traveldk.com

This majestic building and its adjoining church were built in the late 1500s as a charitable institute set up to grant loans to the needy. In return, the noblemen who provided this service were guaranteed eternal salvation. Decorated mostly in late-Renaissance style, inside are sculptures by Pietro Bernini and frescoes by Corenzio.

The “Royal Plant Garden” was founded by Joseph Bonaparte in 1807 (see Orto Botanico).

This hilltop position provides fine panoramas.

Following Italian Unification, a statue of the poet Dante was placed in the centre of the broad curve of this square which was accordingly renamed. Before that, the area was known as Largo del Mercatello, when it was a major marketplace. Today it is still a busy focal point of the old part of the city.

Dominated by the steps up to the cathedral and the black-and-white design of the building and its belltower, this square is a hub of café life.

Any visit to Ravello will begin and end in this charming piazza, so perhaps most significant are the several choices of direction you can take from here. Staircases and ramped walkways lead off in all directions around the town.

In recent years this vast, magnificent urban space has been restored to its original grandeur. On one side is the church of San Francesco di Paola, and on the other the Palazzo Reale. The royal equestrian statues on the square are all the work of Canova.

The nautical theme of the mermaid and turtles fountain here is appropriate, as the nearby port is the main one for embarking on a trip to the islands of Capri, Ischia or Procida.

This Sorrento square is noteworthy for the 15th-century building from which it takes its name. The edifice was an open-air meeting place for the local aristocracy under the Angevin rulers and the fine arcaded loggia, partially enclosed by balustrades, still preserves some faded frescoes and a majolica dome. These days, the structure is the focus of the local working men’s club.