Villa Merlata, Conca dei Marini

Villa Merlata is in Conca dei Marini, a fishermen’s hamlet located between Amalfi and Positano. Villa Merlata is a watch tower which dates to mid sixteenth-century. During that period several watch towers were built along the coast of Amalfi in most panoramic places in order to protect people from raids by the Saracens coming from the sea. Torre Merlata is one of the aforementioned watch towers, and it has remained intact up to nowadays as it preserves the elegant merlons of the battlement or crenellation on its top, which renders it unique all over the coast.

The tower stands high on a prominent stretch of coast about 100 m (about 328 feet) above sea level. From its top, your eyes will behold a vast panorama of sea, the picturesque Cape of Conca dei Marini. Every bit of scenery in this area is really breathtaking.

In this area the houses are distributed along a little road carved out on the slopes of the coast. All the houses face the sea and the sun, being separated one from another by their flower gardens, lush vegetable gardens, and small lemon pergolas. Going to the upper/lower part of the village here, just as in all the Amalfi Coast, means taking the several picturesque narrow stone-step stairways. The real inhabitants of the place live here, with their tranquil pace of life away from crowds of tourists.

You reach Villa Merlata after crossing a small square garden paved and fenced-in by an old stone wall.

From the garden an outdoor staircase will allow you to get into the tower. Inside you will have unique interiors, with a really high barrel ceiling. A tall arched window illuminates the room: through this window you will see the Cape of Conca dei Marini from above, which is a subtle green promontory surmounted by an impressive watch tower. It is a view if exceptional beauty which will please your eyes throughout your whole vacation! Those holes which were once ancient embrasures through which arquebuses were aimed at assaulters are now small windows or niches where decorative pieces of local artifact are displayed.

From inside the tower you can reach the top terrace. The floor of the terrace is not flat, but a bit inclined and slopy, just like the shape of the tower’s ceiling. That is why placing a table or chairs on the terrace is not possible. From the terrace you can enjoy a 360° view of the sea and the coast, which is rendered even more enthralling seen through the beautiful crenellation frame.