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Italy May 2002
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Battipaglia
The view from the balcony of my sister's apartment in Battipaglia
Mountain Range...
The local farm...
The scene at dusk...
My two Nephews, Vincenzo & Edwin
Playground...
Quiet for a change...
The 3 Angels...
My one and only Niece, Christina
Just a bit of fun...
Christina
My Niece is always fast asleep, after any car journey, however long...
Aw...
Wakey, Wakey
Yawn for the Camera!
Paestum
Just Fountain...
The two terrors attack the playground
Fun & Games
Aren't you a bit big for that?
Smile...
There you go... Julie, Pippo & Christina
Next time around...
Nearly...
Quick Duck!
On the beach...
A play around
Does that taste good?
Apple of my eye...
All of us...
Ship ahoy...
Bubbles...
The Archaeological site of Paestum, with it's series of Greek Ruins
Here you will see some of the best preserved Greek ruins, architecture and monuments, such as the Temple of Poseidon (Neptune), the Basilica dating from the 6th Century. In the museum you can admire the Tomb of the Dive a magnificent example of Greek painting, representing a funeral banquet. The lid of the tomb depicts a young man diving into the water
On the right footings...
Temple of Poseidon This temple is sometimes called the Temple of Neptune or The Temple of Hera II. This archaic Doric temple is one of the best preserved Greek temples in the world The last and largest of the 3 great temples of Poseidonia, it was constructed
470-460 BC within the sanctuary of Hera, just besides the older Temple of Hera I
Julie & Christina walking the walk...
Julie & Christina at the Temple of Hera II This temple is unusual in being the only temple in Italy with a naos divided into two by the columns. such a division could be due to the temple having a double dedication, which would probably have been to Hera and Zeus. The only other such Greek temples are found in Crete at Dreros and Prinią, but in both cases the dividing columns were of wood on stone bases. The Cretan temples are the oldest Greek temples known, so this similarity confirms the dating of the Temple of Hera
If you are ever in the region, then the Temples at Paestum are an absolutely must see! You will be making a big mistake if you don't make the effort to go to see them
Tired out now... a look at some of the gifts available to the tourists along the main shopping area in Paestum. The road alongside the site is closed to traffic and is lined with shops and cafes where you can buy souvenirs, postcards and snacks. Just to the side of the museum is a little square with an excellent pizzeria, the church and the local tourist office
Amphitheatre & Agora The Romans built an
amphitheatre in Paestum, part of this is visble but most is still under the
modern road. It is however one of the most ancient constructions of its kind.
Initially built without the outer ring, only a few of the cavea steps - for the
audience - remain. A parapet seaparating the cavea from the arena was built high
to protect against the animals therein. An arcaded outer ring was added in the
1st century AD The main square of a
Greek city was the agora, and the agora of Poseidonia has been identified about
halfway along the Via Sacra - the main road. Close to the agora the bouleuterion,
the circular meeting place of the city council, has been found. This one was
built 480-470 BC. It had a similar function during the Lucian takeover but was
no longer in use by the time of the latin settlement and a sanctuary was built
in its place
The archealogical museum at Paestum
The ground floor of the museum has a host of artifacts from the tombs and the city of Poseidon - the originals can be found on the ground floor. The top floor has exhibits from the roman period
Salerno
The main train station of Salerno
In medieval times Salerno was the world capital of medicine, the Monastery of the Benedictine monks who probably founded its medical school, offered the best education then available. One of the most famous medical texts of that time was the "Regimen Sanistas Selerni" written here in Latin and translated into almost every European language
In more modem times Salerno is best remembered for the Allied troops landing on its beaches, during the second world war. To the east of Salerno, after the headlands of Pontecagnano, Battipaglia and Eboli, is Paestum, which is one of the most important archeological sites in the county
Palazzo della Provincia
Salerno is a very
beautiful city situated in the middle of two enchanting coasts, the Amalfi and
Cilento coasts. In 194 b.C. it was a Roman colony and was named Salernum. The
city made progress and also enriched its culture and its traditions during the
occupation of Goths, Byzantines, Longobards and Normans. The Goths were defeated
by the Greeks whose domination lastes 15 years (from 53 to 568), up to
Longobards invaded almost the whole peninsula. In 786 Arechi II, a Longobard
prince, transferred the seat of the Dukedom of Benevento to Salerno, in order to
elude Charlemagne's offensive and to secure himself the control of a strategic
area, the centre of coastal and internal communications in Campania
The rewal of the historical centre has been directed towards the rediscovery of the artistic and cultural treasures of an exceptional land. Salerno appears more and more as a welcoming community for tourists from all over the world with its enchanting historical centre where it is possible to admire both the traces of its ancient history and the fervour of artisan shops and places for cultural and musical aggregation attended by thousands of people. Salerno is a charming synthesis of what the Mediterranean can offer to anyone who wants to know it more closely
The Yacht's and Boat's in the Port
Arechi Castle
The Bay
Robert at Salerno Bay
A view down the harbour wall
A view of the Amalfi Coast from Salerno
Robert at the harbour
Nice Yacht...
