Santa Maria Del Castello

Starting down from Santa Maria Del Castello

by Jo Anne

Santa Maria Del Castello is a small town on the top of the mountain overlooking Positano.  Our neighbor and friend, Ferdinando, invited us on an outing there a few weeks ago.  An organization that he leads was hiking up the mountain on a Sunday in November.  It's something they do every season for the kids, although each time to a different local spot.  It's part nature hike mixed with a little bit of a history lesson and topped off with a big party at the end.

The hike began at Chiesa Nuova, a church at the peak of Positano.  We started up some stairs from there and then a series of switchbacks up the mountain.  It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day but someone pointed out the clouds above .  They were moving very fast across the mountain top.  "Not a good sign", they said. The wind up there would prove to be brutal  One of Ferdinando's suggestions was to wear layers.  At that point I realized why.

The trail was once the main "road" used to get over the mountain.  I'm not sure at what point the trail was forged but there is evidence of a history here as far back as the Romans, the Greeks, and even pre-historic times.  Underneath the main chuch in town, Santa Maria Assunta, they are currently digging out the remains of a Roman villa.  (Add to the list of Roman achievements, finding the best beach front properties.)

On the hike, we learned about some of the native plants including thyme, rosemary, and wild blueberries. The thing that stuck with me the most though was the poisonous mushroom story.  There was s family that had died after picking and cooking one of the mushrooms we saw along the trail.  I'm even afraid of the little toadstools in our yard after this tale.

The poisonous mushroom

At the top of the mountain, the temperature had dropped it seemed 15 degrees and there was a howling wind.  That did not stop anyone.  There were games of tug-a-war, sack races, and music.  Somehow they put on a full pasta dinner for eighty people that tasted amazing.  Although, you had to hold your plate down or it would blow away.   I noticed a chair sitting up in a tree at some point and was wondering if that was somehow related to the games.  At the end it became clear, as they carried Ferdinando to it and set him down up in the tree.  He gave a short speech, which if I understood the translation was "Can someone please help me down from here?!".  

Samantha, who has told me some of her least favorite moments here were the hikes I've taken her on (a dagger to my heart) said at the end "That was a really fun day".  I think the kids and the games at the top won her over.  I agreed.

Meeting at Chiesa Nuova

Starting up the mountain

Can someone please help me down from here?

The object of Ella and Samantha's affection

Ella lost a tooth on the way down.  The tooth mouse came that night  (mouse not fairy here)