AmalfiCoast Costiera Amalfitana

"Words can hardly describe the sunset as seen from this place, where the great planet offers a surprising and unique effect of light; appearing like a glowing sphere descending slowly toward the horizon, into a vast sea that seems to be made of both fire and light, almost saluting with its final rays the islands of Capri and the Sirens. The following morning, dawn rises in an abyss of light, its first purple rays touching the peaks of Mount Trivio."
Matteo Camera - "Historical and Diplomatic Memoirs of the Ancient City and Duchy of Amalfi"

Located between Positano and Conca dei Marini, the ancient Plagianum (from the Greek, meaning "open sea") is a picturesque maze of winding alleys, stairways, and narrow lanes. These weave between pastel-colored limewashed houses, balconies overflowing with flowers, votive shrines, and terraced lemon groves, eventually leading down to the sea. From here, visitors are rewarded with one of the most fascinating and romantic landscapes of the entire Amalfi Coast: the vast expanse of the sea, the shimmering lights of Positano to the right, the Li Galli islets, the Sorrentine Peninsula stretching to Punta Campanella, and, on the horizon, Capri with its iconic Faraglioni. Those who say that Praiano's sunsets are among the most romantic in the world speak the truth.

A fishing village until just a few decades ago, Praiano has managed to preserve its most authentic soul, resisting the pressures of mass tourism and offering instead a serene and relaxing atmosphere. As far back as the 14th and 15th centuries, its industrious people were engaged in linen production, coral fishing (coral fishers were recognizable by a single earring, following an ancient Saracen custom), making hair nets, salting anchovies, and weaving palms during the Easter season.

Praiano boasts countless attractions, both historical and natural:

• Church of San Luca Evangelista - A Baroque church with a splendid majolica floor featuring floral motifs and, at the center, the patron saint painting. The church dates back to the 13th century and also houses a silver bust of the saint (1694) and works by Giovan Bernardo Lama (The Circumcision) and Padovano De Montorio (Madonna of the Rosary).

• Church of San Gennaro (Vettica Maggiore) - Built in the 16th century over a 13th-century structure, with a Renaissance style, three naves, and a dome covered in majolica tiles. Inside are important canvases such as The Annunciation (1696), The Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew (1747) by Giambattista Lama, and The Holy Family (late 16th century).

• Church of Santa Maria a Castro and the Convent of San Domenico - Perched 360 meters above sea level on the slopes of Mount Sant'Angelo a Tre Pizzi. First mentioned in 1599, it preserves a 15th-century image of the Madonna delle Grazie.

• Church of San Giovanni Battista - Dating from the 11th-12th century, it features a splendid majolica-tiled terracotta floor and a Neapolitan pipe organ.

• Chapel of San Tommaso - A single nave with a barrel vault, housing an 18th-century wooden crucifix and a 16th-century altarpiece depicting the Madonna and Child with Saint Thomas.

• Church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria - Near the Torre a Mare watchtower.

• Chapel of San Nicola - Featuring a Neapolitan organ from the 18th century and a painting of the saint.

• Church of the Madonna of Constantinople.

• Ruins of the Church of San Costanzo.

• Numerous votive shrines decorated with traditional majolica tiles, testimony to the fervent faith of the Praianesi.

• Coastal watchtowers - Once part of the defensive system against Saracen raids.

• Marina di Praia - A fjord-like cove framed by towering cliffs on the border with Furore. Overlooking the beach stands the medieval Torre a Mare, reached via the evocative cliffside path la Scogliera della Praia.

• Cala della Gavitella - The only beach on the Amalfi Coast kissed by the sun until sunset. On its cliffs rises the Torre del Grado, built during the Spanish Viceroyalty.