Positano, Italy

Positano is a village on the Amalfi Coast (Costiera Amalfitana), in Campania, Italy, which is in southern Italy, about an hour outside of the city of Naples.

History

Positano was a port of the Amalfi Republic in medieval times, and prospered during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. By the mid-nineteenth century, however, the town had fallen on hard times. More than half the population emigrated, mostly to America. (Thank you to them for bringing over so much of their culture, and gems like pizza!)

Positano 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." Now tourism makes up a significant part of their economy.

Culture

The area is very well known for its seaside towns perched on the cliffs, fine wine, olive groves, mozzarella cheese, Limoncello, and warm sun. The is also home to a number of historical sites like Pompeii and Herculaneum, and geologic wonders like Mt. Vesuvius.