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Positano
Positano: we must admit this town is full of Instagram worth stuff!
Charge all your mobile or camera battery because there will surely be some picture to take. The peculiarity of Positano position is the height.
Walking through the town you will see many colorful flowers and plants…and obviously, the sea from above.
It is magic for the narrow alleys and steps that hide the sandals and bags craft shops. We can assure you that a 1 hour tour here is enough to full your heart of beauty, but let’s see what to do in the vertical town.
CIN: IT065100A1HMJKYMKM
What to do in Positano Village Italy
- TAKING PICTURES – We advanced some news, one of the things to do in Positano is taking pictures. A walk is very enjoyable despite to the long stairs. At least all the Amalfi Coast is featured by stairs, but every corner of Positano is full of poetry.
- BUY CUSTOM SANDALS – This beautiful vertical city is full of exclusive shops, they sell very good sandals, shoes and bags, whoever goes to Positano must buy a pair of handmade shoes. These comfortable and durable shoes will be perfect to walk through the town.
- EATING – Everything, also a simple sandwich bought on the street, is very tasty and high quality. You should try this thing, we can assure you that’s the truth. But let’s discover what are the typical Positano dishes.
What to eat in Positano
The winning card of this city is high quality. The elite air, the high prices…all this is able to guarantee quality. For this reason you will surely eat good here.
In every restaurant you will find every sort of fresh fish as seafood, crustaceans and molluscs. But it does not end there, because every chef of this town can cook in an excellent way cheese coming directly from Lattari Mountains and fresh vegetables.
You should be curious about the how Positano cooks and not about what.
History of Positano

The legend tells that Positano was founded by Poseidon, Neptun, the god of the sea, for a nymph he loved, Pasitea. Phoenixes and Greeks, during their journeys, landed in this territory, maybe inhabited at that period by Piceni and Oscans.
Roman conquerors built a rich villa near Spiaggia Grande: on that place there are now gardens and Santa Maria Assunta church. With the fall of Roman empire, Positano entered the Repubblica marinara of Amalfi and lived a very prosperous period thanks to commerce with other Mediterranean towns.
Norman invasions started a period of decadence. After that, there were other sad periods, especially under Angevins and Aragons, with the terrible invasions by Sarancen and Turk pirates. To defend themselves, the inhabitants built three towers in Fornillo, Trasita and Sponda and other smaller towers in the town.
In 1492 Positano was a feud of Giovanni Miroballo and then of Mastrogiudice and Cossa families: this was a terrible period made of plagues, famine and frequent sea-quakes that made many people die.
During XVI and XVII century the fast and strong ships of Positano traded with the Middle East bringing home spices, silks, and precious woods. During this period many Baroque houses were built with nice terraces on the sea. XVIII century was a prosperous one and many other rich Baroque houses were built.
After the Unity of Italy many inhabitants of Positano went to look for their fortune in America. During the First World War, many citizens died. Many Russian and German artists and writers went to live to Positano and thanks to their works of art made Positano famous all over the world.
After the Second World War film directors, painters, writers, enchanted by the beauty of this place, by its magic atmosphere, seduced by the way of life of fishermen, decided to restructure the old houses, the monasteries, and to move there. They built wonderful villas. It’s “moda Positano” time: a variegated, polychrome, exotic fashion.
Monuments – Art
Chiesa di S. Maria Assunta
Chiesa di S. Maria Assunta: a wonderful church among houses. The dome is beautifully glazed and it was built around 1200. In the apse there are the remains of an ancient Byzantine mosaics. On the main altar there is a Byzantine altar-piece portraying a black Madonna with the Holy Child (maybe arrived from the sea), of XII century. A local legend tells that a ship coming from the Far East stopped in Positano and could not leave because of the weather. A voice told to sailors to leave there the portrait of Our Lady. They obeyed, and then the winds allowed the ship to sail.
Roman Archaeological Villas
Ville romane della baia di Postano e sui Galli: these Roman villas show that Positano and the isles were the place chosen by rich Romans to spend summers.
Towers
The towers were built as a defence against pirates; there were three towers at Fornillo, Trasita and Sponda) on the coast and other towers in the inner territory.
Churches
- Chiesa Nuova: a church having an elliptic shape. It is in Baroque style.
- Chiesa di S. Giovanni: this rectangular church has a barrel vault. Windows are only on the external part. It is decorated with stuccoes. Floor is beautiful. In the sacristy, there is an ancient Roman urn.
- Chiesa di S. Margherita: this quadrangular church has only a nave with two side altars and a barrel vault. In the entrance there are the choir stalls and on the left the sacristy.
- Chiesa del Rosario: this is the only church whose altar is towards West, not towards East.
- Chiesa di S. Caterina: merchants that traded with Alessandria of Egypt, where Saint Catherine was deeply worshipped, built this church.
- Chiesa di S. Giacomo Apostolo: the church dedicated to Saint James is one of the most ancient of Positano. It was founded in XII century and dedicated to Santiago de Compostela by Parrata family who developed a rich commerce with Spain.
Prehistoric caves
Prehistoric caves (La Porta, Del Mezzogiorno, Delle Soppressate, Erica, Vigna Pendente e Mirabella o Monaco-Spera): these prehistoric caves are 8500 years old (6500 b. C.).
Positano Beachs
The regional agency ARPAC provides the production and publication of data on the state of the bathing water area (according to the criteria fixed controls taken out by the ministerial decree 30 March 2010 implementing the principles and purposes of Legislative Decree 116/2008 transposing Community rules).
On this page you can check the state of the bathing areas along the Positano Coast : Red Flag obviously means that swimming is not permitted (bathing prohibited) and the blue flag means that the water is clear which all the beaches of Positano have obtained this category.
Fornillo Beach
Sandy beach.
Spiaggia Grande Beach
Sandy beach with intense urbanization.
Arienzo Beach
Sandy beach.
Sirene Beach
Sandy beach.