OUR CITY
Castellammare di Stabia is located in the south-eastern part of the Gulf of Naples, at the gates of the splendid Sorrento peninsula and in a central and strategic position to easily reach the main tourist destinations.
The medieval Castle
The city takes its name from the medieval Castle which stands in a dominant hilly position at about 100 meters above sea level and was built by the Duke of Sorrento as a frontier fortress of his domain. The name Castrum ad mare, Castello a mare, appears for the first time in 1086 and indicates the village that stood around the castle and in the part below. Unfortunately today it is private property and can only be visited externally.
Castellammare has been known for very ancient times, in fact the Romans built here, in a hilly area, sumptuous villas owned by wealthy patricians with internal thermal complexes, swimming pools, gyms and small temples, embellishing them with paintings that still turn out to be among the most interesting Roman art. In 79 AD an unexpected and violent eruption of Vesuvius made the ancient city of Stabiae disappear under a thick blanket of ash, lapilli and pumice, together with Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Fresco from ruins of Stabiae - Spring
Ancient ruins of Stabiae
Due to the frequent earthquakes that preceded the eruption, many villas showed signs of subsidence or cracks and therefore were undergoing renovation: this was the reason why there was a limited number of victims in Stabiae. Among the illustrious victims there was also Pliny the Elder who, arrived in Stabiae to observe the eruption more closely, died most likely poisoned by toxic gases on the beach.
Here is available a guide for the Archeological site.
Our city is known by the name of city of waters: this name derives from the 28 sources of different mineral waters, known and appreciated since ancient times: thanks to this, excellent water flows from our taps! The spas are now undergoing modernization and restructuring, so it is currently not possible to taste the various types of water.
We strongly recommend a visit to our Cathedral , the main church of the city of sixteenth-century origin, which houses inside paintings by Spagnoletto and other artists, in addition to the Nativity scene, this year permanently set up, with precious wooden statuettes from the 1700s. at human height.
The Cathedral
A scene of Nativity
Certainly, having a few more days, a walk on Mount Faito is to be planned. It can be reached in just 8 minutes with the cableway (here the timetable) that leaves from the central station of the Circumvesuviana from may to october.
The Vesuvius from Mount Faito
During the ascent, from the cableway you can enjoy a breathtaking view over the whole plain and the gulf below. Once you arrive on Mount Faito you can breathe much cooler air on hot summer days, walk in the woods and have a picnic or eat in a typical mountain restaurant: do not forget to reach the belvedere from which the panorama and the view range towards the infinite, from the Sorrento peninsula and the island of Capri to the entire gulf of Naples and the islands of Ischia and Procida.
Walking on the seafront you can see the Cassarmonica, symbol of Castellammare, was built in 1900 to host concerts and events. It was short-lived, in fact only after 9 years it collapsed due to a windstorm; it was rebuilt and returned to the city in 1911 by the same architect who built it the first time, Eugenio Cosenza, who reduced its height and added a breather, a modification that also allowed an improvement in its stability. Over the years it has been restored and today you can admire it in all its splendor, a rare example in Italy of a musical pavilion.
Finally, a walk along the seafront is classic: here you can enjoy a beautiful panorama towards Vesuvius and Naples and splendid sunsets. On the seafront you will find numerous restaurants of all kinds where you can eat excellent fresh fish, pizzerias where you can taste real Neapolitan pizza, pubs and bars.
Cassarmonica
