Nature and landscape

Cave of the Sirens

Surrentum is the home of the sirens (Ligea, Leucosia and Parthenope), who enchant sailors with their irresistible songs and calls of love as they crash their ships on the rocks to reach them. According to the myth, it is in the waters of Punta Campanella, a place on the border between land and sea in a magical atmosphere, that Odysseus (Ulysses) meets the sirens and, with the support of the goddess Athena, resists their song. The bodies of the sirens, suicidal because of their defeat, will be carried by the sea to Terina (near Lamezia Terme, the siren Ligeia), Punta Licosa (near Salerno, Leukosia) and Naples (Parthenope). Odysseus, in thanks to the goddess, built the temple of Athena, the Roman Minerva, in the area now occupied by the Punta Campanella Tower, and in the Middle Ages the promontory was still called Promontorium Minervae.At the side of the Tower, a slit in the rock marks the start of the descent that leads to sea level, along an ancient stone staircase that is rather steep and uneven. The discovery (1985) along the descent of a rock inscription dating from the first half of the 2nd century BC in Oscan (a pre-Roman Italic language) confirmed the presence of a sanctuary dedicated to Athena/Minerva on the extreme point of the promontory. The inscription mentions the names of the three Meddices Minervii (Minerva's magistrates) who contracted the construction of the landing and the staircase that led up to the sanctuary.At the end of the descent is the Grotta delle Sirene, carved by the waves into the debris accumulated at the base of the sheer rocky coastline. The reverberation of the waves and the reflections coming from the nearby crevices give the water in the cave unusual and splendid colours, which accentuate the mythical and legendary atmosphere that characterises the Sirens' coast.

place
Grotta delle Sirene - Sorrento
Not accessible
timer
120 Minutes
No ticket required
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