Top of the World
Punta Campanella is an area of history and legends: according to the Odyssey, Ulysses met the bewitching Sirens here; the Greeks erected a temple to the goddess Athena there, later converted by the Romans to the worship of the goddess Minerva.
In 1300 a tower was built here for the purpose of sighting and raising the alarm in case of Saracen raids coming in from the sea. A Bell was placed on the top of the tower that rang in case of alarm, propagating the signal to the other towers positioned along the coast.
On the plateau of Punta Campanella you will find a cleft in the rock from where an impassable flight of steps leads up to a cliff connected to caves and ravines above sea level. Ships laden with libations to offer to the goddess Minerva used to dock here. Looking up along the rocky ridge, with a little attention you can make out an inscription in Oscan carved on the stone that indicated the landing point for the Sanctuary of the Goddess Minerva.
Trekking: Starting location: Termini (hamlet of Massa Lubrense). Location of arrival: Termini. Walking time: 2 hours (round trip). Kilometers: 4 km. Degree of difficulty: slight.
