Massa Lubrense

Massa Lubrense is popularly known as the legendary Land of Sirens (from which it derives the toponym of “Sirenusion”). Sirens lived along the coast and with their haunting and beautiful voices lured sailors onto the rocks. According to the legend, Ulysses passed for Ieranto Bay, and there he built the temple of the goddess Athena. Ieranto Bay or Baia di Ieranto, in Massa Lubrense, is one of the rare Italian place inhabited from the very ancient times, and the only intact creek of the Amalfi Coast.

Beyond the legend, the presumed aborigines of the area were two: Ausons and Osci, of which, a while ago, it was found an inscription nearby the eastern shore of Punta Campanella.

Its name derives from the Longobard word "mansa", which defined a territorial unit, with the adjective "lubrense" related to the Church of Madonna della Lobra, so named because it was built upon a pre-existing pagan temple (delubrum, in Latin).

Massa Lubrense is the climatic centre of the Sorrento Peninsula. It has a triangular form and borders at north-east with Sorrento, Gulf of Salerno on the left and Gulf of Naples on the right. The gulfs are separated by the peak of Punta Campanella (historically called “Athenaeum promontory”) that faces the island of Capri. This gorgeous strip offers fantastic occasions for excursions both overland and underwater.

In 1990, 11 pedestrian routes were found, miles away from noise, chaos, urban agglomerates, through lemon and olive trees. The classical walk is a triangle with its points in Termini, Monte San Costanzo and Punta Campanella. Depending on the weather, the temperature and other factors you can do the walk in one direction or the other; whichever way it is a just spectacular!

If you are interested in monuments, there are three wonderful points of interest.

Ex-Cattedrale: a church dated back to 1512 and rebuilt in XVIII century, which keeps a wonderful 1700's majolica floor and, in the apse, a Madonna attributed to Andrea da Salerno.

Church of St Maria della Lobra: built in XVI century with a magnificent portal and a 1700's coffered ceiling.

At a distance of about 7 km from St Maria della Lobra, you will find the wonderful “Annunziata” cathedral, remade at the end of 1600, with a gorgeous polychrome marbles altar.

Massa Lubrense is suitable for any kind of production: you will be able to taste sublime olive oil, fresh fruit, grapefruit, dairy products and cheeses. Excellent pastures feed optimum heifers, known as “Vitelle di Sorrento” and even the wine is unbelievably good: the tradition to raise grapevine in the ancient Greek way is still on!