Positano
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Comune di Positano | |
|---|---|
 Municipal coat of arms |
|
| Country |  Italy |
| Region | Campania |
| Province | Salerno (SA) |
| Mayor | |
| Elevation | 0 m |
| Area | 8 km² |
| Population | |
| - Total (as of 2001) | 3,862 |
| - Density | 483/km² |
| Time zone | CET, UTC+1 |
| Coordinates | |
| Gentilic | Positanesi |
| Dialing code | 089 |
| Postal code | 84017 |
| Frazioni | Montepertuso, Nocelle |
| Patron | San Vito |
| - Day | June 15 |
| Website: www.positanonews.it | |
Positano is a small town on the Amalfi Coast (Costiera Amalfitana), in Campania, Italy. The main part of the city sits in an enclave in the hills leading down to the coast.
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[edit] History
Positano was a prosperous port of the Amalfi Republic in the 16th and 17th centuries. But by the mid-19th century, the town had fallen on hard times. More than half the population emigrated, mostly to the United States of America.
Positano was a relatively poor fishing village during the first half of the 20th century. It began to attract large numbers of tourists in the 1950s, especially after John Steinbeck published his essay about Positano in Harper's Bazaar in May, 1953: "Positano bites deep", Steinbeck wrote. "It is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone."
Today tourism is the major industry in Positano.
[edit] Main sights
The church of Santa Maria Assunta features a dome made of majolica tiles.
[edit] Culture
Positano has been featured in several films, including Only You (1994), starring Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr., and Under the Tuscan Sun (2003), starring Diane Lane. It also hosts the annual Cartoons on the Bay Festival, at which Pulcinella awards for excellence in animation are presented. From July of 1967 and through most of the 1970s, Positano was home of singer-songwriter Shawn Phillips and was where most of his best known work was composed. His song "Landscape" recounts a taxi ride through Positano.
Today, Positano is considered one of the most chic destinations in Europe. Two of its hotels, Il San Pietro and Le Sirenuse, are frequently cited as among the best in the world.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Storia e informazioni su Positano
- Mapquest
- Cartoons on the Bay Festival
- Positano live streaming webcam
- Positano Photos
- Positano online newspaper about Positano, the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento and Campania in general
- Positano hotels cited in Travel+Leisure ranking of best hotels in world
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