HISTORY: The first archaeological attestation of Positano dates back to the first century BC, when luxurious Roman villas were built on the beautiful coast of the Sorrento Peninsula. Such a villa was the subject of systematic excavations starting with 2003, and the site was inaugurated on July 18, 2018, under the name of MAR Positano (Museo Archeologico Romano) Santa Maria Assunta. Read More [...]
During the Angevin and Aragonese domination, the coastline of Positano was fortified by a series of watchtowers. Near the sea, we can still find today Torre di Fornillo, Torre Trasita and Torre Sponda, with other towers located inside the town.
The 18th century was a period of prosperity for Positano, as witnessed by the late-Baroque villas built along the eastern side of the town. Between 1806 and 1860, Positano was the capital of the district of the same name belonging to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and after 1860 it became part of the newly created Kingdom of Italy.
GEOGRAPHY: Positano is, today, a town of almost 4,000 inhabitants on the Amalfi Coast, part of the province of Salerno and the Italian region of Campania. It is perched on an enclave on the slope of a hill, winding down towards the waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Read More [...]
Positano is located about 17 kilometers west of Amalfi, 19 kilometers east of Sorrento, 35 kilometers south of Pompei, 41 kilometers west of Salerno, 60 kilometers southeast of Naples, 270 kilometers west of Bari and about the same distance southeast of Rome, 545 kilometers southeast of Florence, 625 kilometers southeast of Bologna, 710 kilometers south of Venice, and 850 kilometers southeast of Milan.
TRANSPORT: The closest airport is the Naples-Capodichino International Airport, located near Naples, about 62 kilometers away. To get to Positano directly from the airport, you can take one of the buses of the local transport company Beducci. A trip takes about 2 hours and a half and the ticket costs 18€. From Sorrento, you can get to Positano in about 50 minutes with a SITA Sud bus. A ticket costs 3.40€ and the trip takes about 50 minutes. Read More [...]
To visit the entire Amalfi Coast on your own, you can also rent a car, but be aware because roads are very narrow, you will not find many parking spaces along the road, and the drive could be challenging.
LANDMARKS: You will not find many landmarks in Positano, and it is better to see the town as an attraction in itself. In Positano, you can relax on one of its beaches, Spiaggia Grande or Fornillo, enjoy a Cappuccino at a café or wind along its steep streets. Here, you can visit the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, famous for the 12th century Byzantine icon known as the Madonna di Positano, and the nearby MAR Positano (Roman Archaeological Museum).
