ARCHEO TOUR (MAIORI-MINORI-POSITANO)

The charming coast between Positano and Vietri has several small inlets and coves. It is here that between the 1st century B.C. and the 1st century A.D. the Roman built maritime villas. These were sumptuous  country residences, a real status symbol among the wealthy members of Roman society, where even richer guests would enjoy hospitality. The excavations of the villas at Positano, Amalfi, Minori and Marina di Vietri sul Mare are of particular note. One of the best examples of the architecture of these luxury residences is the Villa in Minori, dating between the Augustan period and the time of Julius and Claudius. Excavations began in the 1930s and it is a perfect example of Roman Patrician architecture. The villa was constructed in the valley of the deep inlet created by the river Reghinna, it was on several levels. The villa was damaged by a volcanic eruption in 79 A.D., which made some alterations to the plan of the villa necessary. The villa was of a notable size, but we can see only a fraction of it today. The main body of the building, which is on two levels, would have been constructed between open spaces. Little remains of the upper floor whilst on  the ground floor the summer dining room with ninfeo? Nymphs is surprisingly well preserved. The garden had a rectangular pool on the same axis as the dining room.

In the area of  Positano the first excavations have revealed a structure with plastered walls decorated with stucco cornices. According to Matteo Della Corte, the villa would have belonged to the liberto ( freed slave) Posides Claudi Caesaris, from which we have the modern day name Positano. Inside the extremely hard volcanic rock ( pyroclast), the imprint of wooden posts which supported a tiled roof were discovered. Below the stucco cornice an image of a seahorse can be seen on the left, to the right there is an image of a falcon positioned on a globe; the central panel has an image of Pegasus with two cupids in relief..

Maiori has a monastic presence of note, the Abbey of Santa Maria de’Olearia. The structure has three small chapels. Construction started in 987 by a monk called Pietro and his nephew Giovanni ( Peter and John). The name “de Olearia” derives from the presence of olive trees which provided fruit for the production of olive oil. The monastery thrived for about 500 years, but when the last resident monk died in 1509, religious activity all but ceased. The 11th and 12th century frescoes are of particular historic and religious importance.