Piazza Tasso (Tasso Square), Sorrento (must see)

Torquato Tasso, born in 1544, stands on a granite pedestal in the square named for him. Tasso was the greatest poet of his era. He died in 1595, days before being crowned King of Poets by Pope Clement VIII. His statue shares the square with that of Saint Antonino, who sought asylum in Sorrento during the Lombard invasions of the 6th century.

The square was initially called Big Castle (Largo del Castello). Where the statue of Saint Antonino stands today was once the location of the 15th-century castle of Ferdinand of Aragon, demolished in 1843. The monument of Torquato Tasso was dedicated in 1870. The square sits astride the deep gorge that divides the center of Sorrento.

Surrounding the square are grand historical edifices. The Correale Palace, with its tiled courtyard, was rebuilt in 1768. The Church of Santa Maria del Carmine is in the square's northern part. Inside is a 1710 ceiling painting by Onofrio Avellino of the Virgin with Saint Simon. It also has 16th-century gilded reliquaries of saints' bones.

Tasso Square is the main square, regarded as the entry point to the historic old Sorrento. There are shops, restaurants, and bars all around. The Fauno Bar is a popular spot for cappuccino and pastry; Italy Avenue (Corso Italia), the shopping street branches off Tasso Square. There are many smaller shopping side streets.

Cross over the forbidding gorge to find access to Sorrento Big Marina. It is where one may catch the water bus (vaporetto) to the Isla of Capri, Tiberius's exotic playground. There are tour trolleys and hop-on, hop-off open-top sight-seeing busses from the square. Did we mention horse carriages as well? Yes, we did, just now.

Tasso Square is a busy place. Be wary of motor traffic, especially scooters.