POSITANO

Laid at the southern feet of the Mounts Lattari, which protect it from the Nortwinds, Positano enjoys - thanks to its fauvorable position - all the advantages of a mild, dry climate. The origins of Positano, like those of many other towns, are lost in the mists of time, so that it is diffficult to distinguish between history and legend. As it often happen in the past, miths supplied for the lack of data: one of this myths tell us that Positano was founded by Poseidon - the Latin Neptun, the god of the sea - for the sake of the nymph Pasitea, whom he loved The Romans built near the 'great' beach a rich patrician villa, which has now been buried by gardens and by the church devoted to Our Lady of the Assumption.

With the fall of the Roman Empire Positano became a part of the Republic, and went trough flourishing period, owing to the commerce with the others countries of Mediterranean area. Unfortunately this period was followed by gloomy ones, perticulary during the Angevin and Aragonese domination, when our village was more than once exposed to the offence of the Saracen pirates, first, and, then of the Turkmen. A legend referring to that period says that the Saracen pirates, during an incursion, sacked the main Church and brought away, among other things, the Byzantine picture of Black Virgin, wich was kept in the church and is now to be found in the apse over the high altar; they had just left the shore, when a voice was heard, that said: 'Posa, posa'. The pirates became aware of having committed a sacrilege, repented came back ashore and restored all the ill-gotten goods. To defend themselves from the very frequent of the pirates the inhabitants of Positano built three guard- towers, wich can still be seen today in the quarters called 'Fornillo', 'La Trasita', 'La Sponda' and some others in the inner part of the village.

After the first World War - during wich Positano also paid its great tribute of blood - this village, wich was already the refuge of some Italian  artists, like Vincenzo Caprile, harboured many Russian, German artists and men of letters, who chose it for its peace and quiet. Among others we can remember: Semenov, Zagoruiko, Essad Bey, Clavel, Escher, Massine, Kovaliska, Ghillausen, etc., who with thei works maid this flat of land known all over the world..The tourism booming took place after the Secon World War; but despite of an intense expansion our village preserve its characteristic vertical structure and its bright architecture with suggestive, panoramique corners. Thanks to the innate sense of hospitality of its inhabitants Positano became one of the most famous tourist places all over the world.