Apartments in Florence, Perugia, Rome, Sorrento and Positano

About MASSA LUBRENSE

Probably founded in its current position by the Lombards, Massa comes from the Lombard word for settlement, mansa, this area was known in ancient times. Lubrense derives from the Latin word delubrum or ‘temple', two of which are known to have existed in the vicinity. There’s a great view across to Capri from the belvedere in largo Vescovado. On the other side of the square there's the haunting, crumbling facade of the former cathedral of Santa Maria delle Grazie, which dates from the early 16th century, although it was reworked in 1769. The chapel of Sant’Erasmo, to the left of the main altar, is believed to stand above a temple to Hercules. Directly opposite to the church, a road leads down to the attractive village and beach of Marina di Lobra (take a scenic shortcut down the first downward flight of steps right from the road; you may, however, want to hitch a lift or wait for the infrequent bus  on the way back up).Halfway down the road, the church of Santa Maria di Lobra has a pretty yellow and green tiled dome, a miraculous  l6th century Madonna and Child over the altar, and a cool, homely cloister with a tiled well-head (there’s a door from the cloister into the church that is generally open when the church is officially shut). There was a temple here, too, probably dedicated to Minerva. The whole place has a charming lived in feel, although only two old Franciscan monks remain in the adjoining monastery; if you feel moved to join them for a while, the Piccolo Paradiso Hotel  takes bookings for  a handful of simple monastery rooms. From Massa’s  main square, a road north-west (soon swinging south) heads to the villages of Santa Maria and Annunziata, the latter little more than a handful of houses around a rarely open church of the same name, and the ruins of the l4th century castello di Massa. A well marked walking trail goes from Massa to Annunziata. It’s worth taking it not only for the walk itself, but also to see the Villa Rossi where Joaquin Murat holed up after the Battle of Capri and signed the capitulation that put an ignominious end to French rule in Naples. The coast road out of Massa swings past the church and cemetery of San Liberatore , a final resting place of incredible beauty on the edge of a cliff with Capri tantalisingly close across the bay. The little whitewashed chapel was built in 1420, although it has been heavily restored since. In ancient times the coast road continued as far as the temple to Minerva on Punta della Campanella. Nowadays, it curves inland a couple of kilometres short of the point, to the town of Termini. A nondescript place with a spectacular view, Termini is the starting point for walks around Punta della Campanella, down to the Amalfi Coast and along the crests of the peninsula. The lane that heads south opposite the church leads to the chapel of San Costanzo (the walk takes around 40 minutes).The chapel is a stark white construction, rarely open; the view down towards the very tip of the peninsula at Punta della Campanella and the Baia di Jeranto immediately to the north is awe-inspiring. From the same point, another path (grey and green stripes; 90 minutes) follows the headland out to the Saracen watchtower on Punta della Campanella; there are the remains of a Roman villa. The path for Punta Penna, with access to Jeranto Bay, begins in Nerano.