We returned to the Sorrento Peninsula, one of our favorite places, and we also managed to find a new place, where we had not only never been but that we hadn't even heard of until a few months ago. The town is Agerola, perched at 600 meters above sea level. on the Lattari Mountains and overlooking the Amalfi coast. The Agerola pass, after which you descend towards the coast, has been immortalized for all cycling enthusiasts by the exploits of Fausto Coppi, celebrated by plaques affixed to a viewpoint at the beginning of the descent to Furore:
But to reach the destination of our walk we stopped at the hamlet of San Lazzaro di Agerola where, parked the car, we entered the Parco della Colonia Montana Principe di Napoli. What is it, or rather what was the Colonia Montana Principe di Napoli? It was an imposing building built between 1937 and 1939 by the fascist regime as a summer camp for the youth. Ruined after the war, it was restored, recovering the supporting structures and the two high reliefs of the façade, intended as a campus for haute cuisine and pastry courses and inaugurated in 2019 (https://campusprincipedinapoli.it/). Some pictures:
The Colonia Montana was also equipped with an infirmary, located in a separate building, which was intended to house the "Salvatore Di Giacomo" Astronomical Observatory (https:// Osservatorio.astrocampania.it/)
Agerola has been famous for centuries for its fiordilatte, smoked provola, ricotta (used by the best pastry chefs for the preparation of the famous Neapolitan pastiera), and the inimitable "provolone del monaco d.o.p."; all produced with milk from the Agerolese cattle breed. In addition to cattle breeding, the Agerola area has for centuries also been dedicated to the breeding of pigs that allow the production of high quality cured meats, including the typical "soppressata", pancetta and capicollo. So the suggestion is: go wild in the purchase of these goodness and maybe indulge in a breakfast of bread, dairy products and cold cuts to be consumed on site!