Sorrento’s Old Town on Foot: What to See

Sorrento’s old town is made for wandering. Behind the busy Corso Italia lies a street grid first laid out by the Greeks, threaded with narrow lanes, hidden courtyards, Baroque churches and the houses of the poet Torquato Tasso, who was born here in 1544. This self-guided walk links the main sights of the centro storico — you can do it in about half a day, stopping for a coffee or a granita along the way.

Practical tip: allow roughly half a day at an easy pace, wear comfortable shoes for the uneven lanes, and bring something to cover your shoulders and knees if you’d like to step inside the churches.

The streets to walk

The itinerary winds along the historic streets: Via Parsano, Via degli Aranci, Via Sersale, Corso Italia, Via Pietà, Via Luigi de Maio, Piazza Sant’Antonino, Via San Francesco, Via Vittorio Veneto, Via Tasso, Via Fuoro, Via San Cesareo and, of course, Piazza Tasso — the city’s living room.

The main sights

The ancient walls

The only visible stretch of the Greek defensive walls stands along the road near Porta Parsano Nuova. Another stretch of Greek walls is near the Marina Grande gate. The walls were rebuilt several times over the centuries, the last major work being in 1561, shortly before the Turkish invasion.

Church of the Servants of Mary (Servi di Maria)

A Baroque church completed in the 18th century; the Good Friday procession, one of the most striking in the city, starts here.

The Cathedral

Of Romanesque origin but reworked in the 15th century and the Renaissance. It holds paintings of the 18th-century Neapolitan school, an archbishop’s throne in fine marble from 1573 and marquetry works by Sorrentine masters.

Bell tower and Bishop’s Palace

The bell tower rests on a Romanesque-era base, with reused columns, capitals and marble fragments.

The 15th-century house (Casa del Quattrocento)

A rare example of local architecture of Tuscan influence, from the second half of the 15th century.

Palazzo Correale (15th century)

The façade features fine pointed-arch mullioned windows and a beautiful Gothic portal.

Palazzo Veniero (13th century)

A building of exceptional rarity in late-Byzantine and Arab style, with arched windows and geometric tufa decorations.

Casa Correale in Piazza Tasso

On the corner where Via Pietà meets the square; the portal preserves a scroll decoration dated 1768.

Sanctuary of the Carmine (Santa Maria del Carmelo)

Rebuilt at the end of the 15th century over an older church dedicated to the Sorrentine Martyrs. Inside is an image of the Madonna, a copy of the dark Virgin venerated in Naples.

Basilica of Sant’Antonino

Its origins date to the 11th century; dedicated to the city’s patron saint. It features reused Roman elements (columns) and an 18th-century crypt with numerous ex-votos.

Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (Church of the Miracles)

A 15th-century church that includes an enclosed Dominican convent, with works by southern Italian painters from the late 16th and 17th centuries.

Church and Cloister of San Francesco

The 14th-century cloister is one of the most photographed spots in Sorrento, with interlaced tufa arches. Today it also hosts events and exhibitions.

Casa di Tasso

On the right of the road that leads from Piazza F.S. Gargiulo to the Vittoria, remains of the house where Torquato Tasso, author of “Jerusalem Delivered”, was born in 1544.

Church and Monastery of San Paolo

Attached to the Benedictine monastery of San Paolo (9th century), with a circular vault, frescoed lunettes and a majolica floor.

Church of the Rosary (formerly San Felice e Baccolo)

Probably built under Emperor Constantine (310) on the remains of an ancient pagan temple. It was Sorrento’s cathedral until the 15th century.

Casa di Cornelia Tasso

At number 11 of Via San Nicola, Casa Fasulo, where Torquato’s sister Cornelia lived. Here in 1577 the poet took refuge disguised as a shepherd to reveal himself to his sister.

Church of the Annunciation

Of ancient but uncertain date, built on the remains of a temple dedicated to the goddess Cybele.

Sedile Dominova

The only surviving example in Campania of the ancient noble “seats”, with a 17th-century dome in green and yellow majolica.

To find your way, the free “Sorrento Walks” map of the centre marks all of these points with reference numbers, so you can follow the route comfortably from one stop to the next.