03/11/2017
Discovering path of Lemons
The lemon path: from Maiori to Minori, passing through the village of Torre
Before the building, during the Bourbon domination, of the SS 163 "Amalfitana", one of the most beautiful and scenic roads in the world, all of the towns of the Amalfi Coast were connected to each other by mountain paths and muleteers; particularly appreciated by trekking lovers (just think of the famous Path of the Gods), these dusty paths, many of them clinging along the ridges of the hill, were the first ways of communicating on the Amalfi Coast.
One of these is the Lemon Path (or Path of the Lemons), connecting Maiori to nearby Minori, passing through the picturesque village of Torre. The name clearly refers to the lush terraced gardens, cultivated with PGI Amalfi Coast lemons, the most iconic symbol of the Amalfi Coast ; already mentioned in documents since the XVI century. In the XVII century, the local historian Matteo Camera wrote that "from Minori, lemons were transported by sea to other Italian markets, together with limoncelli and bitter oranges". The path can be walked in both directions.
From Maiori the departure begins in Piazzale Campo, walking up to Via Vena, leaving behind the tiled majolica dome of Collegiata di Santa Maria a mare. Once you have crossed the small group of white houses, you walk along typical coastal vegetation: Mediterranean maquis, olive trees , vines and after few minutes wonderful lemon groves overlooking the sea that is kissed by the sun since the early hours of the morning.
The vegetation has an intense and pleasant scent and especially during harvest time. It is also possible to meet local farmers carrying the "yellow gold" of the Amalfi Coast in the famous baskets ("sporte") on their own shoulders or by mule. You can see in the distance the first houses of the village of Torre, with its lovely parish church dedicated to San Michele Arcangelo, dating back to the X century.
From the small square of the village, the path to Minori is almost downhill, through long flights of steps between white houses, lemon groves and delicious courtyards. A particularly scenic place is "belvedere la mortella" (dialect word referring to the myrtle plant): offering just a glance to enjoy the whole town of Minori with the imposing Basilica di Santa Trofimena and its bell tower, the beach, Paradiso Tower, the mountains of Scala and Agerola, Ravello and in the distance, Atrani and Amalfi. After another few steps you will reach the historical center of Minori, the City of Taste of the Amalfi Coast, home of handmade pasta.
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