Wonders from around the world: the Vallone dei Mulini in Sorrento

During Roman times, Sorrento was crossed by three interconnected valleys: besides the Vallone dei Mulini (Valley of the Mills), there was also a valley that ended at Marina Grande and another that stretched inland, into the hills of the town. The latter two have now almost entirely disappeared, replaced by roads and buildings. The Vallone dei Mulini, however, is still visible today and continues to charm tourists from all over the world with its striking appearance.

by Alessia Giannino

The Vallone dei Mulini is a striking valley located in Sorrento, and it owes its name to the presence of a mill once used for grinding wheat.

The history

Its formation dates back thirty-five thousand years, when a violent eruption of the Campi Flegrei (Phlegraean Fields) covered the area between Punta Scutolo and Capo di Sorrento with debris: as a result, spring waters carved out a narrow, deep gorge as they sought a way down to the sea. In the 16th century, the area belonged to the Tasso family, but control later passed to the Correale family, who had a harbour built at the mouth of the valley, on the site where Marina Piccola now stands. Later on, at the bottom of the valley, a mill was built which harnessed the waters of the stream to grind wheat for sale, along with a sawmill that processed timber later used by local craftsmen. The valley's slopes were also quarried for tufa stone, providing the blocks used to build Sorrento's buildings, and the caves that formed as a result were used as wells for collecting water.

At the time, Sorrento was connected to the rest of the coast by a bridge that spanned the valley. In 1866 this structure was removed and replaced by a square. The Vallone dei Mulini was thus split in two: on one side, the outlet towards the sea, and on the other, a small industrial complex, which fell into ruin during the 20th century, due both to a lack of water and to changing climate conditions.

Today the Vallone dei Mulini can be admired from above, appearing as a great basin home to a huge variety of plants, including carnivorous species.