For those who find themselves sailing along the Sorrento or Amalfi coasts, they are a cadenced, constant presence in the landscape. Overlooking the sea or, higher up, on the rocks, always in a strategic position, a series of round or square towers become a constant point of reference for sailors to understand where they are or where to find a cove in which to anchor. These are the coastal towers, built several times, between the tenth and fifteenth centuries, which tell with their presence a long and troubled story of the peaceful people who lived in this charming part of Italy subjected for centuries to ruthless raids by pirate ships and of the Saracen pirates who went all the way from Africa to carry out raids, plunder the peasants of their goods, capture virgins and slaves.
Of these monuments, in the coastal strip that goes from Massa Lubrense to Vico Equense, on the Sorrento peninsula, there are about twenty.
They date from different historical periods built under, the dominion of the Swabians, the Angevins, the Aragonese and the Spanish viceroys. They were born as watchtowers, in order to promptly warn the villagers with smoke signals to climb up the mountains to hide or prepare timid defenses against the attackers. Nonetheless, history has had to record bloody episodes of unheard-of ferocity, such as the Conca dei Marini massacre in 1543, the attack on Cetara in 1534, the Turkish invasion in 1587. And it didn't just concern humble people, it also tells of the kidnapping of the Sorrento noblewoman Berardina Donnorso during the invasion of 1558, freed after seven years of slavery, upon payment of a large ransom by the family. And perhaps to thank for having saved her life, the noblewoman, widowed of Giovan Marino Anfora, a rich Sorrento nobleman, would have financed the construction of the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, equipping it with houses and various farms to welcome the «daughters of the People of Sorrento and its Piano», or propertyless, unlike the other monasteries which had an exclusively high-ranking population.
The history of the coastal towers followed the political-military evolution of the Kingdom of Naples: they had great development with the Spanish domination, transforming themselves from watchtowers into defensive military garrisons, then with the changing times they were abandoned as stars. With the Bourbon restoration of 1815, most of the towers were disarmed and used for other purposes (residential, semaphore or telegraphic signals).
Torre Ferano in Arola in the territory of Vico Equense today has the majestic appearance of a tower, and the peaceful appearance of a peasant house. It may recall a house taken from seventeenth-century prints of rural landscapes, complete with cellars, caves, and tunnels or, for lovers of opera music, the disturbing house of the brigand Sparafucile where the drama of the killing of Gilda, the daughter of Rigoletto.
Certainly it must have had a relevant function in the past. The Arola hill is connected, through secondary roads, to the Sorrento-Amalfi coast through Piano di Sorrento with the Casa Nocillo forest road, and to Castellammare di Stabia following the main road, through the Seiano tunnel. Ancient paths still connect Arola to Meta di Sorrento, they are those of via Grottelle and dei Camaldoli in particular, the second leads onto the very ancient road from the pre-Roman era (XNUMXth century BC) called via Minervia (from the temple to the goddess Minerva site at Punta Campanella) which connected Nocera with Punta Campanella.
In short, we are in the midst of the history of this portion of the Sorrento area completely isolated and distant from tourist traffic. One of the roads leading to Torre Ferano, unfortunately closed today due to landslides, is so impervious, perched on the mountain, that walking it in the evening you had the sensation that at any moment a brigand Fra Diavolo could come out of a bush with a lot of of trombone ready to take off your bag.
Aware of the extraordinary uniqueness of the place, Camillo Sorrentino, nomen omen never was so appropriate, Chef and owner of Torre Ferano, when he took over this place twenty years ago to make a restaurant, decided that everything had to tell the story of his life. The restoration of the building was carried out in the strictest respect of the original structure: stairs, halls, small rooms, cellars for processing the wine of the peasants who had lived there for a long time, caves for storing the barrels, everything has remained as it was time, a fascinating anthill, with great sacrifice for those who work there, and with the sacrifice above all for the property of giving up more capacious (and more profitable) environments for customers.
But his choice was successful. Arriving at Torre Ferano today is a unique sensation and then, that glassless terrace that sweeps over the Gulf of Naples, 600 meters above sea level, a spectacular view that embraces Vesuvius, the slopes of Monte Faito, Seiano and the center of Sorrento and which reaches up to Punta Campanella on the sea towards Capri, dominating a crib of small lights of the underlying villages is something that remains in your heart.
