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What happened in Sorrento, stayed in Sorrento.
The stunning town of Sorrento – Siren’s Point – has been a holiday destination for
over 2000 years. In ancient Roman times, the whole sun-drenched coastline, from
the Bay of Naples to the Amalfi Coast, was lined with luxury villas, qualifying
it as the Hamptons of Antiquity. Aristocrats would flock here from Rome every summer
to relax by the beach, swim in marble pools and enjoy seafood banquets al fresco
beneath the stars. The most magnificent villa in Sorrento, whose remains can now
be seen on the cape, was built by the bon vivant Pollius Felix in the first century
AD. It rose in three marble tiers, had its own bath house, extensive gardens and
salt-water pools filled with lampreys (a type of eel that was a particular delicacy
to the Romans). Its private beach could only be reached through a natural arch in
the golden-hued rock. Other fabulous developments were built up along the jagged
cliffs nearby, crowding one another out for the best sea views; legal cases erupted
when pushy real estate developers blocked some favorite vistas. Much like modern
beach resorts, ancient Sorrento gained a reputation for their wild summer parties.
On hot nights, the hills would echo with the sound of drunken carousing, as revelers
quaffed fresh oysters at swam nude. Prostitutes sailed off-shore in barges, garlanding
the waves with rose petals and competing with one another in singing competitions.
Not everyone was impressed with the debauchery, including the straight-laced philosopher
Seneca who came to the beach in a vain attempt to relax. "Unmarried women are common
property here," he complained after another sleepless night. "Old men behave as
if they were young boys, and a lot of young boys behave like young girls."
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