Some places are an ideal conversation starter: they open doors, spark stories, ignite curiosity, encouraging the traveller to delve deeper, to get informed and, finally, to get involved.
Which is probably why you ended up here: you were looking for information on the Ziro Tower in Scala.
Maybe you were talking about Late English Renaissance tragedies or maybe you were simply looking for a trekking itinerary on the Amalfi Coast.
By now, you may be wondering what English literature has to do with trekking on the Amalfi Coast.
If you want to find out, read this article to the end: you will find all the information you were looking for and, hopefully, a little more.
Indice dei contenuti
Let’s start with the story of Giovanna D’aragona, Duchess of Amalfi
The Ziro Tower, in Pontone, a district of the village of Scala, is the keep of a castle that was once used to sight the Saracens arriving from the sea.
Today very little remains of this ancient building: we know that it must have been surrounded by crenelated walls of which few traces remain today.
The tower’s name is said to derive from its cylindrical shape: the containers used to store oil and grain, which in Arabic were called ‘ctiri’, were cylindrical.
Although little remains of the ancient building, there is still the story that sees this castle as the scene of a horrible murder that took place in the 16th century: the killing of Giovanna D’Aragona, Duchess of Amalfi.
According to the story, in fact, the duchess, widowed at only twenty years of age, secretly married the court butler.
To avoid scandal, the brothers imprisoned the Duchess with her children inside the tower and subsequently slaughtered all the prisoners.
The terrible tale provided the inspiration for the English tragedian John Webster to write ‘The Duchess of Melfi, one of the greatest tragedies of the English Renaissance, published in 1623.
How to reach the Torre dello Ziro on the Amalfi Coast
It is definitely worth taking this pleasant walk to discover one of the less-travelled corners of the Amalfi Coast: if you are looking for an itinerary that allows you to discover the most authentic side of our places, this excursion is definitely worth doing!
The walk will last no more than three hours: you will walk up a few hills for a total of about 5 km that will give you breathtaking views and, once you reach your destination, a viewpoint that will allow you to embrace the towns of Amalfi and Atrani with your eyes.
Your starting point is Pontone.
If your starting point is Ravello or another town on the Amalfi Coast
Atrani seen from the Ziro Tower in Scala
If your starting point is Ravello, you can reach the village of Pontone via a short path.
Alternatively, we suggest you use the Sita Sud services and take the Scala-Ravello line.
If you are departing from another municipality on the Amalfi Coast, remember that the terminus of the Sita buses is in Amalfi: from here all services to Pontone, Ravello and Scala depart.
Alternatively, if you are departing from other towns on the Amalfi Coast, you can take advantage of Travelmar’s services, which from 2022 will offer integrated ferry + shuttle packages, also covering towns that are not on the sea, such as Ravello.
From the small square in Pontone, just take the stairs in Via Fritto: within ten minutes you should find yourself on the left-hand side of the road with stairs leading to Atrani.
If you go straight ahead, just follow the signs to reach the tower.
Just before arriving at the tower, however, it is obligatory to stop at the belvedere located right above the tower from where you can admire an extraordinary panorama of Amalfi and Atrani seen from behind
Once you reach the lower part of the tower, we suggest you walk the last few steps to the top of the tower to enjoy a view that will reward you for all the effort!
The Ziro Tower can also be reached from Valle dei Mulini.
For the return trip, follow the flight of steps from Pontone to the enchanting village of Atrani.
Some advice for the excursion to the Ziro Tower in Scala
The excursion has a low level of difficulty: reaching the Ziro Tower from Pontone is within everyone’s reach, even those who do not usually engage in physical activity!
Remember to take a bottle of water with you to hydrate yourself along the way. If the heat requires it, take along some mineral salts or some fruit.
