called Genius Loci: a fisherman's village built - literally - a stone's throw away from the sea, with its low houses and its boats waiting to take off.
A galathea strigosa in the depths of Pignatella | Ph. Edoardo Ruspantini
It is no wonder that these were privileged holiday spots for the aristocracy in ancient Rome. It is here that Pollio Felice, a member of a noble family from Pozzuoli, decided to build his villa, halfway along the path that from Puolo and Pignatella leads to Queen Joan's Baths. The same name, Puolo, seems to derive from Pollio.
The Mediterranean vegetation outlines the profile of the Pignatella | Ph. Enrico Nocera
The white pebbles and the fine sand of the Bay make this part of the coast one of the clearest that can be found along the Sorrento Peninsula, from Meta to Massa Lubrense. A place that reminds us how simple it is sometimes to feel at one with our surroundings.