Day trip to Sant’Agnello, Sorrento Coast

On the Sorento Peninsula there is a village that is still not very touristy but really charming and worth a visit: Sant’Agnello.

LET’S DISCOVER SANT’AGNELLO

Sant’Agnello is located just before Sorrento and just after Piano di Sorrento. Like the other towns in the area, it is on a tuffaceous ridge, at a height of 47 meters, overlooking the Gulfs of Naples and Salerno.

While on one side of the village is the sea, on the other are the hills of Fontanelle, about 800 meters a.s.l. These hills form the border between the Sorrento Coast and the Amalfi Coast.

Sant’Agnello is a small village: just under 9,000 people live there on its 4 square kilometers. Therefore, it is quiet and uncorrupted by mass tourism. In fact, there are few bars or restaurants in Sant’Agnello and they are mainly for the locals.

WHAT TO SEE IN SANT’AGNELLO

Squares, districts and churches

One of the starting points for exploring the village is Piazza Matteotti. From here you can discover Sant’Agnello’s tourist attractions or wander around the five historic districts, especially Angri, Cappuccini and Maiano.

There are several churches in Sant’Agnello. Two of them are very interesting: the Church of the Capuchin Friars and the Church of Saints Prisco and Agnello in Baroque style. Of the latter no one knows the year it was built; we only know that it existed in 1400.

Villas of Sant’Agnello

Santa’Agnello is also home to several villas, such as Villa Nicolini and Villa Crowford.

Villa Nicolini is famous for an old legend. It was, for a brief period of time, owned by monks. After expropriation by the municipality, people started to say that monks had cast a spell that would befall anyone who bought it. Thus, for over twenty years Villa Nicolini was managed only by an elderly janitor, with no one buying it. Then, in 2010, a wealthy Russian businessman bought it and began renovations.

Whereas Villa Crowford was named after the American writer Francis Marion Crawford, who decided to live in Sant’Agnello in 1885. The wonderful villa is located at a point overlooking the sea.

Panoramic viewpoints in Sant’Agnello

If you’re looking for a panoramic viewpoint to enjoy a great sea view, Sant’Agnello has just the place: Marinella. This is a panoramic terrace from which you can admire a wonderful panorama, including Mount Vesuvius and the Sorrento Coast. Moreover, from Marinella you can reach a small beach via a scenographic staircase carved into the rock (but there is also a comfortable elevator). Next to the Marinella terrace is the ancient Cocumella hotel, where even Goethe stayed during his trip to Italy.
Another nice spot from which to admire a beautiful sea view is Piazza Carlo Sagristani.

Finally, among the things to do in Sant’Agnello is definitely a visit to Pizzo. In this 16-hectare property you will find citrus and olive trees, ancient trees and flowering bushes, gardens and terraces, villas and farmhouses. It is a very pleasant place.

Folklore

The main cultural events are the Easter processions that the brotherhoods of Sant’Agnello organize during Holy Week.

Other information about Sant’Agnello

Sant’Agnello is perfect for a day trip and it is, all in all, well connected to the rest of the area.

For example, with a 20-minute walk you can reach the center of Sorrento. Furthermore, there is a Circumvesuviana railway station where you can catch trains to Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Naples. However, there is no port for planning a boat trip.

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