Sorrento History Facts and Timeline  (Sorrento, Campania, Italy)
View over the Marina GrandeLegend has it that the town's
earliest history is related to the myth of mermaids, known in
Italy as 'sirene'. Apparently, Ulysses heard the Sirens' song as
he was sailing past Sorrento.  The Greeks and Phoenicians were
thought to be the first to settle permanently on the site of
present-day Sorrento. The most ancient ruins date to 600 BC.
Later, the Romans set up a colony here, naming it Surrentum. It
became a popular coastal resort for wealthy patricians and many
grand villas were built in the area. Such spacious residences
usually had their own farms attached to them.  Surrentum was
well-known for its wine and fish, and there is evidence that the
town traded fairly extensively, even this early in its history.
In 79 AD, Sorrento was severely damaged by an earthquake caused
by the eruption of Vesuvius.  In 420 AD, Sorrento became an
archbishopric. After the Roman Empire had fallen, the town then
came under Byzantine