POSITANO

'Positano' is a small town on the Amalfi Coast (''Costiera Amalfitana''), in Campania, Italy. The main part of the city sits in an enclave in the hills leading down to the coast.

Contents

History

Main sights

Culture

References

External links

History

Positano was a prosperous port of the Amalfi Republic in the 16th and 17th centuries. But by the mid-19th century, the town had fallen on hard times. More than half the population emigrated, mostly to the United States of America.
Positano was a relatively poor fishing village during the first half of the 20th century. It began to attract large numbers of tourists in the 1950s, especially after John Steinbeck published his essay about Positano in ''Harper's Bazaar'' in May, 1953: "Positano bites deep", Steinbeck wrote. "It is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone."
Today tourism is the major industry in Positano.

Main sights

The church of'' Santa Maria Assunta'' features a dome made of majolica tiles as well as a 13th Byzantine century icon of a black Madonna. According to local legend, the icon had been stolen from Byzantium and was being transported by pirates across the Mediterranean. A terrible storm had blown up in the waters opposite Positano and the frightened sailors heard a voice on board saying "Posa, posa!" ("Put down! Put down!"). The precious icon was unloaded and carried to the fishing village and the storm abated.

Culture

Positano has been featured in several films, including ''Only You'' (1994), and ''Under the Tuscan Sun'' (2003). It also hosts the annual Cartoons on the Bay Festival, at which Pulcinella awards for excellence in animation are presented. From July of 1967 and through most of the 1970s, Positano was home of singer-songwriter Shawn Phillips and was where most of his best known work was composed. Also, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards from The Rolling Stones wrote the song "Midnight Rambler" in the cafes of Positano while on vacation.

Today, Positano is considered one of the most chic destinations in Europe. Two of its hotels, Il San Pietro and Le Sirenuse, are frequently cited as among the best in the world.

References

External links

★ A Complete Positano and Amalfi coast travel guide

★ Storia e informazioni su Positano

★ Mapquest

★ Cartoons on the Bay Festival

★ Positano live streaming webcam

★ Pictures and story about Positano

★ Positano photos

★ Positano online newspaper about Positano, the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento and Campania in general