Eremo di Cetrella
Anacapri
Hidden gemSacred art
The story
A small Marian hermitage tucked among the rocks below Monte Solaro, reached on foot through the scent of the scrub and the silence of the heights.
Access
not always open
The story
The Hermitage of Santa Maria a Cetrella hides in a little valley of Monte Solaro, above Anacapri, in a place where — according to tradition — a temple of Venus stood. Built between the late fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, it was inhabited by Franciscan and Dominican hermits and was the goal of pilgrimages of the fishermen, who prayed there to the Madonna before setting off for the coral fishing.
What to see
A small, compact religious complex in stone — little church and hermitage — in a position of great quiet and beauty, sheer above the sea between Capri and Anacapri. The name comes from a herb with a lemon scent that grows in the area. A place of silence far from everything.
How to get there
- Hydrofoil
- Ferry
Tips
It is reached only on foot, by a mountain path: from the summit of Monte Solaro you go down into the little valley, or you climb up from Anacapri along an ancient mule track (about twenty minutes, but demanding). It is a route for those who walk: trekking shoes, water and a sure step.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Hermitage of Cetrella?
A small hermitage with a little church on Monte Solaro, above Anacapri, built between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, once inhabited by hermits and the goal of fishermen's pilgrimages.
How do you reach the Hermitage of Cetrella?
Only on foot: going down from the summit of Monte Solaro or climbing up from Anacapri along a mule track (~20 demanding minutes); a hiker's step is needed.
Where does the name Cetrella come from?
From a herb with a characteristic lemon scent that grows in the area of Monte Solaro.
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