And the atmosphere you breathe in Torre Ferano also touches the heart, which induces calm, slow times, respecting the history of the place, where the word haste is left outside the front door. Nostress is the wifi password. And it's not accidental because stress is banned here, it's left to the city, to the intense life of the nightlife hangouts. And Camillus is its personification. A hunk of a man who's busy in the kitchen. But that outside the kitchen, with his beautiful smile on his face, he transforms into a chef with a calm epicureanism, who loves spending time with customers, wanders around the tables, doesn't neglect any of them, scrutinizes the attitude of the customers, questions them, examine, careful to grasp, and where possible, to grant every wish. “I'm a“ no stress ”, cashier type” – he likes to say.
The restaurant in Torre Ferano created out of nothing was his bet, while others pursued customer-capturing trends, Camillo, a true self-made man, fascinated by the magic of the place and his memories of family cooking, was immediately clear that this had to to be a philosophical place, where traditional cuisine, human relationships, history, local flavors, refined but not overwhelming preparation techniques, all had to contribute together to create a unique atmosphere intent on making people enjoy the present. And that was the key to his success. You don't face impervious roads, country lanes, you don't climb 600 meters up the mountain unless you are sure you will find something different.
A bet won in a formidable pairing with Giosuè Maresca, who can be considered the noble father of many Sorrento chefs who then went a long way. One for all? A young Antonino Cannavacciuolo who at 17 went to the San Vincenzo restaurant, between Vico and Meta di Sorrento, to refine weapons, deepen the taste of raw materials, learn respectful cooking, enhance flavours: the chef was called Giosuè Maresca. Another excellent name is the great Gennarino Esposito with two Michelin stars from the Torre del Saracino who had him as a teacher at the "Alberghiero" in Vico Equense.
And with Maresca, Camillo Sorrentino started a lasting partnership, he studied the line of cooking for a long time, the rediscovery of ancient flavors that were to be transformed into ancient virtues of such a particular place as Torre Ferano which was supposed to be a memory of the past and an emotion of the present at the same time, the revival of old family memories brought to the table with pleasure and lightness. Like the roasted Sauro salad, the spaghetti with lupins and cockles, the fried cod, the dishes that, on any occasion or for village events, his grandfather prepared, "because he was a historic fisherman in the Vico marina and his hobby it was cooking for the people of the township”. And we cannot fail to mention the broccoli and bean soup according to the old local tradition, the Genoese soup with broken ziti, pasta and potatoes with Provolone del Monaco, ravioli with buffalo ricotta and black truffle from Monte Faito with crunchy bacon and a textbook sauce that leaves you with a great desire to return. Not to mention a classic of Neapolitan street food, fried pizza. Camillo has revisited and patented it with the trademark "La Pizza Fritta di Camillo"
A cuisine that is an all-round expression of the territory, with direct contact with the neighbors and with the city's artisans, from the sea to the mountains because the secret "lies in doing a daily shopping with products of excellence, following the seasonality and preparing a few dishes , the right way to eat well with low prices and the menu is done!”.
A pairing that has continued over time in constant confrontation between teacher and student first, and between colleague and colleague afterwards. And even now that Giosuè Maresca, who due to the events of his life, has left Sorrento to move to Ukraine, the fil rouge hasn't stopped: "with Giosuè - says Camillo, we often talk via Skype, almost every day, we talk about the restaurant, we study recipes, we perfect those we have already developed, in short, nothing has changed because Torre Ferano has been an important experience for us”.
And this is how the Torre di Camillo resisted even in the dark post-Covid times. Everyone complained about the reduced income. Not him: “This pandemic hasn't brought me any changes,” he says with the air of someone who doesn't want to turn to the recent past. And he adds immediately afterwards with sly wisdom: "One of the best things that happened in those months was Easter with the family and the pleasure of eating pastiera at home".
In short, after the days of closure, his restaurant has resumed in style because the authenticity of its dishes is the greatest ally of a customer who has learned from the dramatic events of this year that life requires greater respect for nature. The genuineness of the vegetables from his garden, the meat from farmers in the area who still believe in the small ancient world, the fish that Camillo procures from a fisherman friend of his and which arrives directly from the sea to his kitchens, and which he proudly shows to its patrons in a sort of fish parade going around the tables, concern the natural needs of the body. As for those of the mind, well, we have said it extensively and he never tires of repeating it, here the watchword is no stress, you come here to stay, as they say in these parts "in the grace of God" . Troubles, tensions, haste must be left out.
Antonino Cannavacciuolo was recently asked to list 5 restaurants in Vico Equense that express the identity and authenticity of this corner of paradise. And among these the great chef has included Torre Ferano. There is some reason!
