The Duomo of Sorrento

The Renaissance Cathedral in Sorrento has some fine intarsia (inlaid wood) work on its doors (1990s) and the choir stalls (1930s)

Sorrento's Cattedrale SS. Filippo e Giacomo—today a largely 15th century structure with a facade rebuilt in 1924—is worth popping into for its intarsia (inlaid wood), a Sorrentine specialty.

These are on their best display on the main entry doors and side doors. Look especially for an overhead shot of the city beneath a 1992 quote by John Paul II. These were done by local artisan Giuseppe Rocco on designs by Vicenzo Stinga (Maestro Rocca is still in business, and you can visit his studio, and that of the Stinga brothers, Vicenzo's sons » more).

Just inside the door to the right is a worn Romanesque tomb slab of a heavy-hipped, bearded man with folded, flattened fingers. Nothing special in of itself, but peek around the back side. This marble slab was recycled; there's a 10th century lioness with sharp claws roaring on the back side. Cool.

The first chapel on the right has some nice Renaissance bas reliefs and an overwrought baptismal font (where poet Torquato Tasso was baptized).

The fine choir stalls, made in 1936, the intarsia (inlaid wood) depicting solitary saints and martyrs, are unfortunately difficult to see, since they've blocked access to them.

Nearby medeival and Roman ruins

Turn up Via Antonino Sersale, behind the Duomo, to see some remaining bits of the Roman-medieval city walls (refaced in the middle of the 16th century) and the Arco Romano, a Roman city gate (though if you look down near the base, there are stones remaining from the Greek-era city walls). More info: Antichemurasorrento.it.

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