Welcome to Praiano
From Jesse's Journeys in Italy
Population: 1,915 (2004)
Official Site:
Praiano
Wikepedia:
Praiano
Map:
Multimap
Praiano,
originally known as Plagium or
Pelagianum - or "open to the sea" - was
once the holiday resort of the
Amalfitan Nobility -
for good reason. The
town is set like a diamond in an
enchanting location, nestled among the
beautiful inlets of the breathtaking
Amalfi coast, a mere seven kilometers
from
Positano and six kilometers from
Amalfi. For those who don't like
crowds of tourists, this is a great
option. There are great vistas of the
sea and of Positano herself, but this
location in many senses is even more
idyllic.
Praiano, which was once an ancient
fishing village and favourite
retreat of Amalfitan nobility
is still an oasis of calm,
tranquility and colour. With an
excellent position along the
coast, and comfertable climate
almost all year long, the lush
vegetation of the Amalfi coast
coupled with the scent of the sea,
warmth of the sun and hospitality of
the people - has made this small
village a favourite holiday
destination of Italian tourists.
Whereas Positano, just north is a
constant drone of activity, sleepy
Praiano down the coast allows for
rest and relaxation.
Driving into the town, one is
presented with a cascade of white
houses which tumble down green,
flowering slopes to the sea.
Needless to say, the town
has
maintained its timeless charm as a
small fishing village perched on the
cliffs between its more famous
neighbours, Positano and Amalfi. For
its defense a tower was built by
Charles I of Anjou.
Praiano’s local economy was built
upon two products, the first being
the production of silk, and its use
by the local women in the
manufacture of handmade articles for
clothing etc. In past centuries silk
and thin, fine yarn was turned white
and worked by the women of the town,
and the popularity of this fabric
helped the town flourish. The coral
fishing industry was no less
lucrative, and the men collected
coral from the sea and fashioned it
into beautiful jewelry, among other
things.
Both
historically and architecturally,
the most important building today in
Praiano is the Church of Saint
Luke the Evangelist, which also
holds this saint's remains. The
Church boasts fine paintings by
Giovanni Bernardo Lama
(including the Madonna with Child)
and a silver bust of the saint,
dated 1694.
Today
Praiano is a prestigious sunning,
swimming and boating destination,
offering tourists from all over the
world a tranquil location from which
to sample the joys of the coastline,
with convenient proximity to the
tourist towns of Positano, Amalfi,
and Ravello.
To
the west, the village of Vettica
Maggiore is a charming site for a
seaside sojourn. An old local adage
says "Chi vuol vivere sano, la mane
a Vettica, la sera a Praiano". The
prescription is clear: for a
healthy life, morning hours must be
spent in Vettica and evenings in
Praiano. Here you'll find the
secrets of local vitality and love
of life.The coastal towers, dramatic
symbols of the past, are
characteristic of Praiano, one of
the most famous resorts of the
Amalfi coast. It is a favourite
destination for visitors who love to
enjoy nature in all its original
splendor.
Praiano does not lie directly on the
coast, but parallel to the sea, and
for a long stretch, upwards and
downwards of the state road.
Scattered houses which at intervals
gather and spread over the
countryside. Now and then a
"scalinatella" (a flight of little
steps) winds up among the houses and
then goes downwards to the high and
impassable coast, among the lemon
terraces and through the
Mediterranean blooming bush. Here
and there, a little creek, a little
beach, a Paradise corner, as for
example the seashore of Praia, the
only real landing-place of this
steep coastal stretch.
Praiano is a farmers' village with a
great past: it was the seat of an
Angioin University, the summer
residence of the Amalfi doges and
even the production place of
precious cloths. That is why it
economically prospered and developed
even though not completely, because
of the prevalence of Amalfi in its
neighbourhood. Not unlike the other
coastal villages, then, Praiano
shared the decline of the powerful
Sea Republic till it knew the bitter
poverty of the last centuries and
of the beginning of the 20th
century. Then, tourism, at first the
tourism of great travellers, then
the tourism of common Italian and
foreign travellers, developed.
The
Night Club "L'Africana",
one of the most famous clubs on
the Amalfi coast, an be
approached by a path excavated in
the rock dropping to the sea.
It was once the
seat of a iconic
"cultural meetings"
-
Fifties and in the Sixties,
where Sofia Loren is said to have
graced the dance floor. The
memory of the merry nights of
dancers and singers, of the
short-lived and passionate loves of
actresses and Latin lovers is still
alive.... |
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