Lungomare Notturno
The main city monument is the Cathedral (Duomo), romanesque building of XI century, dedicated to San Matteo, apostle and evangelist; the apostle's body and that of Pope Gregorio VII (dead banished in Salerno) are kept inside the church. The cathedral - full of remarkable works of art (including two oustanding ambos and a mosaic-floor) - has three naves, with pillars incorporating the original columns; the entrance consists of a (central) bronze door, melted in Constantinople. The building is completed by a beautiful hall (surrounded by a colonnade and by arabian-norman style arches), where in summer concerts of classical music are held, and the baroque crypt
Santissima
Addolorata The religious building took in 1868 the title of the Santissima Addolorata, the church of Gesł...
The harbour of Salerno...
The Palazzo della Provincia at dusk
Edwin, Julie & Christina...
The Sights and Lights
All lit up...
The Family
Around the Bay
Amalfi
The boat trip from Salerno to Amalfi
The Amalfitana Coast
Amalfi is the principal jewel of the famous Amalfi Coast in Campania, Italy. The largest and most popular resort on this mountainous stretch of coastline, Amalfi is a popular holiday base for tourists wanting to explore the area. The Republic of Amalfi was once a major seafaring power, and the town's traditions and historical buildings bear witness to Amalfi's glorious past
Robert in Amalfi
Amalfi's ninth-century Duomo is one of the town's greatest attractions. It dominates the town's central piazza, sitting atop a wide flight of steps. The cloister (Chiostro del Paradiso) and museum close by house sculptures, mosaics and other relics of the town's wealthy past. The Arsenal by the sea is a monument to the maritime past of Amalfi
The town is small, but you can easily while away an afternoon exploring the narrow white alleyways and browsing in the shops for souvenirs - including every variation on the famous local lemon products. You can sample the Amalfitana specialities, such as the strong limoncello. There are plenty of nice cafes where you can rest with a drink, eating pastries and watching the world go by. A stroll along the sea front is another pleasant diversion
The town's harbour is to the right as you face the sea, and past the public ferry ports there is a marina where luxury yachts rub shoulders with working fishing vessels laden with nets. Walking out along one of the breakwaters provides good photo opportunities back towards the town centre. Amalfi has a small beach, which gets very busy on summer weekends. There are several bathing establishments where you can hire beds, towels etc. and there is also a stretch of free beach
A cruise liner in the Gulf of Salerno...
Vietri Sul Mare
The drive along the coast through Salerno to Vietri
Are we there yet? Are we there now? Now?
All quiet on the Vietri front...
Vietri Sul Mare A little village near Salerno, the first you encounter on the Amalfi Coast on the way to Positano, in summer it's the first beach you find near the city (but full of people), in winter visit the "ceramic" shops(each one has its own little museum of ceramic products) the town has nice panorama on the sea, and has two little rocks in the sea ... called "the lovers"
Vincenzo and the fishing boats at Vietri bay
Vesuvius
The Volcano of Vesuvius Vesuvius rises up
east north east of the Bay of Naples. The oldest rock from the volcano is around
300,000 years old and was probably part of the Somma volcano. After Somma
collapsed around 17,000 years ago, Vesuvius started to form. The Somma Rim is to
the east of the volcano, and forms a caldera-like structure. There is a nearby
(15 miles/ 20 km) hook of land that sticks out which is the caldera of the
Phlegraean Fields volcanic region. That caldera formed about 34,000 years ago
Vesuvius has erupted around 36 times since 79 A.D. An eruption period from 1913 to 1944 actually began in 1631. Just the lava flows have killed 3500 people adding to the slightly lower number in 79 CE. 3 million people are at risk now and some 1 million people live and work 15 minutes from a major lava flow
Vesuvius is famous for the catastrophic eruption in 79 A.D. that buried the towns of Herculaneum and Pompeii
All photographs were taken in either Salerno / Paestum / Amalfi / Vietri or Battipaglia - Italy from the 28th May 2002. |
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uring May 2002 I made a visit to see my Sister
(Julie), my Brother in Law (Giuseppe), my Nephews (Vincenzo & Edwin), and my
Niece (Christina). I hadn't seen them in quite a while, being rather busy on a
number of projects in work at EADS - European Aeronautic Defence & Space Company
in Augsburg - Germany. Anyway, I found some free time in my schedule, and so
flew down from Munich to Naples with Lufthansa; I eventually got there, despite
the efforts of Lufthansa (Luftwaffe) to sabotage my trip. They firstly decided
to sell my outward bound seat to somebody else, better known in the industry as
being bumped! then put me on a flight with one of their partners Air Dolomiti,
unfortunately though, that was via Turin as opposed to my original direct
flight. They also refused to dish out any compensation, and were as stubborn and
rude as ever, not my most favourite airline, but although be it late... I got
there eventually. Below, you will see the photo's that wee took from
