The Sirenusas ( it, Le Sirenuse), also known as the Gallos (', "the Cocks"), are an archipelago of little islands off the
Amalfi Coast
The Amalfi Coast ( it, Costiera amalfitana) is a stretch of coastline in southern Italy overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Gulf of Salerno. It is located south of the Sorrentine Peninsula and north of the Cilentan Coast.
Celebrated worldw ...
of
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
between
Isle of Capri and southwest of
Province of Salerno
The Province of Salerno ( it, Provincia di Salerno) is a province in the Campania region of Italy.
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Geography
The largest towns in the province are: Salerno, the capital, which has a population of 131,950; Cava de' Tirreni, Battipagli ...
's
Positano
Positano (Campanian: ) is a village and ''comune'' on the Amalfi Coast (Province of Salerno), in Campania, Italy, mainly in an enclave in the hills leading down to the coast.
Climate
The climate of Positano is very mild, of the Mediterranean ...
, to which it is administratively attached.
They are part of the
Campanian Archipelago.
The name, Sirenuse, is a reference to the mythological
siren
Siren or sirens may refer to:
Common meanings
* Siren (alarm), a loud acoustic alarm used to alert people to emergencies
* Siren (mythology), an enchanting but dangerous monster in Greek mythology
Places
* Siren (town), Wisconsin
* Siren, Wisc ...
s said to have lived there.
Extent
The archipelago consists of three main islands:
*
Il Gallo Lungo, which takes the form of a dolphin
* La Castelluccia, also known as Gallo dei Briganti
* the nearly circular La Rotonda
Smaller islets include, nearer the shore, Isca and, midway between the main islands and Isca, a prominent
rocky outcropping that juts above the water, .
Mythology
Several
siren
Siren or sirens may refer to:
Common meanings
* Siren (alarm), a loud acoustic alarm used to alert people to emergencies
* Siren (mythology), an enchanting but dangerous monster in Greek mythology
Places
* Siren (town), Wisconsin
* Siren, Wisc ...
s were said to have inhabited the islands, the most famous of whom were
Parthenope,
Leucosia, and
Ligeia. One of them played the lyre, another sang, and another played the flute. They are mentioned in the 1st century BC by
Strabo, the Greek Geographer and by
Straton of Sardis in 120 AD. In ancient stories, the sirens were depicted as having bodies of a bird and human heads, but the medieval interpretations of the stories depicted them as mermaids.
The terms ''Sirenai'' and ''Sirenusai'', from the Latin ', meaning indicate both the sirens themselves and their residence.
The modern name, ''I Galli'' or ''The Cocks'', references the bird-like form of the ancient sirens.
History
Originally the site of an ancient Roman anchorage, in the Middle Ages the islands became medieval fiefdoms of the 13th-century Emperor
Frederick II and the
Capetian House of Anjou
The Capetian House of Anjou or House of Anjou-Sicily, was a royal house and cadet branch of the direct French House of Capet, part of the Capetian dynasty. It is one of three separate royal houses referred to as ''Angevin'', meaning "from Anjou" ...
.
Gallo Lungo
Isca
The Neapolitan playwright
Eduardo De Filippo
Eduardo De Filippo (; 24 May 1900 – 31 October 1984), also known simply as ''Eduardo'', was an Italian actor, director, screenwriter and playwright, best known for his Neapolitan works ''Filumena Marturano'' and '' Napoli Milionaria''. Consid ...
purchased this island, which was later owned by his son
Luca De Filippo.
Isca has a villa and garden on the side facing the cliff (and, thus, not visible if sailing behind the island).
The island was described by the playwright’s wife, Isabella, in a book entitled, ''In mezzo al mare un'isola c'è...'' ("There is an island in the sea…").
The property has been on and off the market for years, most recently a public listing of the three islands in 2011 was for
US$268,000,000.
[Rob Bear]
A Pricey Amalfi Archipelago and Some Cheaper Alternatives
Curbed, February 23, 2011, accessed September 6, 2013.
References
Sources
*
*
*
External links
* http://www.amalfiscoast.com/inglese/discover/wonder/galli.htm
* https://web.archive.org/web/20120322211616/http://ac-support.europe.umuc.edu/~jmatthew/naples/sirens.htm Around Naples Encyclopedia - Land of the Sirens.
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Archipelagoes of Italy
Islands of Campania
Amalfi Coast
Sirens (mythology)