The 13 Churches Trail in Tramonti
The 13 Churches Trail in Tramonti is one of the most beautiful trekking routes on the Amalfi Coast. Only those who have walked it can say they have really got to know Tramonti. About 15 kilometres long, it winds its way through its hamlets (11 out of 13) via mule tracks and connecting roads that were once used to reach the various hamlets on foot. The route is circular and can be undertaken from any hamlet in Tramonti. But we advise you to start it from the hamlet of Pucara, which is the one most easily reached by public transport. Obviously, those who do not feel up to walking it all can shorten it.
From the centre of Pucara one goes up Via Conservatorio until reaching the Conservatorio dei Santi Giuseppe e Teresa, which is currently a ruin and can only be admired from the outside. Built in the second half of the 17th century, it is known for being the place where Concerto, one of the oldest and most popular liquors of the Amalfi Coast, was invented. A few metres further on is the Church of Sant’Erasmo, built in the 15th century but whose current appearance is the result of various reconstructions and transformations over time. Numerous works of art are preserved inside. The itinerary continues along the Vallone Sant’Antonio, through which we reach the village of Novella, where the beautiful Church of San Bartolomeo Apostolo, dating back to the 16th century, stands. Of particular note are the decorations of some side chapels and the artistic polychrome marble altars.
After Novella comes the hamlet of Pendolo and then the village of Gete, where there is the very ancient Cappella Rupestre (according to some scholars, dating back to the period between the 8th and 12th centuries) and the Church of San Michele Arcangelo (rebuilt in the 18th century to replace an ancient 12th-century church). The next village is Ponte, where you will find the Church of San Felice, whose foundation dates back to the 18th century. Past the religious building, one must cross the Maiori-Chiunzi carriageway to take the cart track below. After a few minutes you reach the village of Campinola, where you will find the Church of San Giovanni Battista. There is no certain news about its foundation but it is certain that it existed in the 16th century, as a plaque dated 1596 attests. The interior decoration of the building is particularly rich and in Baroque style.
Leaving the village of Campinola, proceed in the direction of Casa Lauro. Once past the latter, you reach Corsano, where the modern Church of San Salvatore, built in the second half of the 20th century, stands. From Corsano, climb up Colle Santa Maria and descend on the opposite side to reach the village of Capitignano, where the Church of Santa Maria della Neve, dating back to the 16th century, is located. The decorative programme of the Chapel of the Annunciation (on the right side of the church) is remarkable. From Capitignano, we go to the village of Pietre, where, not far from the route, we can visit the Church of San Felice di Tenna, rebuilt in the 18th century on the ruins of the pre-existing church. Inside is a painting depicting the Immaculate Conception attributed to Silvestro Buono, a painter active in Naples in the second half of the 16th century.
Back on the route, proceed in the direction of Frescale until you reach the hamlet of Figlino, where the Church of San Pietro, built between the 16th and 17th centuries, is located. The church is adorned with Baroque-style stucco work of the Vaccaro school, while the entire floor surface is made up of a very fine composition of majolica terracotta. The next village is Paterno Sant’Arcangelo, in which one of Tramonti’s oldest religious buildings is located, the Church of the Ascension. Built entirely of stone and partly hewn out of the rock, it dates back to the 9th-10th centuries. Continuing along the path we reach the village of Paterno Sant’Elia. Here stands the Church of Sant’Elia (16th century), which is part of a larger architectural complex that also includes the Chapel of Santa Maria della Pietà. We finally reach the hamlet of Ferriera, from which we return to Pucara.
For more information on the trail, visit the official CAI Monti Lattari website.
Photo © CAI Monti Lattari
